Gary, Indiana Christmas Day, 1970
Patricia Morine looked out her frost covered window and sighed. She watched the children frolicking in the snow happily playing nicely and sharing their joy with each other. She saw the neighbors from across the street embracing their relatives as they stood at their doors with fruit cakes in hand shivering from the cold of the Indiana air. She spotted the young woman two doors down necking with her husband whom she had missed for months while he was away at war. All these people had some love to give or receive. Everyone except Patricia.
She had gotten every thing she had written on her list this year. The bubble gum pink princess phone with the light up dial, the paisley blouse with the adorable bell sleeves she spotted in the boutique a few weeks ago, The mood ring she had longed for. These were wonderful gifts but they meant nothing to compared to the one thing she had on her list she didn't get. Something money couldn't buy. The one thing she longed for the most. Michael.
Michael was her best friend in the whole wide world. They had grown up together. Had been through thick and thin. When they were 5 they pinky promised each other that they would always be friends. No matter what. Even when they got old and grey. But all that seemed to change when Michael and his brothers got a record deal with Motown and moved away from 2300 Jackson street to Los Angles. Michael began his career and he and Patricia had lost contact. He was a star now and really didn't have time to focus on his friendship . He wrote to her once and she wrote back but she never got a reply.
Michael did make one more promise to Patricia though. He promised that one day he would come and see her. That he would make up for the lost time. Patricia just hopped he'd keep his promise passing his empty home everyday in hopes that one day he would return.
She continued to watch the children giggle with glee as they made snow angles and caught snowflakes on their tongues, the family across the street said grace as they sat down to enjoy their Christmas meal of glazed ham, chestnut stuffing and pecan pie and the young couple two doors down still kissed passionately in the snow. So consumed in the happenings of others lives she didn't hear the loud splat of a cold ball of snow hit her window.
Patricia furrowed her brows a bit annoyed as she was taken away from her reverie. She brushed it off until another snow ball hit the glass of her window.
"Who keeps doin that?!?!?!" She thought to herself as she looked out again. Before she knew it another snow ball had hit her window blinding her view. Her hazel eyes flickered with anger. It was Christmas and she wanted to be nice but whoever that was was getting on her last nerve. With her fair face flushed red she forced open her window and stuck her head out. "knock it off!!!!" She screamed. The kids playing in the snow stopped and stared for a moment but went right back to their frolicking. Patricia rolled her eyes and was about to shut her window when a familiar voice stopped her.
"Pat, where is your Christmas spirit?!?" The voice asked. Patricia looked around thinking she was just dreaming when she saw that familiar face that was on her Christmas list. There stood none other than Michael with his hands on his hips and a playful stern look on his face. The bits of snow clung to his afro and his nose was red from the cold. It took Patricia a while to take in the moment. She just stared at Michael with wide hazel eyes pinching herself over and over again expecting to wake up from an all too good to be true dream.
"MICHAEL!!!!!!" She shouted once she realized that the moment was real. Without thinking she climbed out of the window and jumped on Michael embracing him in the biggest hug ever. "It's you!!! It's really you!!! You're real!!!" She replied placing kisses over his face. Michael giggled, his cheeks stained with crimson. "Yep it's me. Real as ever!!" Patricia laughed. "I really didn't think you'd come!!! You kept your promise and you came!!! This is the best Christmas gift ever!!!!!!!!!!!" She said pulling away and taking both of his hands in hers.
"You haven't changed a bit Michael, It's almost as if you never even left!!" "Thanks." Michael replied sarcastically. "You coulda said I grew a little taller." Patrica smiled. "Maybe just a smidge." She replied spacing her index finger and thumb apart from each other. The two friends smiled at each other at this weird moment. They had never held hands like this before and Patricia had never kissed his face like that. They were now twelve years old and they were both growing up. They both had much different feelings for each other than they did when they were very small. Then it was sort of like a puppy love but now the love between them was much more mature and much stronger than puppy love, they were just too young to know it yet.
"Michael, do you ever think of me?" Patricia asked tucking a stray ringlet behind her ear. Michael sighed. "Of course I do, all the time." He replied. "Then why don't you write, why don't you call anymore?" She asked sadly. Michael sighed. "Pat, if I could I would. But I'm just really, really busy right now. It's kinda hard juggling a career and personal life. And Joseph gets real mad when we don't focus on work. I don't even have anytime to play any more. I think I'm real blessed to do what I do but I also feel like I'm missn out on a lot of things. I don't get to do what the other kids do." Michael finished sadly. The two friends had now taken a seat on the steps of the front of Patricia's home.
Patricia gazed sadly at Michael's old home remembering when they were little and all the fun they had. She never thought you would miss out on anything by moving away from a small town to a big city.
"I'm sorry Mikey, I guess I was just bein selfish. You just promised we'd be friends forever and I thought you were breaking it." She said. "No need to be sorry Pat, I understand. I just want you to know, we're always going to be friends. No matter what. It's always going to be you and me against the world." Michael held Patrica's hand again and gave her an assuring smile. Patrica smiled feeling all the assurance of the world in Michael's hand. The two friends sat in silence and watched the children play for a while.
"Sorry I didn't get you anything, we don't celebrate Christmas you know." Michael said. Patricia smiled. "That's okay you just showing up was the best gift ever. You just showing love was all I needed. What greater gift to give than love?" Michael nodded. "You're right." The two friends then looked up and saw the Mistletoe over the door. They looked back at each other and blushed. For a while they kept their gaze on one another until they both leaned in. Their lips crashing against each other. The moment was short and sweet but at the same time euphoric. They quickly pulled apart and blushed.
"Merry Christmas Pat." Michael said through the icy air. Patricia smiled. "Merry Christmas Michael." She replied.
And a Merry one it was.
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Why Don't you give love on Christmas day?? No greater gift to give than love.
Chapter End Notes:
PLEASE REVIEW!!!! AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!