#holidarry

I’m so slow at writing these and I only have 5 days left to do 10 prompts lolol. Anyway, this one is kinda long and currently unedited, but enjoy!

With a long sniffle and a slam of the door, I was home. I unclamped my sore fingers and let the shopping bags bags slide to the floor.

“It’s official. I hate Christmas shopping.”

Darry looked up at me from the couch where he sat, feet on the coffee table, watching football. “It was really that bad, huh?”

I stripped my coat off and kicked away my boots, “Let me tell you about the day I had. So the mall was absolutely swamped, which wasn’t a huge deal if it wasn’t also a mess! I swear, none of the clothes in any store had been folded in about a week. And apparently today was Santa’s big mall appearance, so I didn’t get any lunch because there was absolutely no navigating the food court. And then, to top it all off, tonight was the town parade. Did you know that Darry? So all of the main roads were blocked off and there was absolutely no detour signs, only policemen telling you to turn and giving bad directions. So if you’re wondering why I got home so late and you end up with the wrong sized sweater on Christmas, that’s why.”

Without turning from the TV he replied, “Sounds like you had quite the day.”

Anger flared and I leaned against the archway. “Did you even listen to what I just said?”

“Yeah. I can watch the game and listen at the same time.”

12 Days of Christmas Prompt 1/12: “How many Christmas lights does one person need?”

A chilly gust of wind slipped through the crack of the closing door. Darry had gone out to start up the Challenger and after feeling the biting air I couldn’t be more grateful to have a warm car waiting for me. In the meantime I stayed inside with the kids, tugging on their winter jackets and pulling knit hats down to their ears. Tonight our small family was driving around town, looking at our neighbors Christmas lights. Seeing the glinting lights was a favorite tradition of mine, it was something I always did with my family and now I was able to pass it down to do it with our kids.

That is if we ever got out of the door. Currently our little Michelle, a four year old bundle of sass, was not having it with her coat. “Mama, I don’t wanna! I don’t like this!”

“What don’t you like Mimi? Huh? Are your sleeves stuck?”

“I don’t know!” Her cheeks were flushed red and she wriggled in her jacket, fine blonde hair becoming static charged and floating up to meet her hat.

“Well first we gotta check that attitude little miss.” I crouched down to her height, squaring her dead in the eyes. “Take a deep breath.”

With a huff she obeyed, agitation still holding strong in her bright blue eyes. “Alright, now let’s take your coat off and get you situated.”

After an impressive two minutes we were out the door, hot chocolate in one hand and our two year old Jack on my other hip as Michelle hopped towards the car. Wind whistled in the air as it whipped by us. Winter had certainly come this year with one of the coldest December’s we’ve had in a long time. Usually I like to walk around the neighborhood to look at the lights, but with tonight’s temperature and windchill we all would have froze to death.Sliding into the warm car after Michelle was a relief from the wind.

“Man is it windy out or what?” Darry met me with a muffled hum in reply. Looking over I noticed his jaw ever so slightly moving. “What are you eating there, Dar?”

Michelle interrupted his answer, climbing into his lap. “Daddy, can I sit with you?”

“Of course baby girl.”

I waited a moment to continue my teasing as he put the car in drive and rolled out onto the street. “Certainly you haven’t gotten into cookies already. Because you know those were for the ride tonight. And you wouldn’t have had one before the rest of us, right?”

“Daddy, you eat the cookies? Without me?!”

“Nah. I wouldn’t do that Mimi. You’re Mama’s just seeing things that’s all.” He glanced at me, seeing if I would buy it. But little did he know the crumbs left in his beard sold him out.

Chuckling I slid over to his seat and brushed them away, “Yeah, sure. Tell that to the crumbs left behind.”

A smile pulled at his lips, “Well… I may have had one. Why don’t y’all have one too so we’re all even?”

The kids let out a triumphant squeal and as soon as they got a cookie in their mouths, silence took over.

“Let’s put some Christmas music on Dar.”

We moved from neighborhood to neighborhood, the twinkling lights leading the way from house to house. It wasn’t until we got to the South side that the decoration display really kicked it up a notch.

“Mama, look!” Mimi gasped and pointed at the most exuberant lighting display we’ve seen all night. The house itself was stunning as it was, but the lights were something else. They zig zagged across the roof, covered every bush in the front yard, and outlined every window and door.

“Wow, would you look at that?”

Darry scoffed, “I wonder what their electricity bill looks like. How many Christmas lights does one person need?”

“A lot to make it look pretty!” Michelle explained, still mesmerized from the house.

Serenity fell upon us with the music softly playing, the kids munching on cookies, my hot chocolate tasting just right, and the soft glow of lights surrounding us. It was finally starting to feel like Christmas.