We had just attempted to jump our car battery using Uncle Craig's car. It hadn't worked. We were in Chicago visiting family, and I was in the backseat of the car eager to get home to see my husband on Christmas Eve. I was supposed to go to Christmas Eve dinner with his family and then spend Christmas morning with them as well. I furrowed my brow in concern. What were we going to do? What place would be open to fix our car on Christmas Eve?
My family trudged back inside. My dad called around but couldn't find anywhere that would fix our car. He called his insurance company and found out that we could get a rental car, but they wouldn't be available until tomorrow (Christmas Day). I said, "Absolutely not. I am not missing Christmas morning. Two things matter in the world to my in-laws: college football and Christmas morning. Our Christmas lists are due in SEPTEMBER, for goodness' sake! I can't miss it!" I told my dad that I'd call Rex and that Rex would drive to Chicago and get us. There was no way he would let me miss Christmas. My dad said to stop freaking out. I told him to try calling the airport, because of course the airport would have rental cars! He said he would try.
I quickly sent a facebook message to my sister Cara that said, "Wish you were here! Not-so-fun fact: Mom and Dad's car broke, so we're stuck in Chicago. So help me, if I don't get to see you OR Rex for Christmas, imma freak out."
Cara was in Albania teaching for the semester, so this year was my first Christmas without her. She'd been gone since August, and this was the longest I'd gone without seeing her since she was born. The Christmas season had been harder than I expected. I only have one sister, and I couldn't imagine Christmas without her. Now to look at a Christmas with no sister AND no husband? It was shaping up to be the worst Christmas ever.
My dad called the airport, and they said they could have a car available for us to rent by midnight. It wasn't ideal, but it would have me home in time for Christmas morning. I called Rex and broke the news that I would miss Christmas Eve dinner and that I would hopefully be home for Christmas morning, but everyone knows how reliable airports are (*ahem* NOT AT ALL). I was nervous about getting the car they promised us. I told Rex to please apologize to his family, and he promised he would. I prayed that I would make it home for Christmas.
I was supposed to cook an apple pie and some deviled eggs for Christmas dinner, so I figured I would get as much done at my aunt and uncle's house as possible. I could hard boil the eggs, and I could bake the pie and freeze it. I ran out to an open-late-on-Christmas-Eve grocery store and gathered my ingredients. I put them on Aunt Jackie's counter and sighed sadly, feeling totally stressed. Aunt Jackie asked what else I needed for my recipe. I said, "Well, for starters...I'm going to need an apron and a glass of wine." Check.
I did my best to enjoy a night of cooking and and family. Earlier in the day we'd had a great time playing laser tag and eating Chicago deep-dish pizza. I really do love these people. If I had to be stranded on Christmas Eve, I was glad it was with them.
At around 8:00 I decided to take a nap. I knew I would have to help my dad drive through the night once we got our car. I lounged on my aunt and uncle's couch and stared sadly at the Christmas lights on their tree. I thought nostalgically about how my sister and I used to always go to bed excitedly on Christmas Eve, then would wake up early on Christmas morning and bang pots and pans to wake up our parents and terrify the cat. "IT'S CHRISTMAS!" we'd scream happily. No pots and pans this year. No Cara, no Rex...I tried to find some shreds of Christmas cheer, but it was tough. I decided to be thankful to be with family at all, as so many people don't have any people at all with whom they can celebrate. I shouldn't be mopey about the people I was missing. With those thoughts in my head, I drifted off to sleep.
I think the physical and emotional stress of the day must have gotten to me, because I didn't wake up until 10:30. I couldn't believe I had slept so long. When I walked into the living room, only Aunt Jackie was there. My cousins and my mom were sleeping, and my dad and other aunts and uncles had run out to get a couple of last minute things. My dad always does his Christmas shopping Christmas Eve night...he's basically the worst planner ever. Around 11:15 I started to get nervous. We needed to leave soon for the airport to get our car. I texted my dad and asked him to please hurry. A few minutes later, they arrived back at the house. I sighed in relief. I asked how their shopping went, and they said it was good. Suddenly, somewhere in the kitchen, I heard someone banging tentatively on a pot with a spoon. It took a moment to register - what was going on? Was someone trying to bring back my old Christmas tradition? I turned to the kitchen and saw MY SISTER standing there. "Merry Christmas!" she said.
SHE WAS HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I screamed and ran to hug her. In my enthusiasm I actually tackled her to the ground. I was so happy I started crying. I couldn't believe she'd made it home for Christmas. "I knew it!" I said through tears. "I knew you wouldn't miss Christmas!"
"Did you really know?" asked Uncle Craig,
"Absolutely not!" I said, laughing. "I'm totally surprised!" And I was. I had no idea she was coming home, but I also hadn't been able to let go of the hope that MAYBE she would be home for Christmas. I'd said multiple times over the past few weeks, "I can't imagine Christmas without Cara. She'll find a way. She'll make it back." My parents and Rex would always say, "Christine. She's not coming back. You have to come to terms with this." They would look at each other, concerned, as if I was some paranoid delusional crazy person who actually believed something when it obviously wasn't true. I'd told Rex through teary eyes a few days prior, "Listen, I know she's not coming home. I know. I just....there's a part of me that won't 100% believe it until I get to my parents' house Christmas morning and she's not there. Then I'm probably going to cry. Just warning you. I miss her so much, and there is this tiny part of me that still hopes she'll make it back. I know she's not coming, but I can't let it go totally until it's over."
Maybe I am a crazy person, but every once in a while crazy people are right. I've never been so happy to be right - EVER. My dad was the only one who knew about the surprise. Look at my mom's reaction:
My dad had disabled his car battery and made up everything about the car trouble to keep us in Chicago until her flight came in. He'd told Rex that the plan was for us to come back Christmas afternoon, but after he saw how sad I was to miss Christmas with Rex, he decided that we'd drive through the night on Christmas Eve after all. I called Rex and told him we were coming home, and he was so surprised. "Your dad said you were going to miss it," he said, "but I thought you'd be so happy to see Cara that I didn't want to complain about it. Are you really coming home? REALLY? You're not joking?" I could hear how happy he was, and I almost started crying again (dang, holidays are emotional). I'd received this text earlier in the evening from his brother: "Can you please text Rex or come home soon? He's acting all depressed and being a party pooper. It's like his dog died or something." I had been glad to hear he missed me, but it had made me feel even worse about not being able to make it back. Now I would!
We got in the car and headed home. When we were almost back, a swarm of police cars pulled us over. Seriously, at least four and maybe five police cars. I turned to Cara and said, "Um, WHAT DID YOU DO IN ALBANIA?!" Ha ha. Apparently my dad's car matched a description of a car that had been robbing a bunch of places in the area. And really, how many cars are out at 4:30 AM on Christmas Eve? Not many. The police officer took all of our IDs and did whatever policey things they do with those before finally deciding we were innocent. Phew!
The policeman let us go after about fifteen minutes, and we finally got back to my parents' house. I hopped in my car and drove groggily back to my own house, where all of the lights were off except the Christmas lights in our bedroom window. It made me smile to see them. I quietly went inside, put down my luggage, and sneaked upstairs. My handsome husband was sleeping, and the Christmas lights cast a cheerful glow around the room. It was hard to think that just a few hours ago I thought this was going to be the worst Christmas, and now it was the best. I walked over to my husband and gave him a kiss to wake him up. "Merry Christmas," I whispered. He smiled in a way that reached all the way to his eyes, kissed me back, and wished me a Merry Christmas as well. It was 5:00 AM, but I was home. Cara was home. The world was perfect just in time for Christmas.
What an awesome story!!! :)
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