Today is the sixth guest post in the Spirit of Christmas series. Jim Woods and I met through social media, but had the opportunity to meet (in)RL back in September. His positive outlook on life is always an encouragement. He willingly shared some of his life experiences with me, inspiring me to persevere in following my dreams. Enjoy Jim’s heartwarming short story!
The falling snow brought a tear to his eye. A million memories jumbled together washed over him—a mixture of joy, sorrow, and everything in between. The snow crunched under his shoes as he slowly walked up the driveway. As the December breeze picked up, it made him readjust his scarf. He opened the back door and walked into the kitchen, slowly starting to warm up. Some hot coffee would help for sure. Cereal, soup, and coffee were the main staples. All required minimal effort. He poured a cup of coffee and took a sip. It was a few hours old, but still it was warm. Better than nothing. Will’s eyes gazed back out the frosted window.
“Snap out of it,” Will said to himself. A moment later, the phone rang.
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Julie’s heart pounded harder as she stepped off the plane and walked slowly through the airport terminal. The conversations had blurred together—it was impossible to say who was to blame or what had really taken place.
She thought about calling, but what could she say? Julie moved past the sea of faces and noticed a young dad with an infant in his arms. He pulled the baby close and kissed it on the cheek.
Julie teared up in the terminal and didn’t move until a gentlemen bumped her with his suitcase.
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“Uh–hello,” Will said into the phone.
“Hey man, where are you? The party started ten minutes ago. You said you’d bring the ice!”
“Sorry, on my way right now.”
Will rushed out of the house and used his coat sleeve to clear snow off the windshield. He got into the faded Monte Carlo and stopped at the neighborhood gas station. The Christmas music played gently over the small speakers and slightly lifted his spirits—until he realized it was one of Julie’s favorite Christmas songs. Time stood still until he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket with a text message.
“Where are you? Thought you were on your way?”
“At the gas station. Be right there.”
The dark sky opened up and the snow swirled down.
Will pulled into the driveway and went to the door.
“Where’s your tacky Christmas sweater?” Tom asked as he opened the door.
“Sorry, I–forgot about that,” Will said.
Will went to the small wooden table and poured the ice into a bowl. The tart flavor of the punch made him want to gag, but he used the cup as a blockade of sorts and scanned the room to find a safe zone. Men inevitably would talk about football and work. Women were to be avoided for unnecessary questions and awkward conversations.
It had been six months to the day since Julie left. Maybe some of the others had forgotten and this could be an enjoyable night. He wandered over to the food table. Soon the plate was filled with a couple wheat crackers, a few cheese cubes and a couple Christmas cookies.
Will noticed his neighbor, Pete, across the room and went directly to him. They chatted about the weather, favorite Christmas movies, and predictably football for a few minutes.
Then an attractive twenty something blonde came over with a couple drinks in her hands.
“Hey, you’rrrre cuuuttte,” the girl said.
“Thanks, I’m actually leaving the party now.” Will said.
“Well, do you want some company?” she said.
“Sorry, no thanks.”
As he walked out of the living room, Will noticed his co-worker Rick.
“Wow, I saw what just happened. Are you crazy?” Rick asked.
“Maybe I’m a little crazy,” Will answered.
Rick said, “I know you have had a rough time, why didn’t you take her home with you?”
“I have enough problems already,” Will said.
Will began to walk to the door.
“Sorry, Tom, I’m not feeling well. I’ll catch you later,” he said.
The cold air entered his lungs and he dusted off the windshield. He felt the snow on his hands turn into droplets on the steering wheel. The snow came down harder and Will had to slow down to a crawl.
Minutes later, he stepped out of the car and noticed some footprints in the snow. He shrugged it off as nothing and walked around the house to the back door.
As Will turned the corner, he saw Julie. Without saying a word, they threw their arms around each other and pulled tight.
Photo by Eric Nadeau (Creative Commons)
Jim Woods is a writer, dreamer, husband, and dad in Nashville, TN. His passion lies in helping others turn ideas into action. He’d love to connect with you on his website or on Twitter @jimwoodswrites.
