Christmas Love Letter
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
I’m sending you a Christmas love letter. I hope it makes you smile.
—Dad,
The mall was so crowded! The traffic was backed up for blocks. And the mall was packed! We stood in line to get into one store and then another. I hated having all those people watching us as we looked through stuff, but I wanted you to have a great Christmas present, so I waited.
Finally, the guy working in the store said that they only had three pairs of shoes left. They’d been out for a month already. “What?” you cried, looking at me like I’d gone insane. You were trying to talk to the other guy behind the counter about something else when he just held up a hand and walked away.
“But … but …” You turned back to look at me again, your eyes wide with amazement. “Are these really the shoes?” you asked quietly.
“Yes,” I said gently. You couldn’t believe how beautiful the shoes looked. I could tell it made you feel so good inside because you smiled at me and then hugged me.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” you whispered as I watched the other shoe guy walk away from us.
I took your hand, and we went out to the car. There was a box under the tree, wrapped in silver paper with a gold bow on top. I knew exactly what it was, but I still had to wait until Christmas morning to open it.
“Oh!” you gasped when I gave you the box. “These are beautiful! Thank you.” You put them right on and danced around the kitchen while we ate our breakfast.
After that, I made you a cup of coffee, and then I sat down next to you and looked at you as you opened your present from me. The box was huge and heavy, so you struggled a little to get the lid off. When you finally did, you pulled out an old book that had been bound in leather.
It was a Bible, but it wasn’t the one we used at home. The cover was faded, and there was a name engraved in gold letters on the front.
“It’s my great-great grandfather’s Bible,” you said softly, looking over at me. “The man who wrote those words about God loved you. He cared about you very much. This is the story of the greatest gift ever given. You’re going to want to read it tonight. I’ll wait up for you. We can talk then.”
We talked all day long—about the book, about our lives together, about the future. But more than anything, we talked about the love that God has for each one of us. That night I stayed awake to wait for you. When you came home, you opened the Bible first. You couldn’t stop smiling.
“I can’t believe I got you this,” you said quietly, running your finger along the name. “My great-great-grandfather and your great-grandmother.” Then you turned to the passage in John and read it out loud as if you were reading aloud to me. “‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.'”
“Wow!” you exclaimed softly when you finished. “God loved me. He really did. Oh, Dad, how could I ever repay you?”
“Just by loving me,” I said, pulling you close to me. “That’s what all God’s children are supposed to do. The real question is, How am I going to ever repay you? Because … I love you very, very much.
I think about you every day, and I pray to God that I never forget to tell you just how important you are in my life. I don’t want to get so wrapped up in the things of this world that I lose sight of the most important thing in my life—you.”
You squeezed my hand, and a tear fell down your cheek. “I’m sorry,” you said. “I shouldn’t cry. I just love you so much.”
“But you aren’t crying because you’re sad,” I whispered, brushing your tears away. “Are you crying because you feel so loved?”
You nodded. “Yes.”
“That’s wonderful,” I whispered. “Now, come here and read that chapter about the greatest gift. We’ll talk more later, but for right now, I need you to listen.”
You looked so beautiful sitting there in front of the Christmas tree with your hair all messed up, and your eyes glistening. I watched you as you read the words, and then closed the book. You pulled me close to you again. I couldn’t help thinking about how fortunate I was. It was the happiest Christmas I could ever remember.
After we said goodnight, I went to sleep dreaming of angels coming from heaven to see the greatest gift ever given.
In the morning, after breakfast, we went outside and found two large boxes at the bottom of our Christmas tree.
“Who put these under the tree?” I asked.
You walked over to one of them. “I did. Merry Christmas,” you said, looking up at me. “Remember when you told me how much you liked your great-great grandfather’s Bible?”
“I remember.”
“Well, he wrote something else inside this book for you. He said it was a letter about the greatest gift anyone could ever give.”
You took the book out of its box and opened the cover. “Here is what he wrote,” you said softly, reading the first few lines:
My Dear Daughter, I love you more than I can ever tell you in words. I am so proud of you and everything you are. But more than anything, I love the way you love your family. It’s been so hard for me to leave them, but I know that you will be the best daughter in the world, and take care of them all until I get home.
Don’t ever let the devil steal your joy. Be strong, and pray to God every day. And please don’t forget to write. I’ll look forward to seeing those letters on my pillow.
“Dad!” you said excitedly. “It’s a letter from Grandpa!” You read the letter again, smiling. Then you closed the book and put it back in the box. “I can’t wait to read it later when we’re alone.”
“You know,” I said softly, watching as you reached into the other box, “I think those angels came to see you last night when you were reading your great-great grandfather’s letter.”
“Really?” You smiled. “You’re sure?”
I nodded. “Absolutely. I’m positive.” I paused for a moment. “You know, if angels could appear in the flesh, as it were, I’d imagine that the gifts they would bring with them would be very special … something like this. Or maybe an unexpected phone call. Or a note in the mail. I wonder if that’s why God gave us these two presents under the tree?”
You looked at me with eyes so bright and sparkling. “Yes,” you whispered, reaching for my hand. “They were a message from Grandpa to me. He wanted me to know how much he loved me.”
“And I want you to know how much I love you, too,” I said, kissing you gently. I could feel your heart beating faster and knew that you felt the same way about me.
Later that morning, you called your mother and told her all about the presents under the Christmas tree. She was very excited. She kept calling Grandpa on the phone, telling him what she had heard.
We spent the rest of that day sitting by the fire and talking. You told me about the time your dad had come home from college and surprised you with a trip to Disneyland. You also told me that you had recently gotten an e-mail from your sister back in China. You said you weren’t sure if your parents knew. You wanted to tell me, but you were afraid to.
“What is it, honey?” I asked.
You looked away, as tears began to roll down your cheeks. “It’s just … I haven’t seen her in so long,” you said softly. “I’m afraid she’ll get mad at me.”
You took my hand and held it tight. “But you know I miss her so much!”
“Honey, don’t cry,” I said, brushing your hair from your face. “She probably misses you even more. It’s okay.”
“No,” you whispered, shaking your head. “You don’t understand. My mother won’t let me see her. Not since I moved here.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment. “So what does your dad say? Is there any way he can help you?”
“My dad knows she loves me. He says we’re still family and that I should just tell her how I feel. But I’m afraid, Daren. So afraid.”
You tried to smile, but then tears began to flow again. I brushed them away with my finger, wiping the tears off your cheek. “We’re going to be alright, baby,” I said, putting my arms around you. “I promise.”
Later that evening, after dinner and dessert, I walked over to my bed and lifted the covers up. You got up and sat by me, staring down at the two boxes under my bed.
“What’s this?” You asked.
I reached into one of them and pulled out your present. There was no wrapping paper. Just a bow and ribbon on top.
“I didn’t want anything to make it too much like Christmas,” I said. “But I wanted something special just for you.”
“And I love you so much!” you cried, pulling me closer. “Thank you!”
I wrapped my arms around you and held you tightly against me. You kissed me hard, almost as if you couldn’t wait for our lips to touch again. I could feel your heart beating so fast. I loved the sound of your breathing; it was so beautiful.
You pulled back and looked into my eyes. “I want to do it now,” you whispered. “But I’m afraid to.”
I smiled. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Trust me.”
“Okay,” you whispered, leaning down to kiss me one last time before climbing under the blankets with me. I pulled you close, holding you tight.
“I need you to close your eyes for a moment,” I said softly, kissing you on the forehead. Then I kissed each of your eyelids.
“Shh,” I said. “It’s okay. It’s all over now.”
You opened your eyes and stared up at me with a confused expression. “What do you mean?”
I reached out and stroked your cheek. “No more nightmares. I’ve made sure of that.”
“Really?” you said, touching my face. “Are you sure? Because sometimes the bad dreams are so real.”
“I know,” I said gently, holding you tighter. “That’s what I’ve done. They’re gone now.”
“But how?” you asked, sitting up and staring at me. “You don’t have any magic tricks that can do something like this!”
I smiled. “No. It’s not magic. You just have to believe.”
You got out of bed, holding the gift in your hand, and came back to sit next to me on the edge of the bed. “Are you really sure about this, Daren?”
“Absolutely,” I said, pulling you close again. “It’s the best present I could ever give you.”
“And it’s just for me?”
“Only for you.”
I hugged you tight. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Daren,” you whispered, kissing me hard on the lips.
We started to make love that night. There was no waiting. No games. Just us, together, wrapped around each other, our bodies pressed close.
I held you close as I kissed you again and again. You moved under me, rocking your hips and moaning softly as you began to orgasm. You called my name as you came, pressing your body against mine.
When you stopped, I laid down beside you and pulled you close. We drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep in each other’s arms.
I awoke early in the morning and checked my phone. I had a bunch of text messages from your mother. She wanted to see you again and was worried that you weren’t okay.
You were still sleeping, snuggled up in the blankets. I leaned over and kissed you, slowly running my fingers through your hair.
I got out of bed, opened up the curtains, and took in the beautiful sight of snow falling. Then I went to go make you breakfast.
I heard a knock on the door, and then the bell rang when it opened. I turned and stared at my parents, standing in the doorway.
They were both smiling and crying at the same time. They came over to give me a hug and kiss. My mother whispered in my ear, “Happy birthday, my son.”
Later that morning, while we all sat down together for breakfast, my father gave me my present. It was a new video camera. I smiled and thanked him. I didn’t have any money saved up to buy myself one, so I knew how much it had cost.
“But before you open anything else,” he said with a smile. “I want to tell you something. You know I’m not a very patient man. Sometimes I’ve said things that I shouldn’t have, especially where your mother is concerned. And I don’t ever want to say or do anything to hurt her.
Ever again. Because she’s the love of my life. She means everything to me. I love her with all my heart. I always will. You understand what I mean?”
“I get it,” I said.
He nodded and smiled. “That’s why I couldn’t let you open your present until I had talked to you about this first.”
I looked at my mother and smiled. “What is it?”
She blushed and reached into her purse. She pulled out a small box and handed it to me. I opened it, and there was my present. My new camera.
I took it out of the box, holding it up in front of me. It was a professional video camera. I held it in both hands, staring at it in awe.
“It’s beautiful, Dad,” I said softly.
“I wanted to give it to you last week, on your birthday. But then I heard about the bad dreams that you had. I didn’t know what to do, so I thought about what to do next year. What if you were still having them?
I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to watch you grow up, so I decided to give you this early. When you’re older and you’re on your own. You can take it with you everywhere, record every part of your life. So that one day, when we’re old and gray, you’ll have something to look back at and remember the good times.”
He got up and came around the table to hug me. “I love you, son. Thank you.”
Later that day, I went with my parents to go see a movie. We saw the latest Harry Potter movie, and it was amazing. You had gotten us all tickets for Christmas. It was great spending time with the two of you like this.
The drive home seemed longer than it normally did. I looked over at my parents. They were both smiling and laughing as we sat together in the back seat.
I loved you guys so much.
When we pulled into the driveway, I watched through the window as my father walked up to the house and put his arm around my mother.
Then they went inside.
After a moment, I got out of the car and went inside to make some dinner.
I couldn’t believe how much had changed. You were here now, sleeping beside me. And then there was the gift from my father. A camera to record my life, so that when I got older, I could watch myself grow up and remember the good times.
I was about to light some candles for dinner when my phone rang.
It was my mother. I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hey, Jake!” She sounded excited.
“What’s up? How are you?”
She laughed. “We’re fine. And I have great news. I called your school today because I wanted to make sure that everything was okay.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Everything is fine.”
“Well, I found out something. And I wanted to share it with you.”
My heart started racing. “Tell me.”
She took a deep breath. “Your principal told me that you hadn’t been feeling well lately and that he asked if it was because you had a girlfriend. And you said no. So I thought…” she paused for a moment. “Jake, do you have a girlfriend?”
“Mom, please,” I said with a smile. “Not again.”
She giggled. “Sorry. Okay, listen. I had him ask some more questions. And you know what? He found out that you’ve been having nightmares about a girl named Sara.”
“Whoa!” I sat up on the bed and looked over at Sarah, sleeping in her crib. “You weren’t joking earlier, were you?”
My mother was quiet for a moment. “I wish I was, son. But no. The principal told me that it’s been happening for a while now. Ever since your birthday. You don’t remember anything about the dreams, do you?”
“Nope,” I said.
“The only thing that they have in common is the name. They’re all about this same girl. But you never see her face. Or hear her voice. Just the sound of her running through the woods. So that’s why I called you. Do you want me to come over there and talk with you?”
“Yes! That would be great.”
“Okay, then. I’ll bring pizza. You can pick one up on the way home, or order one. Your choice.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“See you soon!” she said and hung up.
I grabbed my laptop and went down to the kitchen to grab a slice of pizza. I still couldn’t believe it. About Sara. And the dreams. My mother had thought the worst. She must have known how much I liked her. And I was afraid that it might cause problems if she found out about me and Sara.
But then again, maybe I should tell her. It was the right thing to do.
So I walked back up to my bedroom. The phone rang a few minutes later. “Hello?”
“Hi, Jake. This is Sara.”
I froze. I knew she was talking to me but I couldn’t move. “Who’s this?”
“Jake? Are you there?”
“Yeah…uhm, sure. Who is this?”
“My name is Sara. I’m your neighbor. Your parents told me about what happened that night, and I just wanted to say…”
I leaned over toward the wall, my heart pounding out of control. “What did they tell you?”
She hesitated for a moment. “That you’re having nightmares about me?”
“They told me that.”
Silence on the other end.
And then she spoke. “Well, I guess that makes sense.”
I didn’t say anything.
“It’s okay,” she said. “You can call me any time if you need someone to talk to.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to—”
“Yes. I promise. Anytime you need someone, all you have to do is call.”
“Thank you, Sara.”
“Thanks, Jake. Okay. Bye.”
After we hung up, I put my computer down on the floor and sat in the middle of the bed. I turned it on and opened up Facebook. But I wasn’t really there. I was staring at Sara. On her page.
It took a while before I could pull myself away from her picture. It was hard to imagine that this was actually her. A person. Who lived just down the street. And that she was so nice.
I wished she lived next door to me.
But I had to get ready for dinner. So I got up and went downstairs. When I came back upstairs, I checked my messages.
One was from a guy named Scott. He sent it last night.
The other one was from my mother. It was just a short message.
Everything is fine. Come home soon.
When I got home later that night, I looked out the front window to see if Sara was still there, sitting on her porch with her parents.
But it was dark. I couldn’t see anything.
So I opened my bedroom door and walked into the living room.
And then I stopped.
Because there were candles everywhere. And flowers. And cards.
There were balloons too. All over the place.
“Mom?”
She smiled. “What do you think? Do you like it?”
“Who…who brought all of this stuff?”
“Sara. She wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. I told her that she didn’t have to do anything like this. I said that we already knew how much you liked her.”
I took in the room. The decorations, the flowers, the cards. The balloons. “You mean, you did this?”
“I guess. I just hope that you’ll see it as something more than…well…”
“A birthday gift.”
“I hope so,” she said and smiled.
As I stared at her, I felt myself smile too. It was strange. How quickly things had changed. But it was okay. I didn’t want things to be different anymore.
And then I walked over to her and gave her a hug. “Thank you, mom. This means so much to me.”
She kissed the top of my head. “You’re welcome. Now let’s open your presents.”
I opened them up and then stood back to look at the gifts. There were some DVDs, books, music, and clothes. Some chocolate and candy. A remote control airplane. My mother had written out a message on each card.
It was late by the time we finished opening the presents. And then we went out to the kitchen and ate our cake.
After dinner, we cleaned up, and then my parents told me that they were going to go visit Sara. “But I think you should come too.”
“Yeah, sure. Why not?”
“We’ll bring him along with us. It’ll be fun.”
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
We got into the car and then headed over to Sara’s house.
When we pulled up, there were two cars already parked in front of it.
“Which one is Sara’s?” I asked.
“Her dad’s,” my mother said.
I climbed out of the car and walked toward the house. As I stood in front of the door, I reached for my phone and took a picture.
And then I knocked on the door.
I heard footsteps and then the door opened. Sara stood there wearing a yellow dress, holding a bouquet of flowers. Her parents were behind her. And next to them was another girl who looked to be about my age. I smiled at her and then held out my hand to Sara.
She shook hands with me and then hugged me. “Happy birthday, Jake.”
Sara’s mom smiled at me. “This is Julie. She’s going to be spending a little bit of time with us.”
Julie nodded. “Hi.”
“You can go inside,” Sara said. “We’re just going to wait here.”
“Okay,” I said.
They walked inside while we waited outside. It wasn’t very long before they came out again.
And then it was time to go inside.
We went inside and then down the hall to the living room.
There were two girls sitting on the sofa. One was my age and the other was a few years older.
“So this is everyone,” Sara said.
“Hello, Sara,” the older girl said.
“And Jake, I’m Caroline.” The girl who seemed to be about my age smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”
The younger girl was shaking her head. “Not nice. But it’s not like that. You don’t understand.”
“Come on, Sara. He doesn’t have to know what’s going on,” Caroline said. “Let’s let him enjoy the party without any more bad feelings. Okay?”
Sara smiled. “Okay. We’ll tell him tomorrow.”
I turned to see what was going on and saw my mother standing in the doorway. “Hi, Sara.”
“Mom,” I said.
“What a surprise,” she said. “How are things going?”
“Fine,” I said. “Just fine.”
“And how’s your girlfriend?”
“That’s kind of embarrassing, mom.”
“Oh, come on, Jake. I told you that I knew about it. And it’s been a little bit of time now since…well…” She laughed. “I think that it’s time for you to talk to her parents, don’t you think? It would make things so much easier if you could do that.”
“Yeah, I guess. I’m sorry. It just feels weird.”
She nodded. “Well, you have to be ready sometime. So you might as well start now.”
“It’s okay. Really,” I said. “I’ve already made the first step.”
My mother looked at me curiously. “You did?”
“Yeah. I called her.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing. It was all…awkward. But I asked her dad to call me. And now we’re meeting for dinner this Saturday.”
“Wow.” She smiled at me. “That’s wonderful, Jake.”
Sara and Caroline had joined us by then. They were sitting on the sofa across from my mother.
“Hello, Sara,” my mother said. “So nice to meet you. And I’d like to introduce you to Caroline. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“No, ma’am. Not yet, anyway,” Sara said. “This is my friend Jake. And I’m really happy that he was able to come to our party today.”
“Why thank you. You must have worked very hard at getting him here.”
Sara frowned and I heard her whisper, “She’s a lot like your mother, Jake.”
The two of them giggled as they spoke.
“We didn’t get together until just before Christmas,” Sara continued. “But I’m pretty sure that it’s going to work out.”
I smiled. “Good. I hope you guys are still together when you’re older.”
“He’s sweet,” Caroline said. “I’m glad to be spending time with him.”
“Me, too.”
“So, Jake,” Sara’s mom said, “are you ready for your present?”
My father was standing behind her. He held out a large box in front of his face.
I laughed and then took the box from him. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem.” He smiled. “I told you that you needed a new suit for the summer, didn’t I?”
“Yes,” I said. “You did.”
He nodded. “Well, there you go. You can take it back tomorrow if you want to.”
“It looks great, Dad.”
“So now you’ve got your present.”
“And now we’ll open the rest of them,” Sara’s mother said. “Caroline, go get the other presents out of the living room.”
“Okay,” she said.
I handed my new suit over to my father and then he went into the hallway. Sara’s mother had gone through the bags that were under the tree and found my presents. I watched as everyone opened theirs. My parents gave me a few shirts and a pair of jeans that looked really comfortable.
The girls each got a new swimsuit. And Caroline’s father gave her a nice digital camera. She loved taking pictures and so this was really perfect.
The End