Sequel: A Stich In Time ›
Christmas Wish
One of One
My little sister Elle sang silent night as I brushed and braided her hair ready for midnight mass. She had a rag doll on her lap and was mimicking my movements.
"There all done," I smiled and kissed the crown of her head.
She turned round and smiled back at me.
"Thank you Lacey," she slid off the chair.
I started to run the wooden hair brush through my own long brown hair.
"Go to the toilet then put your shoes on munchkin," I pulled my hair back into a ponytail.
"Elle?"
She hadn't moved. Instead she was stood looking as if she was trying to work out the meaning of life.
"Where are Mummy and Daddy?"
I sighed and crouched down so I was at her level."Do you remember that David is ill?"
She nodded.
"Well Mummy and Daddy need to spend this evening with him,"
Her bottom lip trembled. "But I want them here. They are always with David. I hate him," the tears where falling freely now.
"Oh Elle. David is really ill. He has a whole in his heart," I paused trying to work out how to phrase this. I didn't want to scare her but I didn't want to make her think David was fine.
"They should put a plaster of his heart," Elle offered
.
"Yes, they should. But it is hard to find the right kind of plasters, so Mummy and Daddy are going to stay with David till they get the right plaster." I wiped Elle's tears away with my thumb. "But we will see them tomorrow." I promised.
Elle nodded sadly. I bent down and gave her a hug. David is our very own Tiny Tim. He is two months old and he had a hole in his heart. Mum and Dad are too terrified to leave his side for even a second. I held Elle away from me with my hands on her shoulders and gave her a tentative smile.
"Go get your shoes on and I'll be down in a second. Okay?" I let go of her shoulders and sat down at the table and started applying my foundation.
I hadn't been getting much sleep and in the candle lit church I was in danger of giving some poor old bat a heart attack. My phone beeped loudly announcing the arrival of a text.
Don't be late to church.
Sorry we can't be there tonight. Give Elle a kiss from us.
M&D x
I smiled slightly as I replied
We won't don't worry.
Elle says hi & I'll only give her a kiss from you if you give Dave a kiss from me.
Lacey & Elle
x
I put my phone on silent and tucked it into my jeans pocket.
"Lacey, Auntie Harriet is here,"
"Okay I'll be down in a second," I checked myself once in the mirror. I took a deep breath then stood up and left the room.
As I ran down the stairs I could hear my aunt asking benign questions about the Christmas tree.
"Merry Christmas," I kissed the cheek of, first my aunt and then my six year old cousin Caroline before I gave my 16 year old cousin Mary a hug.
"You ready Elle?" I asked fishing my phone out to check the time.
She nodded. "Can you just help me with you laces please?" she asked.
"Sure just sit on the steps sweet," I said absentmindedly forgetting her smart shoe were slip on shoes. I laughed when I say she was holding a pair of smart black shoes
"Elle these are your tap shoes, you can't wear them to church,"
She pouted and crossed her arms. don't have a fit now i pleaded in my mind.
"But I want to wear them," she whined. “Why can’t I wear them?”
I smiled at her and put my hand on her face.
"Because they are too noisy and you'll wake the church mice," I held out her soft brown shoes. "Wear these instead,"
Elle sat next to me at church. She used my scarf as a pillow and my arms as a coat. She'd fallen asleep by the second carol. I watched her sleeping, would I ever have a moment like this with David? Normally I enjoyed midnight mass but this year all I could think about was David. Would I see him walk, would I see him crawl? Would he even make it out of the hospital? He hasn't seen daylight yet, maybe he never will. Thankfully Elle is too young to really know what is wrong with her brother. She thinks David’s just got some madly exaggerated cold. As the priest led us in a prayer for children I felt my eyes tear up. Mary weaved her fingers into mine.
"He will be okay," she told me with so much certainty I had to believe.
As the choir and the priests processed out of the church I picked Elle up. She was snoring softly. Mary Caroline and Aunt Harriet where collecting their things.
"We'll meet you outside okay?" I walked towards the prayer candles.
Elle was still fast asleep, I lay her down in a close pew. I put a pound in the candle box and picked a long slender white candle. I couldn't think of how to say everything I wanted to pray for so instead using my index fingernail I shakily inscribed.
D
A
V
I
D
down the side of the candle. As I lit the candle I mouthed please. Then I picked Elle up and carried her out to the car. I put her seat and kissed her forehead. When I sat down Mary linked her fingers with mine again.
"I hope she stays passed out so I can just give her stocking and sleep,." I nodded towards the lump that had been Elle.
"I'm sure she will. Caroline though will wake up the second I step into her room," Aunt Harriet chuckled.
I smiled weakly. She pulled up at our house.
"Merry Christmas," I whispered as I unbuckled Elle.
"Merry Christmas," Mary and Aunt Harriet whispered back.
I waved as they pulled away. Being careful not to wake Elle I unlocked the door.
After I'd got a semi conscious Elle washed, changed and in bed I waited half an hour before sneaking in with her stocking. Then I curled up in my own bed and lay awake thinking.
Last year Mum had made everything in mine and Elle's stocking. Among other things I'd gotten a hat glove and scarf set and a purse. Elle had gotten a toy mouse, a fairy wand and a set of felt juggling balls. We had opened our stocking on our parent’s bed then gone to church. When we'd got back we had made Christmas lunch together. When we'd filled out bellies we'd opened our presents and then we'd ended up curled up in front of the Christmas TV.
This year Elle's stocking consisted of some pound shop things and my crude attempt at a purse. I hadn't had enough money for anything special and while mum and Aunt Harriet had contributed a few things it was still nowhere as good as last year’s stockings.
As I drifted off to sleep I found myself making a wish, a proper cross-all-fingers-and-look-for-a-star wish.
"Make Christmas good for Elle," I murmured before falling asleep.
Thump
The sound of my door being shut woke me up. I struggled to sit up and turn my bedside light on.
6:30
I sighed, what had Elle wanted? I got out of bed and my kicked something.
Spilling out of my slippers where a small collection of crudely wrapped presents. I felt myself well up.
Elle who you had to kick to put her shoes on, had somehow managed to pick and wrap about ten little presents. I picked up one present and opened it. Inside was a tiny felt doll. I smiled and sat it on my bedside table. As I leant down to collect all the presents I spotted an envelope lodged between my slippers. Inside was a handmade card with picture of Mary, Elle Caroline and I sat on a grass bank somewhere. Inside was a short message from Mary.
Merry Christmas Kid.
So yes Elle had a little help but it was all her own ideas.
We LOVE you
Elle, Aunt Harriet and Mary.
I smiled and put my presents on my door. There was a tentative knock on my door. Elle pocked her head around the door. I held my arms out for a hug. She ran and jumped up on my bed. I cuddled her close.
"Merry Christmas Elle,"
"There all done," I smiled and kissed the crown of her head.
She turned round and smiled back at me.
"Thank you Lacey," she slid off the chair.
I started to run the wooden hair brush through my own long brown hair.
"Go to the toilet then put your shoes on munchkin," I pulled my hair back into a ponytail.
"Elle?"
She hadn't moved. Instead she was stood looking as if she was trying to work out the meaning of life.
"Where are Mummy and Daddy?"
I sighed and crouched down so I was at her level."Do you remember that David is ill?"
She nodded.
"Well Mummy and Daddy need to spend this evening with him,"
Her bottom lip trembled. "But I want them here. They are always with David. I hate him," the tears where falling freely now.
"Oh Elle. David is really ill. He has a whole in his heart," I paused trying to work out how to phrase this. I didn't want to scare her but I didn't want to make her think David was fine.
"They should put a plaster of his heart," Elle offered
.
"Yes, they should. But it is hard to find the right kind of plasters, so Mummy and Daddy are going to stay with David till they get the right plaster." I wiped Elle's tears away with my thumb. "But we will see them tomorrow." I promised.
Elle nodded sadly. I bent down and gave her a hug. David is our very own Tiny Tim. He is two months old and he had a hole in his heart. Mum and Dad are too terrified to leave his side for even a second. I held Elle away from me with my hands on her shoulders and gave her a tentative smile.
"Go get your shoes on and I'll be down in a second. Okay?" I let go of her shoulders and sat down at the table and started applying my foundation.
I hadn't been getting much sleep and in the candle lit church I was in danger of giving some poor old bat a heart attack. My phone beeped loudly announcing the arrival of a text.
Don't be late to church.
Sorry we can't be there tonight. Give Elle a kiss from us.
M&D x
I smiled slightly as I replied
We won't don't worry.
Elle says hi & I'll only give her a kiss from you if you give Dave a kiss from me.
Lacey & Elle
x
I put my phone on silent and tucked it into my jeans pocket.
"Lacey, Auntie Harriet is here,"
"Okay I'll be down in a second," I checked myself once in the mirror. I took a deep breath then stood up and left the room.
As I ran down the stairs I could hear my aunt asking benign questions about the Christmas tree.
"Merry Christmas," I kissed the cheek of, first my aunt and then my six year old cousin Caroline before I gave my 16 year old cousin Mary a hug.
"You ready Elle?" I asked fishing my phone out to check the time.
She nodded. "Can you just help me with you laces please?" she asked.
"Sure just sit on the steps sweet," I said absentmindedly forgetting her smart shoe were slip on shoes. I laughed when I say she was holding a pair of smart black shoes
"Elle these are your tap shoes, you can't wear them to church,"
She pouted and crossed her arms. don't have a fit now i pleaded in my mind.
"But I want to wear them," she whined. “Why can’t I wear them?”
I smiled at her and put my hand on her face.
"Because they are too noisy and you'll wake the church mice," I held out her soft brown shoes. "Wear these instead,"
Elle sat next to me at church. She used my scarf as a pillow and my arms as a coat. She'd fallen asleep by the second carol. I watched her sleeping, would I ever have a moment like this with David? Normally I enjoyed midnight mass but this year all I could think about was David. Would I see him walk, would I see him crawl? Would he even make it out of the hospital? He hasn't seen daylight yet, maybe he never will. Thankfully Elle is too young to really know what is wrong with her brother. She thinks David’s just got some madly exaggerated cold. As the priest led us in a prayer for children I felt my eyes tear up. Mary weaved her fingers into mine.
"He will be okay," she told me with so much certainty I had to believe.
As the choir and the priests processed out of the church I picked Elle up. She was snoring softly. Mary Caroline and Aunt Harriet where collecting their things.
"We'll meet you outside okay?" I walked towards the prayer candles.
Elle was still fast asleep, I lay her down in a close pew. I put a pound in the candle box and picked a long slender white candle. I couldn't think of how to say everything I wanted to pray for so instead using my index fingernail I shakily inscribed.
D
A
V
I
D
down the side of the candle. As I lit the candle I mouthed please. Then I picked Elle up and carried her out to the car. I put her seat and kissed her forehead. When I sat down Mary linked her fingers with mine again.
"I hope she stays passed out so I can just give her stocking and sleep,." I nodded towards the lump that had been Elle.
"I'm sure she will. Caroline though will wake up the second I step into her room," Aunt Harriet chuckled.
I smiled weakly. She pulled up at our house.
"Merry Christmas," I whispered as I unbuckled Elle.
"Merry Christmas," Mary and Aunt Harriet whispered back.
I waved as they pulled away. Being careful not to wake Elle I unlocked the door.
After I'd got a semi conscious Elle washed, changed and in bed I waited half an hour before sneaking in with her stocking. Then I curled up in my own bed and lay awake thinking.
Last year Mum had made everything in mine and Elle's stocking. Among other things I'd gotten a hat glove and scarf set and a purse. Elle had gotten a toy mouse, a fairy wand and a set of felt juggling balls. We had opened our stocking on our parent’s bed then gone to church. When we'd got back we had made Christmas lunch together. When we'd filled out bellies we'd opened our presents and then we'd ended up curled up in front of the Christmas TV.
This year Elle's stocking consisted of some pound shop things and my crude attempt at a purse. I hadn't had enough money for anything special and while mum and Aunt Harriet had contributed a few things it was still nowhere as good as last year’s stockings.
As I drifted off to sleep I found myself making a wish, a proper cross-all-fingers-and-look-for-a-star wish.
"Make Christmas good for Elle," I murmured before falling asleep.
Thump
The sound of my door being shut woke me up. I struggled to sit up and turn my bedside light on.
6:30
I sighed, what had Elle wanted? I got out of bed and my kicked something.
Spilling out of my slippers where a small collection of crudely wrapped presents. I felt myself well up.
Elle who you had to kick to put her shoes on, had somehow managed to pick and wrap about ten little presents. I picked up one present and opened it. Inside was a tiny felt doll. I smiled and sat it on my bedside table. As I leant down to collect all the presents I spotted an envelope lodged between my slippers. Inside was a handmade card with picture of Mary, Elle Caroline and I sat on a grass bank somewhere. Inside was a short message from Mary.
Merry Christmas Kid.
So yes Elle had a little help but it was all her own ideas.
We LOVE you
Elle, Aunt Harriet and Mary.
I smiled and put my presents on my door. There was a tentative knock on my door. Elle pocked her head around the door. I held my arms out for a hug. She ran and jumped up on my bed. I cuddled her close.
"Merry Christmas Elle,"
♠ ♠ ♠
Words 1450