Christmas Eve

Alexis sighed contentedly and set down the remote as she flipped to a channel that she liked. Nothing said Christmas Eve tradition like her old favorite child-hood movie, Nightmare Before Christmas. She knew that movie backwards and forwards, down to the last line and music cue. She smiled as she silently mouthed the intro sequence under her breath in perfect time with the movie. It was times like these when she felt like a kid again, where her only responsibilities were to set the table and clean her room. 

Her mother would've come into the room and rolled her eyes at her before making some snarky remark about how Nightmare Before Christmas was a Halloween movie and not a Christmas movie. Her father would've laughed and agreed. And she'd laugh right along with them. How she missed them.. 

Alexis's eyes watered slightly and her grip on Marion tightened.

Her parents had been in their late 60s when they'd adopted her. They'd wanted a baby girl but had been pre-cautious about getting another child after the last one, a son, had been a rebellious teen and broke their hearts several times over before leaving them entirely at the age of 18. As a result, they'd waited several years before deciding to have another. By the time Alexis was out of middle school they were nearing their late 70s and were really starting to show signs of their age. Her mother was forced to retire from her job as a dental assistant when her urinary tract infection worsened and forced her to be hospitalized. Her father retired from his desk job soon afterwards, his arthritis becoming too much of a problem for him to continue working.

Her second arm wrapped around Marion and further tightened her grip. The puppet, sensing something was wrong, looked up with a slightly worried expression. "Alexis?" he asked softly, concern lacing his voice. 

She prayed. She prayed and prayed and prayed that God would take care of them. She'd go to church every Sunday regardless of how much work she had. She knew in the end that God would be the one to decide what was best for them. She knew they'd probably be happier up there in heaven than suffering down here on Earth. But that didn't mean she wanted to lose them now. 

Marion's eyes widened in shock he saw the silent tears beginning to stream down her face. He blinked dumbly as they fell onto his own cheeks and slid down to soak into his body. "A-Alexis!?" He stuttered, moving his arms from around her in an attempt shake her. But she wouldn't look at him, her eyes were distant and unfocused. 

She tried not to let her anxiousness and sadness show through her daily life. She'd already been to the school counselor about it, and she honestly felt like she could function normally in society. It wasn't the end of the world. Life would go on. 

But the tears wouldn't stop.

Marion panicked, and wriggled out of her grasp to set himself right up in front of her face. "ALEXIS!?" He cried, similar inky tears beginning to sprout in his own eyes. But she still wouldn't acknowledge him."ALEXIS!?" He shook her hard. "What's the matter with you!? WHY ARE YOU CRYING!?" 

That did it.

Suddenly, as if a switch had been thrown, her eyes came alive once more and her face was no longer one of stone. She immediately noticed Marion's distressed look and blinked in surprise. "M-marion?" She whispered hoarsely. 

Marion gasped, relief washing over him as Alexis came back to the real world. He did not hesitate to wrap her in a tight hug, simultaneously burying his face in her chest and inhaling the sweet vanilla scent of her sweater. He tried his hardest not to cry as he pressed his face into the soft folds of her clothing; he didn't want to ruin another one of her tops with his blackened tears-especially not her favorite sweater. For a moment nothing happened and the only thing he heard was the steady beating of her heart, but then he felt her body shift and sensed rather than saw her arms come up to wrap around him. Her body trembled slightly as she brought her hands up to press him even further into her as she brought her face to rest against his shoulder.  Her voice wavered as she softly whispered,"T-Tomorrow we'll be visiting the hospital, ok?" 

Marion said nothing as he slowly nodded. Anything to make Alexis happy.