Advent 2021 – December 24

December 24 – Drew

Drew looked at his wife fondly. “Well, shall we bring our own ornaments up?”

She took his hand. “Let’s.”

The crowd moved aside as they made their way to the tree. In a very odd way, Molly felt the entire afternoon had been building to this. She realized as they mounted the dias that she and Drew were the last two to bring up their ornaments. 

Up close, the tree was glorious. The myriad of precious ornaments that were scattered among the dark green needles and the lights glowed with more than just the fading sunlight. 

Jade looked down at them. “Saving the best for last,” she said, and although everyone could probably hear her, it felt as if it was just the three of them standing in the cool, clear air.

“Of course,” Drew said, giving her a grin. “We’re usually running a little late around this time of year.” He glanced at Molly, who nodded. The Christmas season was definitely her busy season.

“That’s not what I meant, at all,” Jade said. “But that’s not important. Do you have an ornament together?”

“No, we each brought one.” As Drew pulled his ornament out, to Molly’s surprise, the grey wrapped around her. For some reason, she’d thought that the visions would end when she and Drew went up.

She didn’t recognize the room that she stood in when the grey cleared. It was small, dimly lit by the lights that twinkled golden in the small tree that sat on a trunk covered with a white and red velvet cloth. The ornaments on the tree were blown glass and looked old.

Seated in a wingback chair was an older woman with long golden hair and deep amber eyes. Molly recognized her instantly as Phoebe, Drew’s grandmother.

As she watched, a small boy ran in from the hallway, his curly brown hair dusted with snow. “Grandma Phoebe! It’s Christmas Eve!”

“It is, my darling,” Phoebe said, pulling the boy onto her lap. “And you know what that means, right?”

Drew (and Molly realized he must be only 5 or 6, before his parents had died) nodded. “Santa will come on the pirate ship tonight!”

“Indeed!” Phoebe wiggled her long fingers at the tree, and golden light flowed from her fingertips. It rolled like lazy waves over to the tree, and a pirate ship bedecked with lights stirred from its hanger. It sailed over to Drew on the golden waves, and he smiled.

“And then, Grandma? After he brings the presents?”

“Then, my love, he will offer one special child the chance to sail with him until the sun rises.” Phoebe laid her cheek against Drew’s curls.

“Do you think I might go again?”

“I don’t know,” Phoebe said. “Perhaps one day, if you’re very good, you’ll get to go back and sail with him again.”

Molly blinked, astonished, and then she was back at the tree, watching Drew hand over the small pirate ship. “Because dreams do come true,” he said. “It just may take a while.”

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