Covid Can Kiss Kris Kringle

Daniel couldn't cry anymore. He had no tears left. He just stared ahead in a daze. People had talked to him, but he had no idea what they had said. The only thing he could do was just stand there. The rain was pouring. It's sound on his umbrella was all he could hear.

They say rain at a wedding means good luck. He wondered what it meant at a funeral. His stepmother didn't need luck. She was in a better place. A place with no pain, suffering, tears, or Covid. She joined their father, who succumbed to Covid only two weeks earlier. The human race was under attack by a microscopic organism that was barely understood. The carnage was devastating.

His stepsister, Chris, let out a moan as their mother's coffin was lowered into the ground. The tarp covered the fresh dirt covering their father, lying in the plot just to the side. Two wonderful people. Gone.

Both of their parents were nurses. They met when Daniel and Chris were both 14. It was awkward getting a stepsister who also was dealing with raging hormones, but they kept things in check. One thing that helped was that they instantly were comfortable talking with each other. Daniel felt it came from their parents. Nurses tend to be good natured and easy going. Chris felt it was because she was a crab and he a scorpion, she was into astrology at the time.

Their parents both died in December. Needless to say it was a horrible Christmas that year. They had both just turned 18, but the estate was put in probate. Calling it an estate was a joke. It was a small split level on a postage stamp lot. At least it was in a good neighborhood. Wood River, Nebraska didn't exactly have a bad neighborhood.

Daniel and Chris spent that Christmas with Aunt Kate in Grand Island. They rarely left their rooms. Everyone was afraid to talk to them. Everyone was afraid they might get Covid from them.

Chris was normally a deeply religious person. She was having a crisis in faith. Aunt Kate went so far as to scold her about it. The churches were all closed, leaving her no one else to talk about it with but Daniel.

He remembered the first time she came to talk to him. They left the door open. Aunt Kate was being weird about them being alone together.

"Did she yell at you again?" asked Daniel.

"No, I will never talk to her again about it. I wish I had your calm."

"It only seems that way," he said. "I am just as confused as you, and afraid. What will we do? We have no parents, no jobs, and no money. The probate on the house could be months, and we can't afford it if we do get it."

"I know." She started crying. "That's what I don't understand. Why would God let this happen? How can I worship Him when he has forsaken us? Will we be homeless? No one can get a job right now."

Daniel put his arm around her and let her cry. Sometimes it's better to just listen and say nothing, especially when you don't have an answer.

He did get an idea, but Aunt Kate stepped in and made Chris help her with dinner.

That was the last time they saw Aunt Kate. She died of Covid three days later. After that the two were basically homeless. They were cursed. Everyone around them died. No relatives would have them.

--------------

Daniel cringed at the memory. The pastor was asking them to close their eyes and remember the lowest point of their life. A time they didn't think they would make it. Then he had them open their eyes. "You made it," he said. "Remember what got you through it."

Daniel smiled down at Chris. He knew the pastor was going to say God had gotten them through it, but a lot of it came from each other. They were closer now than they had ever been. They had shared scraps of food, slept on boxes, and waited in lines to get help that seemed to increase in length every week. Covid had ravaged the country.

Now they were in the home left to them by their parents and about to celebrate their first Christmas without them. It was sad, but they knew that both parents were smiling down on them. The pastor was making a point they already knew, the tough time they went through had strengthened them, made them better.

Daniel worked for a law firm making a fantastic salary. That allowed Chris to go to the local college. Most of it was online, and Daniel worked from home, so they spent a lot of time together.

They still hadn't addressed "the incident", however.

While sleeping on boxes one night they huddled together under an awning. It was raining and freezing. Daniel wrapped his coat around her to keep her warm.

Eventually they had pressed every bit of skin they could against each other to keep from freezing. Chris was woken from sleep by something poking into her buttocks. It was Daniel. He was sound asleep and had a raging hard-on. Then he mumbled her name.

At first she started giggling, but then the sadness of their situation hit her. The probate was taking forever. They might freeze to death before it was complete. They were lying on boxes and her stepbrother had a hard on and was dreaming about her. Could anything be more pathetic?

She started to press and release her ass against his cock. It responded by poking her even harder. She started to work her hand down towards it, but decided she shouldn't take advantage of him while he was asleep.

"Daniel?" She nudged him awake.

"Huh?" he said sleepily.

"Would you like me to take care of that for you?"

He woke up with a start. "No. No. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It is OK, Daniel. It is a natural thing. It is wet and cold and our bodies are close."

He pulled back some. She squiggled back with him. "Don't you dare let me freeze," she said.

"But.."

She turned and put a finger on his lip. "Listen. Both of our parents were nurses. They taught us to be open and understanding about how things work. They also were the only reason we call each other brother and sister. That reason is now gone."

"I just don't want something to happen that later drives a wedge between us. I don't think I could take that. You are all I have left."

"I will never leave you. We have been through too much together. I'm not like that skank girlfriend you had, what was her name?"

"Chris."

"That's right! What an insult to my name. Wait a minute, were you dreaming about her?"

He turned red in the face. "No, I was dreaming about you."

"I like the fact you are always blatantly honest," she said. "Please, let me help. It doesn't have to mean a thing. Just let it happen."

It had been so long for him he agreed. It didn't take long. They carried a roll of paper towel with them which she used to clean him up. Toilet paper was impossible to find.

A month later they were in their home, sleeping in warm beds, and never mentioned it again.

Until tonight.

As they drove home from church, Chris was watching the town go by. It was a tiny town. They were still outcasts. Rumours about them were rampant.

"I hear the McKenzies have said we should be burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft," she said.

"I told you not to fly that car during the day when the muggles could see."

She grinned at him. "I think it was you who caused it. Your firm backed the opposition to the Halloween ban."

"Closed minded rednecks. I grew up in this town. Halloween was never a problem before."

"People are scared. They grasp at whatever makes them feel comfortable."

"Like we did on a cold, rainy night."

She turned and looked at him, mouth agape. "You've never said a thing about that night! What brought this on?"

"Closing my eyes and thinking about a time I didn't know if I would survive."

She started laughing. Hard. A lot of pain came out with that laugh. "Can you believe it? In church you think of that night. I was thinking about the dogs."

His face turned red again. Then he smiled. "I wasn't worried. I had them covered."

She reached over and touched the scar on his hand. "Not exactly, but you were brave." She hugged his shoulder. The wild dogs had nearly killed them.

"We do make a good team."

"We've had to," she replied with a sad note in her voice. Today was the one year anniversary of her mother dying.

-----------------

Christmas was now only two days away. They had discussed it for a long time, and decided to have a small celebration with each other. One small gift and a Charlie Brown tree. The real present was simply having each other, a home, and a way to sustain themselves.

Chris was enjoying school and would miss her online friends for the holidays. Daniel was dating someone he had met at a client luncheon. Chris couldn't stand her. She kept talking down to him like he was a little boy. She was pretty sure Daniel couldn't stand it either. He was taking her to tonight's office party, however.

Daniel walked in the door later that night reeking of booze and cigarettes. He was staggering. Chris played it up and stood there with her hands folded across her chest.

"Where have you been? Have you been drinking?" she said with her best scornful voice.

He stared at her. "Are you upset? I had a designated driver."

"I have been slaving over the stove and cleaning all day, while you have been out gallivanting with loose women and cheap liquor the whole time!"

He blinked, turned and looked at the door. "I'm sorry," he said, "I think I'm in the wrong house."

She couldn't hold it in. She burst out laughing. She gave him a bear hug. "Eww you smell horrible!"

"I think my ex threw up on me," he stumbled into the kitchen.

"Oh no, straight to the tub with you. And those clothes go straight in the washer."

"You can't see me naked!" His face was comical. He was so drunk.

"Why not? Oh fine, keep your underwear on until you get upstairs."

"But that's what she threw up on!"

The image formed in Chris's mind. This just kept getting funnier. "Did you call her your ex?"

"Yes. I told her that if it makes her so sick to look at that she throws up on it, then we would never work out."

Chris could barely breathe. She was laughing so hard.

"Hey, that isn't nice! I just lost my girlfriend."

"Let's get you sobered up and if you want her back you can apologize to her."

"I'm not so sure," he said.

"Why?"

"Well, she's kind of arrogant."

Chris bit her lip. She had never seen him drunk. He was hilarious. "Well, those are some serious charges. Let's get you cleaned up."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's OK. I won't tell anyone you are too young for the hard liquor I smell on you."

"Not for that, for that night in the rain." He stabilized himself long enough to look her in the eye. "I shouldn't have done it. I think about it all the time. I think about it with her. I can't make it go away."

Chris took a deep breath. He was very drunk. This was something best left for when he sobered up. She loved him too much to take advantage of him while he was drunk, but the thought excited her. That wasn't new. She had thought about him as well, often during passionate moments. She didn't act on those feelings for the same reason he didn't, they were all they had. Nothing should jeopardize that.

"Let's get you in the tub. I'll get you up the stairs and then I'll bring you some coffee, OK?"

"Why not get yourself a drink? You have a lot of catching up to do."

How much have you had?" she asked.

He started counting on his fingers. He stopped at two. "Two," he said.

"Seriously?" she asked. "What a lightweight!"

"Two bottles'" he said, and laughed. His breath was wretched.

"Upstairs Captain Morgan. Time to set sail." She held him firmly and got him up the stairs. She was worried he might follow her and fall back down, but he simply doffed his clothes and rolled over the side into the tub. The water had just started running.

She went downstairs and made some quick coffee. He drank his with loads of sugar and cream. She was afraid it might make him sick.

When she returned he was sound asleep. She didn't want to leave him alone. She ran down and brought up a chair from the kitchen. She sat and admired him for a while. He really was quite handsome. When her mom introduced him he seemed quite shy. She was more outgoing. The poor kid. His first Christmas party and they had gotten him quite drunk. At least he was home safe.

"Chris?" He was stirring.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"I've already said it is OK. Don't worry about it."

"No, it's something else. I want to fuck you, but I think I am too drunk to get it up." He flopped his hand into his lap. She propped it back up so he didn't slide under.

She wondered if he meant to say that to his girlfriend, but had mixed up the names. "Just relax and sleep this off. Then we can talk."

"I'll be too embarrassed then. I won't be able to tell you what I thought about in church the other day."

"What was that?"

"I wondered if I could be your husband."

She felt a lump in her throat and started tearing up. Did he just say he thought about it in church? He wasn't drunk then. She reached out and took his hand.

He was fast asleep again.

She laughed while the tears poured down her face.

--------------

She sat with him all night. She wasn't about to let him drown or suffocate on his vomit. She couldn't lose him. She loved him. She loved him more than just as a brother, or a friend. They had been through a lot, but she knew the attraction had started long before the tragedy. They couldn't do anything then.

But what about now? They were two adults that had only been siblings by marriage for four years. Could that be changed? Could they get married?

This town would burn their house to the ground.

She decided to look it up. It was completely legal. It wasn't that common anymore, but used to happen a lot. Her hunch was that a surprise pregnancy had a lot to do with that. The laws were mainly concerned with birth defects. If your step brother also happened to be your cousin, then it was different. She and Daniel's family weren't related at all.

This was fantastic! She could care less about this tiny tiny town. She had been in love with Daniel for a long time. She always thought she had to suppress it. She didn't!

She felt happier than she had ever felt in her life. She looked down at Daniel sleeping. She had gotten him out of the tub and into bed. He looked beautiful, like an angel.

She decided then and there to pray. "What better way to celebrate Christmas than with true love?" she asked. "Please God. Give me a sign."

Daniel started vomiting. Everywhere. All over the bed. All over her. All over himself. She propped him up so he didn't drown in it. She gave a sarcastic look at the ceiling and said, "Thanks a lot."

Then she realized she may have just saved Daniel's life. Far too many lost their lives at a young age choking on their own vomit. Not Daniel. Not her Daniel.

--------------

The next morning was miserable for Daniel. He really had drunk close to two bottles of rum. He felt like death. He looked like it too

Chris said nothing about the night before and her thoughts about getting married. She was going to see how he did and test the waters. If it was meant to be, this would be their best Christmas ever. Imagine, going from losing both parents to deciding on getting married. She hoped he would agree. In her heart, she knew he would. The vomiting wasn't really a sign from God. It was more like the line from the wizard in that old movie Willow. "Forget the bird, follow the river," he said. She was going to follow her heart.

Daniel's stomach was a mess. He couldn't hold down pancakes. It wasn't until late afternoon that he finally started looking human again. Ginger Ale and animal crackers was all he could manage.

She had braved leaving him alone to pick them up. There was only one store in town. She saw his girlfriend. Surprisingly, she walked up to her and was very friendly. "I want to tell you something," she said.

Chris nodded and they found a secluded corner. "Your step brother isn't very talkative, but he didn't need to be for it to be obvious. He could never love me, because he loves you. The two of you are free to do what you want now. God knows you have been through so much. If you feel the same way about him, go for it. Don't miss a chance at happiness. I envy you, he is a wonderful person."

Chris could feel her mouth hanging open. "Thank you," she said, and closed it.

The thought was still warm in her mind when she was working in the kitchen and Daniel came in. He looked fantastic, wearing a white button down shirt and jeans.

"You have a lot of your mother in you," he said, "if it is OK to say so. She loved this kitchen. It smells as if she were here working right now."

Her hands were covered in flour and tears started pouring down her face. He got up and patted them dry with a dishtowel. Then he hugged her.

She went back to her biscuits. "I remember being introduced to you and your father in this very kitchen," she said. "I felt like I was the luckiest girl in the world."

"Really? Why?" He smiled.

"Because you were quite handsome, and would be living under the same roof."

"Oh come on," he said. "I was 14, scrawny, and covered with zits."

"All three of them! I was so jealous of your skin. I was a total pizza face."

"I wasn't looking at your face. You had bumps. They were coming in."

Her mouth fell open and she threw a wad of dough at him. He ducked and it hit a cup on the table, knocking it off and breaking it. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked.

"Over a broken cup? Don't be." He grabbed the broom and dustpan. When he looked back at her. The glow from her eyes was spellbinding.

"Chris?"

She was somewhere else for a moment. Then she looked at him. "Do you think they are happy for us?" she asked.

Daniel instinctively looked up. "I don't think people in heaven get upset about a broken cup. These are their dishes, however." He grinned.

"You're a turd!" she said.

The room suddenly seemed to glow. He walked up to her slowly.

"Then that makes you someone who wants to marry a turd." He took a knee. "I don't have a ring, and I don"t know how to do this. Chris, I want to be your husband. I have wanted to be your husband for a long time. There just wasn't a right time before. Tonight is different. I can feel it in this room. There is a presence here. I don't know if it is just our parents or if it is all of heaven. I just know what it is saying. It is saying there is love here. A love so strong it calls to the heavens on Christmas Eve. They are celebrating, Chris. This was meant to be."

She collapsed to her knees, then into his arms. She heard singing all around her in her head. Her heart and tears flowed forth. "I love you Daniel," she blubbered through her tears.

"I love you too, Chris. Will you marry me?"

She looked up and rubbed flour on his face. "Not until I know if you are any good in bed." She kissed him deeply.

He laughed. "What? Oh the devil has you, young church girl. You know we can't do that until we are married."

"Oh get serious," she said. "Do you really think I'm that pious?"

"I think we should continue this discussion out of this kitchen. We really don't want them to hear this."

She reached up and rubbed her other hand covered in flour on his face. "You silly goose. They can hear us anywhere. I honestly think they have already blessed us with marriage. Who better than the Almighty himself?"

He smiled, his cheeks cracking the caked flour. "Merry Christmas Chris."

"Merry Christmas, Daniel. What do you say to heading to the bedroom?"

"And waste all this good flour?" He deftly pulled off her shirt and then took her hands and shoved them under her bra. Removing it from the back he laughed as it fell off and revealed her breasts covered in flour. Her pink nipples were poking through the white powder, begging to be licked.