Home for Christmas

“Do you really think she’s going to like this?” Jack asked, pinning up a red blanket as a makeshift wall. The lights from the city beneath lit up as he and his roommate Eric were attempting to not fall off of the rooftop of a twenty-three-story building.

The December air around them pierced their bodies, their noses were raw and their fingers had little feeling left in them. There was a crowd forming beneath them as the countdown to Christmas Day began on the side of a skyscraper, a broad reminder that they were quickly running out of time.

“If her dad’s going to even let her out of the house,” Eric lifted a speaker onto a wooden crate, “I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“You are so funny Eric,” Jack said as he stood back to observe the shelter the two of them had spent the last hour putting together.

He knew Emily might not be able to even get out of the house, but that didn’t stop him from forcing his roommate to dig out an old box of Christmas decorations they had shoved into the back of a closet.

“No, I’m serious man, she’s going to love it,” Eric said, slinging his arm over Jack’s shoulders.

Before them stood a canopy made from red and green blankets, held together by lights of the same color. A pile of blankets and pillows lay inside, partnered with a speaker, and two Santa hats.

The voices of the crowd began to grow louder and louder as the pair cleaned up unused supplies, the giant digital clock on the side of a skyscraper ticking its way down to midnight.

00:29:53

Jack and Eric bolted down the stairs that led to the rooftop, rubbing their hands together.

“Good luck,” Eric said as he slipped into their apartment before Jack had the chance to reply.

I’m going to need it.

The door in front of him was no different than the one of his own, or any of the other apartment doors in the building, but somehow it felt like the door was ten times larger than it should’ve been.

He rapped his hand against the wood, tucking his hand into the pocket of his winter coat. His feet wanted to high-tail it back to his room, but he planted his feet to the ground with imaginary nails.

The door opened slightly, the wary eye of Mr. Williams peering at Jack. His eye was blue, like Emily’s, but it was different. It was icy and almost empty, sending a shiver down Jack’s spine.

“I told you to steer clear from here kid,” Mr. Williams said gruffly, the smell of nicotine puffing out with each word.

Jack squeezed his hands tight in his pockets, “I know, you don’t need to say it again. It’s just that you’re moving and-”

“If you know that can’t you reason that we’re busy packing?” Mr. Williams stepped aside to reveal piles of boxes strewn across the floor.

“I know you’re busy packing sir but-”

This is her last night here.

“Dad? Who is it?” Emily’s voice rang from somewhere in the house.

I can’t let it end like this.

Jack looked to Mr. Williams, “please.”

Mr. Williams twisted and yelled back, “It’s no one, just keep packing. Don’t forget to do under your bed.”

The door was shut, followed by the click of a lock, and an overwhelming sense of disappointment invaded Jack’s body.

He turned back to his apartment and slowly pulled himself inside.

“I’m guessing it went well?” Eric asked, lounging on their couch with a bowl of popcorn. Reruns of different Christmas movies were blasting from the TV as Jack walked past silently into his bedroom.

He spun himself into his desk chair, rolling over to the small window next to his bed and looking down at the large tree below.

She would’ve loved this, he thought as a wave of people packed themselves near the giant Christmas tree.

Jack peered up at the digital clock, but the metal rail of the fire escape blocked his vision.

She can still love this.

Without another thought passing, he unlatched his window, took off the screen, and swung himself onto the fire escape.

A twisting ache stemmed from the bottom of his gut and jabbed through his heart and into his head. His hand tightened on the metal rail, and he wasn’t sure if he was shaking from the cold or the impending death of falling twenty-one flights.

Emily, he reminded himself.

As he looked behind him, the clock was ticking its way down to Christmas.

00:10:38

One very slow movement at a time, Jack stood himself on the handrail and placed his foot onto the one across the now seemingly huge gap between the two fire escapes.

Emily.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he took his hand and wrapped it onto the other fire escape, and swung himself over. His heart was jumping from his chest, looking back to the other fire escape.

He cleared his throat and carefully walked over to Emily’s window.

To his surprise, she was wearing a matching set of Christmas pajamas, and penguin slippers. He couldn’t help but let a goofy smile creep onto his cheeks.

He knocked his hand onto the frosty glass and waited for her head to pop up. The movement in the room stilled and she peered over the bed with her eyebrows drawn together.

Jack knocked again, harder this time, and Emily ran over to the window, her eyes bulging from her head.

She lifted her window and whisper-shouted through the screen, “Jack? What are you doing out there? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“Not intentionally, no, but since your dad wouldn’t let me past the threshold of your front door, I was forced to get creative.”

“Why are you even out there?”

Jack’s lips curved into a slight smile, “you’ll have your answer if you’d be kind enough to join me.” He pressed his hand to the screen, popping it out, and offered Emily his hand.

“My dad’s going to kill me,” she giggled as she let Jack guide her through the window, “this better be good.”

“I promise it’s going to be amazing.”

The pair quickly climbed up the metal stairs, narrowly avoiding slipping on the ice coating them. Jack squeezed Emily’s hand as they reached the rooftop.

He began to unwind the plaid scarf he had tied around his neck, “I’m going to need you to trust me,” he said as he loosely tied the scarf around Emily’s eyes. He took hold of one of her hands and slowly moved her in front of the display.

“You’re not going to push me off, are you?” She asked as Jack let go of her hand and ran inside the fort.

He scooped up the two Santa hats, pressed play on the speaker, and lightly cleared his throat.

“Alright, you can take it off now,” Jack said as he shoved the Santa hat onto Emily’s head, and then onto his own.

She opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out. Her eyes began to gloss over with tears, and Jack wrapped his arms around her.

They didn’t speak, he just held her still in the cold winter air. He held her like if he let go, she was going to disappear.

Jack leaned back to look at her, “it’s really that bad, huh? I knew I should’ve hired that Santa from the mall.”

More tears fell down Emily’s face, and the fog from both of their breaths hung in the air.

“Hey,” Jack said gently as he wiped the tears off of her face, “hey, it’s okay.”

An ocean of tears built up behind his own eyes, blinking hard to keep them at bay. The lights from the display shone green and red onto the blankets around them, and soft Christmas music filled the air.

They pulled away from each other enough for Jack to crane his head to see the countdown to Christmas.

00:02:13

“Just one last touch,” Jack said as he pulled out his phone and switched the speaker to I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

He outstretched his hand, “Will you do me the honor?”

“You know I can’t dance,” Emily said as she hooked her hand into his.

Neither can I, Jack thought as he began to sway his feet from side to side, trying to lightly guide Emily along with him. He was too busy looking at his feet that he barely felt snow landing on him.

“Did you plan this too?” Emily asked, cupping her hand to catch snowflakes.

“If that impresses you, then yes, I did.” Jack chuckled as he brushed snowflakes from Emily’s hair. His heart began to throb as the ocean fought its way to the front of his eyes.

She cleared her throat, “Jack…” she adjusted her hands to rest on his shoulders, the two of them swaying from side to side, “I’m going to miss you like hell.”

“Ditto.”

Jack leaned his forehead onto hers, only hearing the sound of his heartbeat. He leaned closer until their lips gently touched.

Church bells softly rang around the city, and waves of cheers came from below.

Emily pulled back from the kiss, and smiled despite the tears in her eyes, “Merry Christmas Jack.”

“Merry Christmas Emily.” Jack pulled her to his chest, leaning down and letting the ocean he was holding back all night flow.

riting here…