May's Workshop Stories

Christmas Magic

It was never easy for her. Even when she was a child and a part of a family, she had felt like an outsider. It felt as if she never truly belonged. That all changed when she met him, her high school sweetheart. No matter what a cliché that was, she fell head over heels for him.

However, she never told him, and he seemed to be utterly clueless even when she blushed all the time and said the strangest of things when he was close by. It was as if the connection between her brain and mouth was severed, and she would say the weirdest, stupidest things.

Still, they remained good friends even after high school. As a matter of fact, that was all she needed, that one person who understood who she was and accepted her no matter what. It was something she lacked in her own family, and she was determined not to lose that precious gift just because she couldn't reign in her impossible feelings.

However, that particular year after university was different. The holidays were approaching, and Jenny had absolutely no idea what to do. Spending the holidays with her pretentious family was out of the question. All of the friends she had asked already had plans to spend time with their families. All except for one.

She hadn't dared ask Dilan, but now that she was running out of options, she thought it would be better to give it a try because she didn't want to spend the holidays alone. If he rejected the offer, she could always pretend it was a bad joke that landed horribly.

"Dylan, what are your plans for Christmas?" Jenny blurted out while they were sifting through the best Christmas songs in their favorite record store.

"Ahem, I am not sure. I just thought I would hang out at home, listen to some Christmas records and eat my sorrows away," Dylan said, looking at her in a way that she couldn't fully understand.

Having always believed Dylan saw her only as a friend, Jenny got worried that he had misinterpreted her question. Thus, she wanted to correct him as soon as possible.

"I was thinking we could share Christmas dinner together," Jenny said in a rush. "Just as friends, of course."

For a moment, it seemed to her as if his expression was crestfallen. However, knowing that was an impossibility, she dismissed the notion before it had the chance to take root in her mind. 

"That sounds like an awesome idea!" Dylan exclaimed enthusiastically. "I mean, I would really like that."

"Alright, then it's a date," Jenny said with a huge smile. "Not a date, date, but we shall see each other at the appointed time type of date."

 "Yes, I know what you mean," Dylan said, smiling at her with what felt as more warmth than usual.

"Why don't we have dinner at my place, and then we can take a walk by the docks," Dylan said cautiously.

"Yes, I would love that. Should I bring something, or will you do the cooking?" Jenny asked hurriedly, afraid that he might change his mind. "Not that I think that you have to cook. I just thought you know your kitchen better."

"Shh, I know what you mean," Dylan said, gently placing his finger on her lips to stop the flood of words that threatened to spill out.

A moment that passed between the two of them was that of undeniable chemistry. Yet, both Dylan and Jenny managed to deny and rationalize it away as if it were nothing but a mere coincidence, an electrical charge before the storm.

"Okay, when should I come?" Jenny asked, shifting away from Dylan's finger, trying to get the conversation back to its proper path.

"I think if you come by seven o'clock tonight, that should be fine," Dylan said, looking at his watch as if he had to make the exact calculations.