Just the two of us

It was the night before Christmas. All she wanted to do was wait in the front steps of her home to welcome him. But clearly it is the Christmas eve and there are things she needed to attend to. Food needs to be prepared, gifts need to be given away to the family and of course, the moment she’s been waiting for, the time for you and her to spend the most awaited season of all.

It’s almost 12 midnight and yet his shadow is still nowhere to be seen. She’s starting to feel nervous and uneasy, no texts or even calls coming from him. She thinks oh because its christmas maybe networks are jammed as there are so many greeters over mobile networks are coming at this time of the hour. “I will wait for you love, we still have 30 minutes before Christmas knocks on our door, please hurry!” she whispers.

The family is celebrating already but she was adamant to join them because her love was still not home. She was worried as this would be their first Christmas together and that there is a surprise she needed to tell him as this would be the perfect time as today will be the birth of Jesus that is why she was excited to tell him thay they would be the best mom and dad to this little one growing up in her belly. Thinking about these made her touch her belly and whispers to the little one, “Your daddy will be home and he will be glad to know you are in there getting ready for us” Butterflies fluttering in her stomach, was it happiness? Or was it nervousness about something not right?

“Merry Christmas, Darling!” he whispers.. She looks up and there he was happily greeting her with a smile and a bunch of red roses. “When did you come home? Why didn’t I see you?”, she said. “Oh just a few minutes back, you are busy holding your belly, was something wrong?”, he said to her.

“Ohh, because I wanted to tell you something, love. You will be a daddy! And this would be the perfect Christmas gift to us!”, she happily said to him. A warm smile touch his lips, a tear fell down his cheeks upon hearing those words he wishes to hear for a very long time. “I dont know what to say.. I am the happiest my love.”, he whispers to her while touching her belly and kissing her cheeks.

Suddenly, there is a commotion going on at the living room. Her mom is shouting and crying out for her. Her dad was talking to some people and all she could hear was the words No! No! That’s not true my daughter will be devastated. Her heart was pounding as she walks to and from the living room totally forgetting that he was still there. Entering the living room all eyes where on her. “What’s going on? It’s Christmas why are you crying, Mom? Why are you shouting, Dad? What’s happening?”, those where the words coming out of her mouth.

“He’s dead, Moira”, Dad said. And all was black and blank, she feels the world slipping out of her grasp. “But he’s home I just told him about our baby!!”, she muttered. “Ma’am I am very sorry but he was declared dead on arrival 2hrs ago, he got hit by a truck while helping an old lady vendor cross the street, the old lady told us what happened as he didn’t see the truck passing when he was about to go home, he has flowers in his hand that time as he was supposed to give it to you and all the gifts he has with him.”, the policeman had told her. Moira felt the world turn and immediately runs back to the kitchen where she last saw him with all those beautiful flowers, telling herself he’s here, he’s here. When inside the kitchen there is no one there just the smell of cooked food and wine.

Walking back to the living room, one hand in her chest the other one in her belly, tears flowing in her face. Words slipping she mutters “Love, why? You’re going to be a daddy, our little one is waiting for you. I, am waiting for you.”

In the corner of her eyes, she saw a familiar figure. Looking over she saw him smiling but crying. He’s mouthing these words, “Take care of yourself and our little one. I’m sorry I didn’t make it home for Christmas. You know how much I love you and Merry Christmas my love”.

That’s when she knew that it was over and that he was gone. She then saw the bunch of flowers in his favorite chair and it smells beautifully. All she could do is weep and hold on to his memory while silently saying, “Merry Christmas too, my love. From me and the little one, we love you infinitely”