All I Want for Christmas

Rachel spun around and hugged me back squeezing tightly crying hard enough to wet my shirt. After she calmed down she started to apologize, "I'm so so sorry. Everything is my fault. I listened to my bitch of a mother and I've hurt the only person besides my dad who has loved me. Please don't give up on me, please." This put her out for another round of tears.

"I'm still here Rachel. Yes, I still hurt from your abuse but I'm trying just as you are. We're day by day right now, but the days are better so let's keep trying, OK?" I felt her nod her head against my chest.

We spent the rest of the night drinking hot chocolate in front of the tree. This time though we sat close holding hands and resting against each other. That night in bed we didn't avoid each other and cuddled the whole night. For the first time in years, I felt our marriage might have a chance.

We headed out for a late lunch Christmas Eve and our route took us down the street where I bought the Christmas tree from Santa's Tree Lot. I figured we stop so Rachel could see the reindeer and I could say hello to the little guy who helped me out.

It's not common anymore but it was tradition for some to wait until Christmas Eve to cut and decorate their tree, doing so as a family. So I wasn't surprised to see the lot filled with pine.

I pointed Rachel towards where the reindeer would be telling her I'd be along in a few minutes after I tried to find my buddy. Sure enough he was there and he seemed genuinely happy to see me. We talked about the usual stuff for a few minutes and he asked me how things were going with my Christmas wish. He shocked me a bit with his question.

"How did you know I made a wish?"

"He pointed at the sign, Santa's Tree Lot, remember? He knows everything. How do you think he does the naughty list?"

Nice guy, but boy does he have a serious imagination. "So far, it's working out. I have hope for the first time in years."

About then Rachel came walking up talking and laughing with a small woman. She wasn't any taller than my buddy. They appeared to be the same age and I wondered if this could be his wife. My question was answered when she gave him a kiss, "Hey honey, is this your friend John you were telling me about?"

The fact they knew my name shocked me because I know we didn't exchange names when I bought the tree.

He smiled back at her, "Why do you ask questions you already know the answers to?"

"Just to drive you nuts, dear."

He looked up at me and said, "After one hundred and fifty years you would think she would cut me a little slack."

This time Rachel's eyes displayed the same surprise as I had when he mentioned the number of years of marriage, but let it go just like I did.

We stood around for a few minutes longer just chatting when we bid our new friends farewell and headed home. I looked in the rear view mirror as we pulled away and standing there along with our friends was a guy in a Santa Clause suit. It looked like he was "high fiving" them and pointing at us as we drove away.

There was some seriously crazy shit going on this Christmas! It wasn't all bad since Rachel and I were talking again and we were trying to make a path back to each other, but still...

Later that night we went to the Christmas Eve service at our old church. One of the agreements we made was that to move forward we would go back to church. It was your typical Christmas service celebration with a little sermon on forgiveness thrown in. All in all I think we both left church feeling a little better about ourselves.

That was until we made it home. There in the drive was waiting for us was Louise the Louse. I think the preacher would make an exception for her when it comes to forgiveness.

I asked Rachel if she wanted me to take care of Louise for her, remembering the phone call from a couple days ago. She had tears in her eyes and nodded, yes. She stayed in the car while I approached The Louse. Even before I had the chance to ask her to leave she got in my face and started yelling at me. For the next minute I was called everything under the sun, but it wasn't all bad. I did need the spittle flying out her mouth hole to clean my glasses.

However, when she slapped me up along the side of my face I thought I would have to hit a woman for the first time in my life. As Louise wound up for another strike I started to pull back but before either of us could strike, Rachel run up and punched her mother right in the mouth.

I'm not talking a girlie punch either. I mean full pull back tight fisted knuckle busting knocking out teeth punch. Louise hit the ground and was not getting back up. Rachel was jumping up and down holding her hand "Oh crapping" all over the place. Me, I was yelling and screaming inside with all sorts of happy...well like a kid at Christmas morning.

When the pain in her hand eased up she came to me and inspected my face. The red mark from her mother's hand was still there. Rachel's eyes squinted tightly and she looked at her mother lying in the snow still out cold. She mumbled something about killing the bitch and went to give her a couple kicks with her winter boots.

I was able to pull her back just before she connected with Louise's ribcage knowing I just save my wife from an assault charge. She struggled with me for a moment but I was able to calm her down enough to get her to see reason.

It did take even more effort to get Rachel to agree to help me drag Louise inside the house and take care of her properly. Then we'd send her back out in the cold. Picking her up took some effort. For being a mean little woman, she weighed a fucking ton.

The bitch never stirred the whole time we dragged her sorry ass through the snow and up the steps. We deposited her on the living room couch with a thud. Rachel asked me what we were going to do next. I thought using some nice toilet water to splash her face to wake her up but since she was on our couch I decided against it.

Getting ice for my wife's hand was first on my list. Then maybe if the Louse would show some remorse I would put the ice on her bruised chin.

I sat Rachel down at the kitchen table with her ice pack and a cup of tea. Outside, she reacted to stop her mother from hitting me again. Now she was coming down from the adrenaline and realized she just dropped a bag of shit on our front lawn and it was her mother. In all the years of being together I don't think I've ever seen her become physically violent. Sure, she's been verbally abusive and mentally cruel, but I think that was finally over with.

The tea helped her some and I did what I could by holding her unhurt hand. She asked me what we were going to do about her mother. "Well, when you're done with your tea, we'll go in and wake the bitch up and if she starts up her crap again, I'll deck her this time." My smile and wiggling eye brows made her giggle, but I was actually serious about having my chance at the old bag.

The decision was made for us though when we heard a groan from the doorway of the kitchen. Standing there with a swollen bloody lip was Louise using the door frame to hold herself up. She was one pathetic sight, but I don't think she needed a plastic surgeon to fix her up. At least the outside matches the inside finally. She was unsteady on her feet like she had three too many drinks.

Rachel and I came up with the same thought at the same time on what to do with her mother. That realization showed we were back on the same wave length with each other, just like we used to be. I guess physical violence against your mother in law really does say I love you.

We each grabbed an arm and guided her out of the house and to her car. We put her in the driver's seat, placed her face where the bruise was up against the steering wheel and hid her keys under the seat. This way she's out of our house and not able to hurt an innocent trying to drive home. She would think she had too many drinks and hit her face knocking herself out. Did I forget to mention she was a drinker besides being a bitch?

Our house set off the road so we needn't worry about someone calling the cops about some drunk passed out in a car. It wasn't that cold outside so Louise wouldn't freeze to death. Not that she would with all the Hell Hound in her.

Rachel and I went back inside and spent a little time sitting in front of the tree while I gently held the hand she used to knock her mother out cold. Neither of us spoke instead letting the quiet beauty of the Christmas Tree soothe our thoughts.

We went to bed and made love for the first time in a very long time. I woke up before Rachel and went downstairs. Louise the Louse was gone. Couldn't ask for a better Christmas present.

"OH FUCK! I didn't get Rachel a present! With all the shit going on I thought I'd be divorcing her for Christmas, but instead it looks like we've reconciled. Dammit all. I guess I'll have to explain things to her when she wakes up.

I put on a pot of coffee and started to make some breakfast. If I couldn't give her a wrapped present for Christmas I could at least make her her favorite breakfast. I had just finished the toast and eggs when I felt her wrap her arms around my waist. I know it was early in our reconciliation and we still had some ways to go, but I felt good of the progress we've made so far. And her arms around my waste felt good.

It was a quiet breakfast filled with small talk and smiles. No time for the inevitable, "I'm sorry Rachel, but with all that had been going on I forgot to buy you a Christmas present. Maybe I can make up for it by taking you out for dinner tomorrow?"

Right then her hand flew up and covered her mouth and tears began to form in the corner of her eyes. Obviously she was guilty of not buying a present either.

She started apologizing but I held her off. "Neither of us were in the right place this year. Maybe now we are...well at least we're in a better place, don't you think?"

"Yes. I'm in a better place, you didn't need to be. Everything has been my fault but I will do better, be better than I was before."

"OK, let's just go relax with a cup of cocoa and enjoy the tree. We'll worry about the other stuff tomorrow, deal?"

"Deal."

Grabbing our cups we walked in the front room to sit and enjoy a perfect Christmas tree. We stopped in our tracks when we found boxes under the tree. Presents. Brightly colored wrapped boxes of various sizes scattered under the tree. Who?

Every present had a tag with either her name or mine. Every tag had "From Santa" on it! Santa? What kind of joke was this? Just one of a number of questions I had was how in the hell did someone get in my house and put all these presents under my tree without me hearing them?

Rachel and I opened the first couple of presents with a lot of apprehension. When she opened her box it caused her to break down and cry. She leaned over and buried her face in my chest. You guessed it, inside the box was a Malibu Barbie. She asked her dad for one when she was a little girl but he got a Ballerina Barbie instead. I guess the stores were out out of the Malibu Barbie so he got what he could. But here and now, Santa gives her the doll she wanted and inside there was a little tag, "From Dad with love" which brought on a new round of tears.

I opened my first present and my eyes got misty. As a child I always wanted a Red Ryder BB Gun, but because my parents were non-violent hippies, they refused to get one. But here in the box, was the Red Ryder BB Gun I always wanted as a child.

A serious chill ran down my spine. The only people who knew we wanted these two presents were dead, as in the case of my parents or Rachel's dad. Even if Louise the Louse knew about the Barbie, the only gift she would give anyone would be an STD.

After the opening the first presents, we were like a couple kids on Christmas morning. We ripped the wrapping off and tore into the box to see what we got next. It was wonderful. Were were laughing and crying for the next few minutes.

There were only two boxes left. One for Rachel and one for me. These two presents did not have a tag from Santa. My present was from Arnold of Santa's Tree Lot, Santa's Number One Elf. What the hell? My buddy at the tree lot was definitely small enough to be an elf, but was he really?

Rachel's final present didn't have a tag from Arnold. The present was from Betty, Wife of Arnold, Santa's Personal Secretary Elf. Oh shit! Rachel's face said it all. What in the world happened?

We sat back finally getting around to our cocoa that had cooled. We bounced back and forth about the cause of our good fortune and the possibilities of our Christmas morning. With no answers coming we just sat quietly looking at our tree contemplating the situation. Something in the tree caught my eye. Stuffed up toward the topper was a small envelope decorated with a nativity scene.

The card in the envelope read,

John and Rachel,

You have no idea how happy you have made me and the misses. We have been so worried over you two for so long but held out hope you would find your way back to each other.

Rachel, you needed the motivation to change your ways and we hoped you would see the light through one of Arnold's magical Christmas trees.

John, you needed patience and the ability to forgive. Since you were a kid, you've always enjoyed Christmas trees so we used that joy to open year heart to Rachel's appreciation of the one you bought from Arnold.

You both still have some work ahead of you but Mrs. Clause and I are optimistic for your future together. Just keep the reason for the season close to your heart and you'll be fine.

Until next year,

Santa, Mrs. Clause, Arnold and Betty

P.S. Louise the Louse will no longer be a problem. She's made it on Santa's Very Naughty List one too many times so when I stopped there last night delivering your presents, I snatched her ass up and gifted her to a Mexican Whore House. I think by this time next year she'll have a change in attitude. Don't worry about her car, it's at the county impound.

OK, now we really entered the Twilight Zone. But with all the evidence right in front of us, how could it be anything but...Santa.

I grabbed Rachel pulling her to her feet, "Come on. We're getting dressed and heading down to the tree lot."

We got to where the tree lot should have been but there was nothing except a sign saying "see you next year" and frickin reindeer bombs all over the grass. Damn those animals can shit!

What could we do? We went home and spent the rest of the day enjoying Christmas Day with each other.

The next year was spent with us taking the steps necessary to make a better marriage. We hoped our new friends would have a magical tree ready for us again next Christmas.

Yes, my Christmas wish did come true.

Merry Christmas!