Hannah’s Christmas Hope
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Hann ah Miller inhaled deeply, f illing her lungs with the cool winter air . It was invigorating and made her feel alive. Her boots crunched the snow on the trail through the woods behind her parents’ house as she reflected on how much peace the se woods had brought to her over the years.
When she was a girl, whether she’d had a f ight with her parents or girlfriends , a breakup with a boyfriend or just a down day, a walk through the woods ne ver failed to calm her and lift her mood. It was almost like magic.
Three years ago when sh e had moved back to her parents’ home in Sawyer Falls after becoming a widow at twenty-six years old, the woods had brought her more comfort than anything else did and helped her deal with her grief. She tried to get out for a walk every day with her seven year old son, Andrew, taking advantage of winter days that were brisk, yet mild enough to enjoy. He grew to lo ve the woods as much as she had; they were a playground to him.
Realizing that she must have gotten a bit ahead of Andrew , she turned around to look for him when she heard him call for Shadow.
“Shadow! Come on, boy!” He yelled and whistled but there was no response.
Hannah looked around, scanni ng the woods and thinking that against the background of white snow and bare trees, a black lab shouldn’t be hard to miss. Oddly, there was no sight of the dog. And the way that Andrew’s little brow was furrowed told her how worried he was. Shadow was his best friend in the world.
“It’s okay, s weetheart, he’s lived here for three years now. He knows these woods well . He probably caught the scent of some animal ’s trail, maybe a rabbit or something. H e’ll be along soon.”
Shadow had been a Christmas gift to Andrew the last Christmas they’d celebrated as a family with his father . That was BMD. Before Michael’s death. Events in the timeline of her life were now classified as BMD or AMD. It was Michael’s idea to name the puppy, who was as adorable and mischievous as the lit tle boy he was gifted to, Shadow, because he hoped that the two would be inseparable friends; that the dog would be as a shadow to his son. Thankfully, in the dark days when the little boy needed a friend the most, Shadow had lived up to his name.
Hannah knew that Shadow would join them soon and wanted to keep her son from worrying too much , so she put her arm around him as they walked together. “I think Grandma Tess told me she’s making your favorite dinner tonight.
“Lasagna?” he asked, his eyes still searching the woods.
“Yep , that’s right . In fact, I’ll bet you that Shadow probably ran ahead and will be waiting for us when we get home. He loves Grandma’s la sagna almost as much as you do. Look, we’re not too far, I can see the house from here.”
Though the day had been sunny and pleasant, as far as winter days go, by the time they got home, the afternoon sun was setting and Hannah and Andrew were ready to warm up by the fireplace. When they arrived , sure enough, Hannah’s father, David , had started a fire for them. She didn’t even have time to get a thank you out of her mouth before Andrew rushed past her and then past Tess, who had come out to welcome them home, yelling for Shadow.
“Shadow! Did Shadow come back here , Grandma?”
“Shadow?” Tess asked confused, “I thought h e was out on a walk with you and your mother .”
“H e was with us, but ran off when we were in the woods and we though t maybe he came home,” Hannah answered.
The look of disappointment in Andrew’s blue eyes was hard for he r to see . Every day, Andrew was growing more and more to look like his father, with his All-American blond hair and blue eyes, the exact same shade as Michael’s had been. Hannah was so grateful
Similar Books
