Dreaming of a Lost Christmas
by Jeffrey Scott Holland - part 6

After Edward had helped her carry in all of the boxes, he helped her unpack a few of them so she could find some cookware. She invited him to stay for supper, and he proudly accepted.

As they sat at the table surrounded by a barrier of boxes stuffed with crumpled newspapers, he went into detail about his past, "That was the worst phone call I ever received. By the time I got to the hospital, she was dead. I wish I had gone with her now. Had I realized how bad the weather was, I would never have let her go alone."

Patty's eyes were glassy as he told her how Alicia had died. She felt very sympathetic, "I'm sorry! I know that must have been a horrible thing to go through." She wiped her eyes.

Edward tried to change the tone, "I didn't mean to spoil your Christmas Eve with sad stories. I'm sorry."

She smiled, "No, don't be! I'm glad you told me!" She smiled at him and looked deeply into his eyes. He felt as if he had known her all of his life. She was so much like Alicia.

After supper, she walked Edward to the door and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you for helping me!"

Edward blushed, "It really was not a problem. Thank you for spending your Christmas Eve with me."

She giggled, "It was a pleasure! Really!" She looked into his eyes again, but this time it meant something. It was a look as if to say, "I want to be more than friends."

He kissed her on the cheek, and she watched him walk across the street before going back inside and closing the door.

As he walked up his driveway, he felt his stomach doing cartwheels and his heart skipping beats. He felt like a teenager. He hadn't thought it was possible, but he actually felt happy again. The two of them seemed to have really hit it off. Could he fall in love again? He suddenly had a little hope, something he hadn't had in a long time. He knew nobody could replace Alicia, but maybe someone else could fill his life with happiness and love again so he would have a reason to live.