For Sue. Red and Sweetie forever!!!!

Home For Christmas

He tapped his fingers absently on the counter top and exhaled deeply, trying to swallow his frustration. A quick glance over his shoulder out the gaping windows behind the ticket counter revealed the same thing as they had two minutes ago. White. Nothing but white. And the stuff was still falling. It was like God had a leaky faucet and had decided to put off fixing it until after the holidays. Well that was fine and dandy for Him, but it was wreaking havoc here on Earth. Heaving a sigh, he turned back around to face the woman behind the counter, who was squinting hard at the computer screen as she chewed on lips that had long been stripped of lipstick. The day was too long and too stressful to bother reapplying it. She felt the man’s gaze on her and glanced up at him, offering a brief smile.

“I’m trying to get you on the four thirty to Louisville,” she explained.

“What are the odds of that flight actually getting off the ground?” he asked, dreading the answer.

“Weeell,” she said slowly. “They are doing their best to get whatever they can out of here, being Christmas Eve of course. The crews outside are doing the best they can with the runways, so hopefully it will be safe to take off by then.”

“And there’s nothing to Lexington?” he asked desperately. “That’s where I need to be.”

Suppressing a sigh, the woman pounded a few keys and waited for the results to come up. “There’s nothing going in or out of the Lexington airport,” she informed him. “You’re best bet is Louisville.”

He ran a hand through his tangled head of blonde hair and closed his eyes, trying to keep his composure. “Okay. So if the Louisville flight gets off the ground, what time will I get there?”

“About six thirty.”

He nodded, banging his hand down on the counter harder then he meant to. “Then send me to Louisville.”

She tapped a few more keys, waited for a printout, and then handed him his ticket and gate information. “B-23,” she informed him. “Sorry about the delay, Mr. Carter. I hope you get home in time for Christmas.”

He had already turned around, preparing to bolt, but her words made him pause and turn back around. “Thank you,” he said thoughtfully. “Merry Christmas.”

He jogged through the airport packed with people, some of them irate, some of them content to pass the time with their traveling companions as they waited for the chance to move on to their final Christmas destinations. He marveled at his ability these days to coast through crowds such as this with such little difficulty. The right cap and nondescript clothes, and he was usually able to get away with not being recognized. It’s not that people never stopped him anymore, they did, but the frenzy that had been the Backstreet Boys had passed, and now he was able to get on with living a real life.

Unfortunately, where fame had stopped him so many times before, now it was the weather that was trying to keep him away from where he wanted to be.

B-23 was packed with people, and not a seat could be found. Anxiously he scanned the monitors for any sign of his flight’s status. Flight 5573 to Louisville – Delayed. Nick ground his teeth together, and took in a deep breath. Delayed was better than cancelled, anyway. He fought his way to a corner where he pulled out his cell phone and dialed home. Not for the first time he cursed his consent to make the move to Lexington. If they still lived in Florida he would be home now, and not in danger of missing spending Christmas with the people who meant the most to him in the world.

As he waited for someone to answer the phone, he spotted a family of three seated not too far away. A young woman was speaking comfortingly to a young girl, who was wailing about Santa Claus not finding them in the airport. Longingly he watched as her mother stroked her cheek and allayed her fears. Nick would have given anything at that moment to be sitting with his daughter on the couch, reading her Christmas stories or singing carols to her. This wasn’t fair. Why oh why had he let himself be talked into this business trip?

Nick tightened his grip on the phone as someone picked up at the other end.

“Sue?” he said anxiously. With a moan of despair he leaned against the dingy gray wall and slapped his hand against it in frustration. Answering machine. He listened to his wife’s tinny sounding voice inform him that no one was available to take his call and ask for his name and number. He listened to the entire message, drawing some sort of comfort out of the sound of Sue’s voice. As soon as the machine beeped, he licked his lips and spoke softly so that no one around might here.

“It’s me. I wanted to say I love you. I’m trying my best to get there. Keep a light on for me.”

Reluctantly he pressed end and then pulled the small phone away from his ear to stare at it. This tiny black mechanism was currently his only link to home and family, and even it had failed him. Unless…

Determinedly he punched in the numbers to Sue’s cell and put the phone back to his ear.

“Dr. Carter,” a breathless voice answered on the other end.

“Oh man, your voice has just saved my life,” he said with a sigh of relief.

“Nick? Honey are you ok?”

“I am now,” he told her. “Where are you?”

“Where are you? I thought you’d be home right about now!”

Nick laughed in spite of himself. “Where are you? Baby, have you even looked at the weather outside?”

“I’m knee deep in the weather outside,” she muttered dryly. “Flight trouble?”

“You could say that. I’m in Atlanta.”

“Atlanta?” He could here a shuffling sound over the line as she shifted the phone around. “How the hell did you get there? You were in Orlando!”

“I know. Flights are being cancelled everywhere. I’m just trying to get somewhere right now. Anywhere.”

“Are you going to get home tonight?”

He paused. “I don’t know,” he said finally.

“Oh Nicky…”

“I don’t want to talk about that right now. I want to talk to you. I miss you like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Oh honey I wish I could, but I’ve got a little bit of an emergency here.”

“Emergency? Wait, I thought you weren’t on call tonight!”

“I’m not. But it’s Ordway. Whits got word he was sick, and knew I would want to see to him myself. You know how much I love that horse. I’ve loved him longer than you.”

“You’re at Claiborne right now.”

“Yes.”

“Is the horse going to be all right?”

“Well, it is Christmas. If miracles happen, now is the time.”

Nick pressed himself up against the wall as a pack of stuffy men in business suits came trundling past him, loaded down with mini-suitcases and briefcases.

“Where are the kids?” he asked once he had recovered.

“I dropped them at the Littrell’s. Brian and Whits said they’d keep them until one or both of us got back.”

“Shit. All of this on Christmas Eve.”

“Listen,” she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “The kids are fine. You know they don’t mind. I told them Santa had both addresses and not to worry.” Nick grinned into the phone. “You should call them though,” Sue went on. “Kariel’s been talking about you coming home all day. And Nicky drew you a picture. It’s a hoot.”

“And the baby?”

“Got a smelly diaper with your name on it.”

“Exactly what I wanted for Christmas,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

She laughed, and to him it sounded like the merry ringing of Christmas bells. “I have to go, sweetie.”

“I know you do.”

“Get home if you can, but if you can’t, I understand.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“Do not.”

“I’ll prove it. When you get back.”

“Merry Christmas,” he whispered.

“Save it for when you get here. We won’t open presents without you.”

“I’ll be there.”

He wanted to cry when she hung up the phone. Damn it all to hell, what a miserable place to be stuck in on Christmas. Maybe he would have been better off staying in Florida. Howie or A.J. would have taken him in. In the past that would have suited him just fine. But now, he had no interest in spending Christmas with them, unless Sue was right next to him. Since when had all of this happened? Since when had Christmas become so important to him? He’d always thought it had been a great holiday, you know, presents, good food, a great excuse to get shit faced at whatever Christmas bash he happened to be at. But when you got down to it, Christmas was just Christmas. When had it become so much more? When had it become so vital that he not miss a moment of it?

After another impatient check of the monitors – no change – he returned to the little black phone and dialed another phone number that he knew by heart.

“Santa’s Workshop, A.J. speaking. If this is a last minute Christmas order we apologize, but the Fat One is already on his way. You’ll have to wait until next year.”

Nick busted out laughing, drawing a few curious glances his way. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked, cupping his hand about the side of his mouth to muffle his voice to the onlookers. “You are going to warp the mind of your poor little kid, and he’ll be even more screwed up than you.”

“Not possible.”

“We’ll see.”

“So how is Lexington? Freezing your ass off? I sure hope so. Serves you right.”

“In not in fucking Lexington. I’m in fucking nowhere, otherwise known as fucking Atlanta.”

“Wow Mr. Grinch. Who stole your Christmas?”

“A.J., can you tell me something?”

“I can tell you a lot of things, Junior.”

Nick rattled his brain for the right words, gave up, and just blurted it out. “When did I turn into a family man?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. Wasn’t it just yesterday we were just kids? Gallivanting around and getting drunk while belching Christmas carols at one of Howie’s parties?”

“We’re still kids Nicky. We just have more adult moments than we used to.”

“I’m serious man, I am about to shit myself over the fact I might not get home to Sue and the kids tonight. I mean, I’ve never missed spending a Christmas with them. If this one doesn’t work out, there will be more, right? Why the hell is it such a big deal to me?”

“’Cause Christmas is all about that. Spending time with ones you love, and being thankful for what He did for us. Brian’s the better one to talk to about all of that religious stuff, but think about it. Christ was born today, and because of it we were saved. Now that you have someone to share it with, you know how precious that is.”

Nick was silent.

“You still there Junior?”

“Yeah,” Nick croaked. “Thanks, Aje.”

“Well, I don’t know if I made any sense, but you know me, the ever-wise ever-knowing. In fact, I’ll bet I was a wise man in one of my past lives.”

“Good night A.J.”

“Night Nick. Merry Christmas.”

“You too.”

On a lonely road deep in the heart of the Bluegrass, Nick peered closely through the front of his windshield, trying to see through the thick blanket of falling snow. After a long phone call to his children, a hellish plane ride, lost luggage, and a rental car disaster, Nick was so close to his goal. Thanks to his marriage to one of the premier veterinarians in the horse capitol of the world, he knew where every major and minor horse farm in the entire area was. It was a good thing, because otherwise he never would have found what he was looking for.

He eased the vehicle into the driveway of Claiborne Farm, outside of Lexington in Paris, and slowly inched his way over to the main building, where he spotted the familiar maroon truck. Briefly he checked his watch as turned the key and killed the ignition. Just after midnight. It was Christmas.

Wrapping himself up protectively in his parka, he braved the bitter cold and crunched through the snow into the familiar yellow gate, his eye on the closest barn right in front of him, dark except for a blazing light at the end of a long row of stalls. The scent of hay and leather struck him immediately, and he inhaled deeply. Shaking the snow lightly off of his boots he headed towards the small group that was outside the last stall, outside of which a stable hand was dozing with his head resting on a bale of hay. The barn manager hovered about the opening. The shuffling of feet and hooves could be heard from inside.

“Easy big guy. John, I’m leaving you with the Banamine. If he looks colicky again, call me. You know how to reach me.”

“I don’t know how to thank you.”

Nick leaned quietly against the pillar of wood framing the stall and watched as the woman he loved ran her fingers softly across the neck of a lightly built dark bay stallion marked with a crooked white blaze zigzagging across his face, who was standing with his elegant head drooping slightly. Sue Carter gently tugged at the lead rope that hung from his halter, and the horse bobbed his head and nipped at it.

“You don’t need to.” She grinned. “Look at him. I remember seeing him run. Not many people do, but I am to this day his number one fan.”

“Well, for his sake I’m glad.”

“Well, that’s one Christmas miracle down,” she said with a sigh. “Now I’m just waiting on the second.” She glanced despondently at her watch.

Nick smiled to himself and shifted his weight to the other foot. “What might that be?”

Sue whirled around in surprise, and he knew that every minute spent agonizing over the trip had been worth it just to see her face light up.

“Nick!” she gasped. “When did you… how…”

“When you’ve done as much traveling as I have,” he said slyly. “You know all the tricks.”

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered, flinging herself into his waiting arms and tightening her fingers into the fabric of his coat. “I honestly never thought you would get here.”

“Santa decided to give me my present early.”

“And what was that?” she asked, kissing him softly.

“You,” he replied, kissing her back.

John smiled. “Merry Christmas,” he told them. “Thanks again Dr. Carter. We owe you one.”

Sue never took her eyes away from her husband. “God paid me back in full.”

“Let’s go home,” Nick said, brushing a stray strand of her blonde hair away from her face. They linked arms and made their way out of the barn, pausing at the entrance when he touched her arm. She looked up at him questioningly.

“I’m glad I’m not a kid anymore,” he said suddenly.

“Oh?”

“A.J. was right. And you know what? This is much better.” A bright flash somewhere up in the heavens caught his eye, and Nick looked skyward, hugging his wife close to him. Up above, a single star shined brilliantly up in the sky, winking down at him with a steady and unwavering light.

And he smiled.

Index