The pictures she came to, it must have been that same twenty years ago. Those pictures were probably the most memorable for her, considering the circumstances.....

“Larry, I miss you so much. I can’t wait to see you,” Ally said softly into the phone as she sat at a counter cattycorner the kitchen leaning on top of the counter holding a cordless phone staring mindlessly at the clock above the oven across from her.

“I miss you too Ally, and I can’t wait to get home to you either,” Larry said forlornly. He missed his Ally and immediately regretted taking this case out of town. He missed his family, his children and his Ally.

“Mommy,” there was a tugging at Ally’s leg. It was Nathaniel. “Is that daddy?” Ally stood straight up and looked down at her son’s widened brown eyes and smiled. He was looking more and more like Larry everyday, with some of the same facial expressions, not to mention the piercing power of his little eyes.

“Larry, I think someone wants to talk to you,” Larry could hear the squeal of delight in the background followed by another question of who was on the phone, he was guessing by Faith.

Ally handed the phone to Nathaniel. “Daddy! How are you? I miss you!” Nathaniel whimpered into the phone.

“Hey Nate, how ya doin’ buddy?” Larry smiled into the phone, instantly missing his youngest immediately more than he did two seconds ago.

“When are you coming home?” Nathaniel asked.

“I’ll be home real soon buddy. I should be home Christmas Eve. Someone’s gotta make sure you’re asleep before Santa decides to show up,” Larry joked.

“So then you’ll be home tomorrow?” Nathaniel’s face lit up.

“That’s the plan,” Larry said matter-of-factly.

“Okay, are you gonna bring me back anything?” Nathan’s eyes grew wide in anticipation. Ally laughed at him.

“That’s for Christmas silly!” Larry heard Faith say to him in the background, which followed with, “I wanna talk!” and then a short fight for the phone.

“Come on now!” Larry heard Ally butt in. “Nathan, say goodbye and give Faith the phone.” Larry loved it when Ally got stern, she sounded so adorable.

“Bye Daddy, I love you! Come home soon!” and then Nathan handed the phone to Faith.

“Hi Daddy!” Faith said into the phone, more happily then pitiful like Nathan had done previously. “How’s it goin’?”

Larry laughed. It might not have been complete slang, but it sounded funny coming from her. “It’s going sweetie, I can’t wait to see you,” he said into the phone.

“Me either. I hope you’re having a good time and it better be worth being away from us,” she added humor. While she looked more like herself than Larry, Ally mused at the sense of humor Faith had gotten from Larry. She was always joking and trying to make things brighter.

“Oh, well you know nothing beats being home with you,” Larry joked back, chuckling lightly himself.

“Okay, well I’m gonna give you back to mom, but come home soon! We all miss you a lot! I love you daddy,” Faith added in before giving the phone back to Ally.

“Quite the fruitful bunch we have don’t you think?” Ally asked Larry as soon as she got the phone back.

“Oh yes, they get that from you,” Larry said affectionately.

“Come on now,” Ally laughed and then sighed. “I suppose I should be letting you go now. I’m sure you still have work to do.”

“Yeah, well, you know how it goes. Is Sam there?” Larry asked, wanting to talk to his oldest son.

“No, he’s out with some friends at the movies. He should be home in an hour or so,” Ally’s gaze focused back on the clock above the oven once more.”

“Okay, well send him my love and I will be home tomorrow.”

Ally took a deep breath. “Okay, well then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ally didn’t want to hang up.

“I love you baby, keep my side of the bed warm for me.”

That always got Ally to smile. “It’s always warm for you Larry,” Ally joked back. “I love you too,” she added, more seriously.

“Bye.”

“Bye,” Ally waited for Larry to hang up before carefully placing the phone on the counter in front of her and heading off to see what sort of trouble her little monsters were getting into at that moment.

Ally had slept through another night without her favorite person in the world beside her to keep her warm on those cold Boston nights. She woke up to Nathaniel coming in and bouncing on her bed yelling over and over, “Daddy’s coming home today, Daddy’s coming home today.”

“Sam!!!!” Ally yelled, groaning as Nathan kept jumping.

Sam appeared out of nowhere as if snapped into reality and grabbed Nathan off of the bed, “Sorry Ally,” he looked at Ally apologetically as she slowly rose from bed to prepare for another day of pre-Christmas animation. Christmas was definitely a favorite holiday in the Paul house. The younger kids were always hyper and excited about sledding and cookies and did we mention presents?? Yeah, well in the Paul house, there was always a tradition, probably the same tradition that existed in many other households in the world, where you get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. Sam had begged for it when he was younger and it became a habit. Can’t say the kids weren’t thrilled about that!

“I’ve already made breakfast for Faith and Nate, but they want to go out sledding, so I thought I’d wait till you got up,” Sam told Ally as he came back into the room, ‘Nate-less.’

“Do you have any plans today?” Ally asked Sam as she continuously rubbed her eyes, removing the sleep particles that still remained.

“Nope, I just want Dad to come home,” he smiled.

Ally smiled back at him. “Okay, well scram while I get up and take a shower and get ready for this day,” Sam nodded and left the room.

Ally was outside sledding down a hill with Nathan in her arms alongside Sam who had Faith in his. They were all squealing with delight in their own ways. Ally couldn’t remember having so much fun. Christmas was always her favorite holiday and having children made it even more magical than she previously remembered it being for her.

“What time’s daddy supposed to be home?” Nathaniel asked Ally as the four of them made their way home when they were done with the hill for the day.

“He should be home at anytime now honey, anytime,” Ally smiled down at Nathan.

“What do you mean cancelled?” Ally argued with Larry.

“Meaning the plane is not taking off Ally. There isn’t a chance of me getting out of here tonight. Apparently a storm is making its way up here. I can’t change anything, I’m sorry,” Larry responded in exasperation. He wanted nothing more than to be at home with Ally warm and cozy by the fireplace, snuggling like they did every Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve was THEIR moment. They made it like that so that Christmas day itself could be the kids’ day.

“Larry, what am I going to tell the kids? And what about the presents?” Ally moaned, still frustrated with the situation.

“Go ahead without me Ally, it’s not THAT hard,” Larry was starting to get snappy.

“It won’t be the same without you Larry. What do I tell them?” Ally still continued to argue with Larry. She didn’t know what else to do.

“You’ll think of something Ally. It’s not THAT hard,” Larry was at the end of his rope. “I’m going to go now, my time’s almost up, pay phone’s suck,” Larry was about to hang up the phone.

“Okay, fine, bye,” Ally hung up the phone before Larry got a chance to do so himself.

Ally was about ready to strangle something when she looked in front of her and saw Sam holding Faith and Nathan on the couch in the living room where the Christmas tree was; the young ones’ faces full of fear and Sam’s face full of sadness. He knew Larry wasn’t coming home.

“I’m sorry, Daddy’s snowed in up there. He can’t get out till tomorrow,” Ally looked at them with pain in her eyes. “If even that,” she softly added. “But look on the bright side,” Ally tried to be upbeat. “ We can still open a gift each.”

Nathan and Faith looked at each other, broke away from Sam, and got up from the couch, going over to Ally and taking either side of her, giving her a hug. Ally just melted at this loving gesture.

“Let’s go to bed, we’ll wait for Daddy,” Faith suggested.

Ally just smiled and walked with Faith and Nathan to their rooms. She tucked each one of them into their beds and they were out before their heads hit the pillow. She came back out into the living room and Sam was still sitting on the couch, only he had started a fire.

“Hey,” she said softly.

He looked up at her and a half-smile showed up on his face. “Hey,” he responded, equally softly.

They sat in solitude for a few minutes and then Sam got up.

“Going to bed?” Ally asked.

“Yeah, I’m beat. Those two have a lot of energy,” he joked, referring to Nathan and Faith.

All he got out of Ally was a smile. He knew she was hurting. The phone call ended badly. He really did get her and his dad. Their relationship was a deep one. Any kind of hurting either one of them did hurt the other one ten times as much.

“You should go to bed too Ally, I’m sure he’ll be home tomorrow,” he kissed her forehead. “Night.”

“Goodnight Sam, sleep well,” Ally watched as he left the room, waited till she heard his bedroom door shut and then focused her attention to the fire that was still going strong right in front of her.

“Oh Larry,” she whispered to herself. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she shook her head in disbelief at the way she had overreacted to Larry’s news. It was something he couldn’t control and she knew that but she had to go and get selfish on him. **How horrible of me!** she scolded herself in thought. All she could do was remember the wonderful times they shared in front of that fireplace for the many Christmas Eves they’ve shared together.

Bells will be ringing the glad glad news

Oh what a Christmas to have the blues

My baby’s gone and I have no friends

To wish me greetings once again

Choirs will be singing silent night

Christmas carols by candlelight

Please come home for Christmas

Please come home for Christmas

If not for Christmas, by New Year’s night

Friends and relations send salutations

Sure as the stars shine above

For this is Christmas

Yes Christmas my dear

It’s the time of year to be with the one you love

So won’t you tell me you’ll never more roam

Christmas and New Year will find you home

There’ll be no more sorrow no grief or pain

And I’ll be happy happy once again

There’ll be no more sorrow no grief or pain

And I’ll be happy happy Christmas once again

“Oh please come home Larry,” Ally whispered as she slowly faded off to sleep.

Ally’s eyes fluttered open as she slowly began to survey her surroundings. She had not made it to her bedroom that night, but she was covered with a blanket. She sat up and wondered who had draped it over her.

Ally made her way to her room to put on shoes to go outside and look around. As soon as she opened the door, she saw a snowman. It was a snowman that wasn’t there last time she checked. The snowman was wearing nothing but a pair of glasses that looked all too familiar and a note that simply said: ‘Merry Christmas.’ Ally smiled and stepped outside around the snowman. She looked around eagerly, but found no one. Ally’s shoulders slumped over and she turned to go inside when she found a figure leaning against the bushes next to the snowman. It was Larry with a shy half-smile on his face. He slowly approached Ally.

“Larry,” Ally whispers as Larry gets close enough to hear a whisper. They shared a long gaze. “But how did you get here, I thought you were stuck in-,” Larry cut her off.

“Shh.” Ally just indulged in the fact that her Larry was home, finally. Larry brought up one of her hands and kissed it. “Merry Christmas baby,” he said as he handed her a candy cane and smiled.

Ally wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, tightly. All of a sudden they heard the familiar voices of their children going, “It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas!” Ally and Larry looked at each other and then clasped hands, walking around the snowman and inside the house, shutting the door behind them.

Larry made eye contact with the young ones and their eyes lit up as they ran towards him. “Daddy!” squealed Nathan as Larry swooped him up in his arms, twirling him around and then setting him down.

Sam came over to Larry and hugged him, “I’m glad you’re here,” they share a silent moment before Faith came up to him and he bended down to hug her.

“It worked,” she said as she looked at him, her eyes shining bright.

“What worked sweetie?” Larry asked, puzzled.

“I didn’t want mommy to be sad anymore, so I wished that instead of presents, Santa would bring you home to her,” Faith wrapped her arms around Larry’s neck and Larry lifted her up in an embrace.

Ally couldn’t believe what a sweet and thoughtful little girl they had raised together. Then again, she also remembered the trouble they had with her when she was a teenager.