THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE ch 6

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE – chapter 6

A fictional story inspired by a non-fictional event

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“I have an idea and I think you'll like it” he said.

I stood still waiting to hear whatever he had in mind.

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“In order to stand the tree upright and be able to place a star on its top, I would need to cut three feet off the bottom.” He saw the look on my face and smiled as he continued. “But rather than use the tree stand we bought, if we used a bucket, I'd only need to cut off two feet, then, just tidy up the top of the tree that was damaged while we hauled it home. Using wire, I can pull up a few branches and rearrange them, so the tree wouldn't look as bare as it does. I know hauling it home, had many of the pine needles fall off, but I think I can make it a bit better. Besides, it would also fit better, plus the tree would stay hydrated. We could get a nice-looking star for the top. What do you think?”

I did the math in my head and realized Luke was doing his best to boulter my bruised imagination.

I walked over and kissed his head and replied,” You do have a good idea, but think about this. Why don't you cut the three feet as you originally planned? This way, we won't have to worry that the space between the star and the ceiling would be too tight.”

Luke stood and wrapped his arms around me and said that while he really wanted to compromise with me, he was very glad I did too, and thought cutting the full three feet made more sense.

However even though it was my idea, it didn't stop me from cringing when he began making the cut. I headed to the kitchen for the bucket.

Luke asked if I still had any decorative rocks from my old crafting days, and I said yes. I put them in our storage bin in the basement of the apartment complex. Realizing why he needed them, I almost ran out of the apartment. I thought the elevator was moving way too slowly, but once in it I couldn't very well open the doors and take the stairs, so I just crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my foot impatiently and waited.

What seemed to take forever, really only took about 10 minutes and by the time I was back in our apartment, Luke had all the cutting and branch manipulating accomplished.

It was amazing that without the extra three feet at the bottom the tree wasn't as heavy. We lifted it almost easily into the bucket and as I held the tree steady, Luke carefully and methodically filled the stones around the base and then filled the bucket with water.

The tree seemed very steady but as a precaution Luke placed a wire around the midsection and secured the ends onto two hooks, he discreetly screwed into the bottom of the window frames.

“You know, honey,” Luke began to say, “it's not all that bad. Once it's decorated, I'm sure it'll be beautiful.”

Trying to be optimistic and noticing the areas where many branches lost their needles, I nodded and opened the box of twinkling lights. Together we roped them around the tree, and then hung the decorations.

After placing the thin garland in lacey loops, we put the electrical plug into the power surge protector and flipped the switch.

“Oops,” Luke said and disappeared into the bedroom. When he returned, his Cheshire cat grin told me that he'd been up to something.

My hunch was right when he told me to close my eyes and extend my arms.

With my with my arms extended, as he said I could open my eyes, he placed on my arms a delicate box that held the most beautiful angel I had ever seen.

“That's the top for our tree”, he said as he pulled the small ladder closer. “I just thought that after all we went through, an angel would be more fitting than a star, so I bought this when I was at the store getting the cable wire.”

I removed the angel from its packing as Luke said, “honey, this started out as your tree, so it's only fitting that you place the angel on it."

I carefully climbed the ladder and set the Angel on the top. Seeing where Luke had carefully embedded the extension cord, I inserted the angel’s plug into the socket.

As I stepped down from the ladder, Luke pulled the cords of the blinds to dim the daylight filtering in from outside.

Taking my hand, Luke and I walked down the hallway backwards towards the kitchen. “Well, hon, we did it!” he said.

Tears began rolling down my cheeks as I stood staring at my perfect Christmas tree, but as I did, I realized that it was only perfect because my husband helped make it that way.

He looked at me and whispered, as if in awe, “The tree is truly magnificent. It really is absolutely perfect.”

I kissed his cheek and answered, realizing after what we've gone through for this tree, “Honey, it's only perfect because you're here with me. We did this together, and as long as we're together, everything is perfect.”

And as we stood there admiring our perfect Christmas tree, outside, the snow continued to softly fall on the long very long streets of Brooklyn NY.