A Simple Christmas Wish Read Online Free Page B

into the city. The whole while, Rachel felt distracted as she tried to formulate a plan for telling Holly about her parents’ deaths. She knew this was not going to be easy. She couldn’t keep putting it off, but then instead of going directly to the apartment, Rachel decided to stop at one of the nearby restaurants for some lunch. That wayHolly would have something in her stomach before hearing the bad news.
    They both ordered tomato basil soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, then quietly ate, dipping corners of their sandwiches into the soup.
    “We like the same things, don’t we?” Holly said as they were finishing up.
    Rachel nodded. “Yes, we do.”
    “Do we both like ice cream for dessert?” Holly asked hopefully.
    Rachel smiled. “I suppose we do.”
    The inevitable was postponed for a while longer as they indulged in ice cream. Eventually they were back inside the apartment, and after they’d both changed into comfortable clothes, Rachel invited Holly to join her under the tree. This time, she gathered some pillows and blankets to make a more comfortable place.
    “I have something really, really hard to tell you,” Rachel began. “It’s something that’s really, really sad.”
    “What’s wrong?” Holly frowned. “Are you going away, Aunt Rachel?”
    “No, no, I’m not going anywhere.”
    Holly looked relieved. “Oh.”
    “But it’s still very, very sad news, and I know you’re going to be quite upset. I was really upset when I heard it. I didn’t understand it. To be honest, I still don’t understand it, and I’m still very, very sad.”
    Holly’s face looked so intent that she seemed close to tears, and Rachel knew she needed to just get it out.
    “It’s about your mommy and daddy,” she said slowly. “Lastnight I got a phone call from where they’re at—you know, on their vacation trip.”
    “In the Caribbean?” She said Caribbean slowly, as if she was dissecting it into small pieces.
    “Yes, that’s right. The Caribbean.”
    “For their anniversary,” Holly added in a mature-sounding voice.
    “Yes, that’s right too. I almost forgot it was to celebrate their anniversary—their tenth.” Rachel swallowed hard against the lump building in her throat. “As I was saying, I got a phone call last night and was told that your mommy and daddy were on a small airplane, flying from one island to another. There was a problem. The plane didn’t make it to the island. It crashed into the ocean.”
    Holly’s brown eyes grew larger. “It crashed?”
    Rachel nodded. “Your mommy and daddy died in the crash, Holly.” She waited for Holly to absorb this.
    “Mommy and Daddy?” Holly’s chin quivered.
    “They died in the crash.” Rachel was crying now. “And they can never come back home to us, Holly. They are with God in heaven now.”
    Holly’s eyes filled with tears, and they began pouring down her cheeks as Rachel took her into her arms, gently rocking her as they sat at the foot of the Christmas tree. “That’s why I was so sad this morning,” Rachel explained. “I didn’t really know how to tell you. Your daddy and mommy were my only family too. Well, except for you. And now all we have is each other, Holly. You and me.”
    Holly pulled back and looked into Rachel’s face with tear-filled eyes. “Are you going to live with me and take care of me?”

    “Yes,” Rachel said. “It’s just you and me now. We have to take care of each other. Do you think we can do that?”
    Holly nodded. “Uh-huh.”
    Rachel hugged her again and together they cried some more, holding on to each other and rocking back and forth, letting their tears flow freely. After a while, they both lay down on the pillows and blankets beneath the tree and looked up at it, talking about Michael and Miri, taking turns sharing their favorite memories. Rachel told Holly about how excited her parents were when she was born. She told her stories about her parents that Holly had never heard before or had