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Crossroads--Side Story--Merry Christmas

The red civic pulled into the driveway and the white wolf inside turned off the engine. He rested his head on the steering wheel, mentally bracing himself for the verbal assault he was bound to get from his wife and son. He glanced over at the wrapped gift in his passenger seat--a small token of apology.

He sighed heavily and shook his head. No use trying to stave off the inevitable. He retrieved the present and stepped outside into the bitterly cold December evening. He trudged carefully up the driveway, bracing himself against the wind. As he approached the door--making a mental note to salt and shovel the driveway--he glanced through the window with curiosity. The television in the living room was on and he wondered if it was his son, awaiting his return, or his wife, waiting to rip him a new one. Frowning, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"You're late," griped a soft, irritated voice from the living room.

The wolf stepped rolled his eyes and quickly locked eyes with his wife, a golden Labrador. And, asleep with his head in her lap, was their son, dreaming peacefully. The television, he noticed, had been tuned to their son's favorite cartoon.

"Where were you? You were supposed to be here at five. You promised you'd take him skating."

"I know," the wolf replied.

"So why weren't you?"

"I had to work longer than I expected," the wolf snarled back. "Unlike you, I don't get the luxury of a vacation right now. And why the hell couldn't you have taken him?"

"Don't turn this back on me, David," she warned. David was sure that if their son wasn't in her lap right now, she'd have jumped to her feet. "I make time for Charlie. Even if it risks my job!"

"Damn it, I do my best when you're gone for days on end," David snapped. His grip on the present tightened; he could hear the wrapping paper crinkle in his paw. "You have any idea how hard it is to try to do this on my own? At least I'm here."

"David--!"

"Daddy?" a groggy, youthful voice interrupted.

They both looked at the young wolfdog cub, sitting up and rubbing his bleary eyes. He took a moment to process the scene but soon enough, young Charlie's eyes opened wide and he was on his feet, rushing over to his father, arms wrapped around the larger wolf's waist in a loving embrace.

"Hey," David greeted. "I brought you something."

His son stepped back curiously and watched as his father handed him the wrapped box. Eyes alight with excitement, Charlie was about to open the paper, but his mother's voice interrupted.

"Not right now, honey," she said lovingly. "That's for tomorrow morning. Under the tree." She indicated the tree, with its tinsel and flickering lights, the bright star on top completing its beauty.

"Elaine, it's okay," David insisted. "Let him open this one early."

"David--"

"Open it," David insisted. When Charlie hesitated, looking between his parents, David said, "It's okay. I promise."

Charlie sat down and set the gift on the floor, hurriedly ripping away the paper. His eyes opened wide when he saw it, momentarily unsure of what to say or how to react.

"It's an art kit," David said to the six-year-old. "Colored pencils, markers, crayons. Everything you need."

Charlie jumped back to his feet and hugged his father lovingly. "Thank you, Daddy!" he said happily, his voice bright and cheerful.

David grinned down at the cub before catching his wife's eye. His smile faltered. "You can draw later. It's late. Past your bedtime."

"Can you tuck me in, Daddy?"

"Yeah."

Minutes later, David was closing the door to Charlie's bedroom and had turned around to see Elaine standing there, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"What'd I do now?" he grumbled. "Did I leave the seat up?"

"Why didn't you call?" Elaine demanded. "Or text? Or something? He was almost in tears waiting for you."

David sighed. "You think I would prefer to be at work rather than with my own cub? If I could've just left, I would've, but I have to work to make sure we can still afford this house."

"I get that, I do, but are they going to make you work on Christmas too? Are you going to bail out on that?"

"Don't start, Elaine," David said warningly.

"I took this time off to be with him on Christmas. I'm not getting paid for this time off."

"Exactly, so I have to work so we don't run out of money," David snarled.

"And to be with you," she continued, "but I don't know why." She turned on her heel and made her way back into the kitchen. David followed her and watched her pull a plate from the fridge. "Here."

He looked down at the wrapped plate. Meatloaf--his favorite. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she said, bitterly. She sat down at the table, watching him reheat his dinner in the microwave. "You know, I don't know what we're doing."

"What do you mean?"

"You and I have been fighting like this for months," Elaine stated. "It's not healthy for us or Charlie."

The microwave beeped loudly and David pulled his plate out. "I know. But it's just difficult. I know you like working for the cruises, but it's hard when you're gone. Why can't you find a job here that doesn't have you gone for so long?" He joined Elaine at the table.

"Is that what this is all about?"

"Sort of, yeah," David said. "I can't raise him alone."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Could've fooled me! There are times I actually forget you live here," David snarled.

"That's hurtful," she mused calmly. She took a deep breath. "I was just hoping we could pull it together for Christmas at least."

"I'm trying to but you're bitching at me for having a job!" David said. He took a bite of his meatloaf.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" she shouted, jumping up. Her paws slapped the table and she glared down at her husband's face--that scarcely restrained anger. "Don't you ever call me a bitch!"

"Mommy?"

They looked over. Little Charlie stood in the doorway to the kitchen, looking frightened and clutching his small teddy bear to his chest. His eyes looked between his parents, both of whom were too stunned by his appearance to speak.

"Charlie, what're you doing out of bed?" Elaine asked nervously. "I'll tuck you back in." She started to move towards him but he took a step backward.

"Why are you fighting again?" the little cub questioned.

"It's just a little disagreement, sweetheart," Elaine said sweetly, kneeling to be at his eye-level. "Don't worry, it'll be okay."

Charlie shook his head. "Why are you always mean to each other?"

"We're just having some small issues--"

"You're always yelling at each other!" Charlie whined, tears in his eyes. "But it's Christmas! You can't yell at each other! That's not what you should do if you love each other!"

"We do love each other," David started, but Charlie continued on.

"And Santa won't bring you any presents if you're mean to each other!" he huffed. "Don't you want presents?"

"It's okay, baby," Elaine said, pulling him into a tight hug. "This is just a small disagreement. It'll all be okay in the morning."

"Really?" Charlie murmured.

"Really. Come on, I'll tuck you back into bed. Santa won't come if you're still up."

When she returned to the kitchen, David could see the stress, the pain, in her expression.

"We can't keep doing this to him," she said warningly. "We have to at least pull it together for the holidays."

"I know," David said. "I'll try to be more... respectful. I'm sorry about what I said."

"So am I... How's the meatloaf?"

"Salty," he said in a poor British imitation. "But edible. As a food critic, I deep it passable."

Her jaw dropped but she found herself laughing. "Well, better for the food to be salty than you."

---

"MOMMY! DADDY! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"

The cheery, almost shrill, voice pierced the peaceful sleep of Charlie's two parents and it was the only warning they got before the cub jumped into their bed, bouncing up and down in his unbridled joy and unrestrained youthful energy. They looked at him with bleary, weak eyes, David scowling.

"Cut that out," David snapped harshly.

Charlie's excitement weakened. "But... presents?"

"We'll be there in a moment," Elaine said weakly. "Wait in the living room for us, okay?" Charlie hopped down and practically raced out of the room. Elaine giggled. "Up and at-em, sleeping beauty. Your baby boy wants to open presents."

"Meh! I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay."

Little Charlie was in the living room already, scarcely holding back the desire to open his gifts. He looked up joyfully as his parents ambled in, his father holding the camera.

"Can I open the first one now?!" Charlie almost shouted.

"Yes, just keep the volume down," Elaine said with a wince.

Six presents (and excited squeals) later, Charlie's voice had finally started to lose its extra volume and higher pitch. His father took one more photo of Charlie was his new Rubik's cube (which the little cub was struggling to solve) and set the camera down on the coffee table.

"There's more presents under the tree for you," he said to Elaine.

She looked up. "There's some for you too."

"Well, I have one for you that's not under the tree," David said, whispering in her ear.

Her face warmed. "Not in front of--What's this?" she breathed as he passed her a small, red box.

"Open it."

She opened the box and gasped.

Charlie rushed over and his eyes opened wide. "That's really pretty!" he breathed.

"David... how much...? Where...? Oh my God..."

"I'm sorry we were fighting," David said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sweetheart, I do love you."

"I love you too," she said, pulling the gold necklace from its box. She cradled its ruby pendant gently, on the verge of tears.

In a split moment, she threw her arms around her husband. David hugged her back after a second and pulled back for a kiss. His lips had only just touched hers when he heard the sound of the camera and he looked over. Little Charlie smiled from behind the camera.

"Oh!" he gasped and he dashed out of the living room.

"Charlie? Charlie, what's wrong?!" Elaine called, rising from the couch.

Charlie came back almost instantly, holding a paper in his paws. He held it out for his parents who looked over it in intrigue.

"I did this for you guys! I made it this morning," he said sheepishly. "Is it good?"

"Davey, look at this," Elaine said, sniffling.

"Mommy, don't cry," Charlie insisted worriedly. "I'm sorry."

"Sweetheart, I'm so happy," Elaine told him. "I'm not upset. Thank you!"

"'I Love My Family'," David said, reading the untidy scrawl that his son had put beneath the sketch. The little cub had drawn the three of them, standing happily and smiling, holding paws beneath a smiling sun. David set the picture down on the table and hefted his son up into his arms. "Thanks for that. We love you too. Couldn't love you more if we tried."

Charlie leaned his head onto David's shoulder. "You're welcome," the little cub said, his voice colored by innocence and mirthful cheer.

"So, what do you want for breakfast?" Elaine said. "Anything you want."

"Anything?" Charlie wondered. "Even chocolate chip waffles?"

"Even chocolate chip waffles," she agreed, kissing Charlie's forehead. "Nothing but your favorites for Christmas morning!"