Christmas With Family
Chirstmas With Family
Sequel to Flight To Paradise
©1999-2000
By Sarah
Chapter 15

        Sarah looked around the room and towards the hallway, but still no Nick.  She pried Brian’s hands off her waist and stood up, walking down the hall and to the guestroom she’d left Nick and Maggie.  She knocked softly on the door, then opened it when she heard a muffled reply.
        "Hi, Nicky," she whispered as she walked in the room and closed the door behind her.
        Nick limply lifted his hand in a feeble attempt to greet her.  He was sitting on the window seat, looking outside at the light snow as it fell, blanketing the ground with a fresh layer.
        Sarah walked over to him slowly.  "I remember that when I was in Jersey one year, the forecast said that we were going to have the biggest snow storm the Jersey shore had seen in years, that we were actually going to have a white Christmas.  I stayed up for hours that night, looking up at the sky, waiting for the snow flakes to start falling.  I eventually fell asleep, then woke up Christmas morning and there was no snow on the ground.  I was upset, as any little seven-year-old would be, but I got over it and opened the presents under the tree.  About three weeks later, we got the snowstorm of the year, it was about a foot and a half deep and I had a ball playing in it.  Unfortunately, it melted within the week and we didn’t get anymore snow the rest of the season.  I would love for Brian to see the snow on Christmas, have a white Christmas, just like I always wanted when I was little," she said, reaching his side by the time she finished.  She rested her hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her, tears staining his cheeks.  "You look just like I did so long ago, Nicky, but you don’t have to.  I’m sorry she hurt you, but you know that you shouldn’t dwell in the past."
        Nick looked back outside and sighed.  "I remember when, about a year before Maggie that was born, we went to a ski resort and just sat inside the entire time, watching the snow fall.  We both made a promise that night to love each other forever, to never leave each other.  We both wanted a baby, Sheryl wanted to have a little girl so badly.  I pointed out to her that each snowflake was different and that, as long as the snow fell, and that each snow flake was different, she would have that little girl she wanted so badly.  She had Maggie, with so many difficulties, but she finally had her.  We were so happy, then, but now, it’s all gone.  Sheryl’s gone.  The only thing I have left is Maggie, and I can’t even talk to her about it without confusing her too much, she’s too young to understand why Mommy left and is never," he started to choke on his words, then stopped without finishing his sentence.  A new set of tears started to flow down his face and Sarah sat next to him, hugging him and shushing him.
        "But you have other things, Nicky.  You have Brian, Howie, AJ, Kevin, and me.  You have your family, all our families, and we aren’t going to leave you.  We all love you and we worry about you.  We’re going to help you through this, you just need to let us.  I know its hard, but talk about it with one of us.  We’ll listen.  We’ll try to help.  You need to trust us, Nicky, we’re here to help, don’t push us away," she said.  She bit her lip to keep back her own tears as Nick’s fell on her shoulder, soaking her shirt.  She pulled away from him and smiled at his face.
"Come on, dry your eyes, someone is out there waiting for you," she said, wiping a few tears from his face.
        "Who?"  Nick asked.
        Sarah smiled and handed him a tissue from the nightstand, saying nothing.  She took his hand as he took a deep breath, composing himself, and led him out into the hallway.  She smiled as she heard laughter from the living room and looked up at Nick, who had a look of recognition on his face.
        "Sarah, is that my mom and dad?"  He asked quietly.
        Sarah nodded and pulled him into the living room, looking at Bob and Jane as they looked up at her.  Both their faces spread into smiles and they stood, walking to Nick.  Sarah backed away as the reunion began, walking to Brian where he was sitting in the recliner.  She looked down at him as he watched Katie sleep in his arms.  He had a small smile on his face as he watched her, and Sarah couldn’t help but smile at him.  She bent down and picked up little Brian from the floor, lifting him in the air and looking over at Nick and his parents.
        "Its so good to see you, Nicky," Jane was saying, brushing Nick’s hair away from his face.
        "Mom, please stop calling me that," Nick said, blushing slightly.
        Bob chuckled.  "You know, Nick, she never did listen to you on that," he said, looking up at his son.
        "And I’m not about to, not when it comes to my baby," Jane said, pulling her son into another hug.
        "Ya know, I’m starting to feel a little left out here," Aaron suddenly said, standing up from his position on the floor.  He smiled as he walked over to his brother.  "Hey, big bro," he said.
        Nick’s smile grew wider to match his brother’s.  "Hey, AC," he said, pulling his brother into a hug.  They hadn’t seen each other for a few months, according to Sarah’s recollection.  Not since the summer when Aaron was visiting his parents in California and Nick was there.
        "Hey, where’s my niece?  Where’s my Maggie?"  Aaron asked, pulling away from his brother.
        "She should be asleep, but when she hears your voice, she immediately has to find you," Nick said.  He turned to the hallway as the guestroom door opened and Maggie toddled out.
        "Daddy?  Unkie Aaron?"  She asked, rubbing her eyes.
        "There’s Maggie!"  Aaron exclaimed, running over to her and picking her up, whirling her around in the air.  Maggie giggled and Sarah couldn’t help but laugh, when Maggie was born, she remembered how Aaron had instantly taken a liking to her, he was almost as inseparable from her as Nick was.
        "Hey, calm down, I want to be able to talk to my granddaughter!"  Jane exclaimed, walking over to the two.  She took Maggie out of Aaron’s arms and hugged her, a smile spreading over her face again.  Sarah smiled, Jane loved having a granddaughter, she always said it was her pride and joy.
        "Hey, where’s everyone else?  I can’t believe that Angel, Leslie, and BJ would miss out on this," Nick said, a smile still on his face.  Sarah sighed, it was the first smile she’d seen on his face since he’d gotten there.
        "Well, BJ’s flight got delayed because of the storm, and Angel and Leslie were right behind us, but had to stop at the hotel and drop off the bags.  They’ll be here momentarily," Jane explained.
        The smile on Nick’s face grew even bigger and Sarah let her instincts relax.  She knew that Nick was with his family, which would be the best medicine at the moment.  She slowly went into the foyer and opened the door as she heard car doors slam.  She hugged Leslie and Angel as they greeted her, then pointed them in the direction of the living room.  She closed the front door and sat in the hall chair, closing her eyes and listening as the reunion noise started up again.

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