by Katlynn
Disclaimer: The characters and
situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four
Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the
author. The ideas expressed in this
story are copyrighted to the author.
This
short story was written in response to a challenge to write a 500-word
Christmas story that included all members of the Barkley family. It’s a bit longer than that – but not by
much.
Nick Barkley took in a deep breath as he finished his
Christmas Eve supper and pushed his chair back for some breathing room. “Oh,” he gave a heartfelt sigh, “I think
dinner on Christmas and Christmas Eve is my favorite part of the holiday.”
“Nick!” Audra seemed to scold her brother. “Can’t you think of something other than
food?”
“Well what’s your favorite part?” he challenged her.
“I think …” she began and paused for a moment to do just
that, “… it’s probably decorating the tree.
Stringing the popcorn. Putting
on the ornaments. Lighting the candles
for the first time on Christmas Eve.
All of that.”
“Figures you’d go for the decorating,” Nick said
drily.
“At least I’m not thinking of my stomach. And I’ll bet no one else is either! Right?” she looked at her oldest
brother. “What’s your favorite part of
the holiday?”
“Oh … I guess I’d have to say it’s the mistletoe. And finding the right person under it,”
Jarrod said with a smile that suggested one particular encounter might be on
his mind.
“Mister Romantic,” Nick muttered, rolling his eyes.
“At least I’ve had relationships that lasted long enough
that someone WANTED to kiss me under the mistletoe,” the lawyer countered.
“MY favorite part of the holiday,” Victoria spoke up,
looking meaningfully at her sons seated at the opposite end of the table, “is
that time when all the children have gone to bed and the house is peaceful and
quiet. And then we’d put out all the
presents,” she remembered, “and sit in front of the fire eating the cookies and
drinking the milk left for Santa Claus.”
“What!” Eugene gulped.
“YOU ate the cookies!”
“Who did you think ate ‘em?” Nick asked as they all
started laughing.
“Well …” he considered it, “I guess I never really thought
about it.”
“So I guess the cookies and milk aren’t your favorite part
of the holiday?” Nick joked.
“No … I think it’s always been the eggnog,” Eugene
decided.
“Always?” Jarrod asked.
“You’re not old enough for that to be an ‘always’ memory.”
“That’s probably why it’s my favorite part,” their
youngest brother smiled smugly. “None
of you ever caught me.” He sensed the
disapproving look from his mother flashed in his direction and decided to
divert her attention by asking, “What about you, Heath? What’s your favorite Christmas memory?”
Heath didn’t have to think about that very hard – but he
wasn’t sure how his memory would measure up to lavish Christmas dinners,
decorated trees, mistletoe, eggnog, and putting presents out to be discovered in
the morning. He noted that those around
the table were quiet and waiting for his reply.
“Well …” he said in his soft drawl, “… my favorite part
was always on Christmas Eve when Mama and I would go outside and look for the
star.”
“The star?” Nick asked.
“What st… Oh,” he nodded,
suddenly realizing what his brother was saying.
Heath might have been the first with the thought – but
five other people now sat around the table thinking that, somehow, their
Christmas memory just didn’t seem to measure up to that of their newest family
member.
Heath was surprised at how quiet the house was as he
slipped out of his room and made his way down the stairs just short of
midnight. He’d expected to still find
the bustle of Christmas Eve activity but not a sound was heard from any
direction as he crossed the foyer and pulled the front door open. A soft voice greeted him as he stepped out
onto the porch.
“We were wondering when you’d join us,” he could see his
mother’s smile in the moonlight that bathed the front yard.
He looked past her to see his family gathered in the grass
beyond the entry drive. She linked her
arm in his and directed him to the yard where, very shortly, six pairs of eyes
were searching the night sky trying to be the first to find the Christmas star.
THE END