Snowflake

Madelynn hesitated on the doorstep.

“Come in, honey—you’re letting all the warm air out.” Grandma’s voice was kind, and it would be unthinkable to disobey. Dad had explained that this was Grandma’s last Christmas, and they all had to try to be extra nice.

Mom bustled around, putting things to rights. Madelynn joined her, setting out hors d’oevres on the green-and-red plaid tablecloth. She had no idea what else she should do. What do you say to someone who’s dying? All she could think of was “I’m sorry.” Dying scared her. It shamed her, too—that she was afraid to talk to Grandma now, as if cancer were something she could catch.

Everyone was acting like there was nothing wrong, and that made it even worse. Madelynn ground her teeth and thumped the basket of rolls down on the table. All she wanted from this Christmas was for it to be over. Maybe then she could escape to her room with a book.

She got through dinner, saying polite, correct things about eighth grade. What did it matter if she got an A in history? Grandma was dying. And everyone just sat around and watched it happen. It was worse when they moved to the living room, and she couldn’t even pretend to pay attention to her food. Now they were all sitting around the coffee table, talking about a Christmas letter Grandma had gotten from Aunt Martha. They hardly ever saw Aunt Martha.

“Madelynn, will you see if it’s snowing?” Grandma asked.

Madelynn twitched aside the lace curtains from her perch on the arm of the overstuffed chair. “Sorry, Grandma—there’s still no snow.”

“It hardly ever snows on Christmas,” Dad said gently.

Grandma seemed unruffled. “I can hope.”

Hope? Hope for what? To go to the hospital and be kept alive by machines? To hurt until one day you didn’t wake up? Madelynn fled to the bathroom. She scrubbed her face with a wet washcloth, trying to erase the hot tears. She didn’t know why snow was such a big deal, but it was what Grandma wanted. Hey, God, if you’re not make-believe like Santa, could you actually do something real for a change? If Grandma has to die, you could at least make it snow. It’s not like she’s ever even missed church.

After Madelynn dried her eyes and made it back to the living room, Grandma called her over so they could read ’Twas the Night Before Christmas together. Madelynn smiled until her cheeks hurt. Grandma was dying and nobody cared. Why were they wasting time on this? Grandma needed medicine, not stupid stories.

“Shall we open gifts now?” Mom asked.

Dad turned back from the window. “It’s snowing.” The catch in his voice made Madelynn look up. It was hard on Dad, too, pretending.

“Now, that is special,” Grandma said. “Why don’t you go to my room and get my hat and gloves, Madelynn?”

Dad was already helping Grandma into her coat when Madelynn returned, black hat and gloves in hand. At least Grandma’s clothes weren’t pretending that nobody was dying.

Mom carried out a kitchen chair while Dad took Grandma’s arm and helped her through the patio door as if she was made of glass and might shatter. Mom set the chair down in the middle of the small backyard and stood clasping her hands together.

“How about the two of you go back inside?” Grandma said. “I’d like to spend some time with Madelynn.”

Dad gave her a short, sharp nod and fled. Mom caught up and put her arm around him.

Grandma reached over to pat Madelynn’s hand. “It will be good for them to have a little time together. This is hard for your dad.”

Madelynn shot Grandma a wild look. This was hard on everyone.

“I can see it’s difficult for you, too,” Grandma said. “I thought we could talk about it.”

“Don’t you mind?” Madelynn blurted out.

“Dying? Of course I do.” Grandma lifted her face to the gently sifting sky and smiled as a snowflake kissed her cheek. “But once you get past that, the weeping and the fear, you find that what you really want is to spend the time you have left with the ones you love.”

Madelynn nodded slowly. Okay, she could see that.

“And I didn’t want to be one of those people who talk about nothing but their doctor visits and how many shots they had. I wanted to hear about you.”

“But what do my grades matter, Grandma? You’re dying.” There. She’d said it.

Grandma brushed Madelynn’s chin, her fingertip encased in her cold leather glove. “My children and grandchildren are my gift I leave to the world. I would like for you to make something of your life, and getting good grades is a step in the right direction. And I’ve always adored history.”

“A lot of it is about dying. You know, in wars and stuff.” All those deaths had never seemed real before. Just something that happened to someone else.

“Then perhaps this will be a good lesson. I imagine that most people cling to their lives while they can.”

Madelynn threw her arms around Grandma. “No! Why do you have to go now?”

Grandma’s voice was full of unshed tears. “I don’t know. But I’m glad I got to see it snow for Christmas.” After a long, wordless embrace, Grandma drew back and held up a snowflake that had landed on her glove. “You know, of course, that each one is different.”

Madelynn nodded. She’d cut many snowflakes from folded paper, and she always tried to change the pattern each time.

“This is what I want for you,” Grandma said. “To be beautiful and unique, like this snowflake.” She touched it to her lips, and it melted. “And when it is your time, you, too, will fade.”

Madelynn looked at her in alarm, but Grandma smiled gently. “When that day comes, I’ll be waiting for you. My grandma promised she would wait for me. I’m looking forward a great deal to seeing her again. It helps.”

Madelynn hugged Grandma hard, and a snowflake landed right in front of her. She wiped her eyes and drew back to look at it, there on Grandma’s gray curls.

It was beautiful. And with the gentle smile lighting Grandma’s face, so was she.

***

If you enjoyed Snowflake, eleven other stories are available here:

https://cathleentownsend.com/2017/12/04/twelve-tales-of-christmas/

Happy reading. 🙂

About cathleentownsend

Avid writer and reader of Faerie tales and noblebright fantasy.