Poppies for Christmas

by Stacy Renée Keywell

  Like a starved wolf, Dancer doubled back. He sped around my leg in a circle, a shark in nasty, choppy water, tripping me. I stumbled and collapsed. The cake flew from my hands, jetting off the stand. It soared, momentarily airborne, only to smash to the ground. It landed with an awful splat.

  Vanilla cake decorated the floor. White frosting smeared all over the counter top, the walls, my feet.

  Dancer dove into the pile of cake. He gobbled up mouthfuls of my special creation. Chunks of fondant stuck to his whiskers, caked on like Santa’s beard.

  Denver grabbed him from his sweet feast, and held him tight in her arms. “Dancer, no!”

  It was too late. My surprise was ruined. Ruined! Now, I had nothing.

  I set down the crystal stand.

  Air escaped my lungs. A hollow sensation filled my stomach, like a hard punch to the gut. It stung painfully. My head shook frantically. Tears poured from my eyes, streaming faster. The dam was broken, no destroyed, forever and without repair.

  “N-N-N-o-o-o,” I whispered in angst.

  I wrung my hands and settled to the ground. Frantic, I gathered the cake into my fists. If I could only rectify the damage, put the cake back into some recognizable shape.

  I cried. A canine wail came out of my mouth, a painful, hurt howl at the moon. Dancer responded by whining. My body shook. There was nothing I could do. The cake was beyond repair. I stood up and sniffed loudly. The room remained silent while I toiled in my useless charade. I turned to face Poppy, Dexx, and my family.

  “I-I-I kn-n-n-e-e-e-w i-i-i-t!” I screamed. “I-I-I kn-n-n-e-e-e-w e-e-e-very th-i-i-i-ng w-w-w-o-o-o-uld b-b-b-e-e-e r-r-r-u-u-u-ined f-f-f-or m-m-m-e.”

  “It was an accident,” Dexx whimpered. “I was trying to catch Dancer, and . . .”

  “Shhh, Declan,” Denver hushed. She stepped toward me. Dancer barked, and squirmed in her arms to get at the cake.

  I opened my mouth and yelled, but no words came out. My emotions got the best of me. My hands stimmed uncontrollably.

  “Declan, calm down, please, my love. It was an accident,” Poppy cried. “Dexx was trying to help, and so was Denver. And, Dancer, sweet pup, he was hungry, he didn’t mean to . . .”

  I wept. I shook my head furiously until I decided to run. I raced out of the kitchen, and left Poppy with my family.

  “Wait!” Poppy yelled behind me.

  It was too late. I ripped open the back door, and sprinted across the deck into the snowy backyard. I ran into the woods as fast as my feet would take me. Tears burned my vision. My eyes stung along with my heart.

  Seeing my cake smashed into pieces stabbed me like a knife in my back. I spent all of this time creating a masterpiece for the one woman I loved the most, and now it was gone, forever. How could I compete if I couldn’t do anything right? How could I live on my own? Be an independent man? Take care of Poppy? A family? Look at me!

  Trapped in a loop of awful instant replay, my mind visualized the flying cake through the air, over and over again. Each time I saw the image, I tried to catch it and save the day, but each time it smashed against the ground, a futile, cruel trick my mind forced on me.

  “N-N-N-o-o-o!”

  I wailed as I ran. My tears poured furiously down my face. I couldn’t escape the one thing I wished I could abandon, at least for one tiny moment, me.

  Finally, I stopped. I could see my breath. It hung thick in the frigid air. My body started to react from the chill, and the trauma. It shook. My eyes fell to my hands. Thick cake crusted on my fingers. The cake dried like mud in the sun over my nails. I wiped my hands on my pants, and blew on them for warmth.

  An animal howled in the distance. I found myself alone in the dark woods, frozen, in despair. My teeth chattered. Feeling bad for myself, I cried into my elbow. Left in the cold, snowy night, I realized no one had followed me, and no one cared to come to my rescue.

  “O-o-o-h,” I stuttered between chatters.

  The wind blew. It tickled my ears. This was my destiny. Sad and lonely Declan. The underdog loses again. Fresh tears slid down my frosty face. The salt burned my flesh. I sighed, and wiped my runny nose with the arm of my sweater.

  “Declan?”

  A voice echoed from deep in the woods.

  Hope. My head snapped to attention.

  “Declan? Where are you?”

  It was Poppy. She came looking for me. She cared after all. What was I thinking? Why did I punish myself by believing she didn’t care? She was my Poppy.

  “Declan! Declan!”

  Dried leaves crinkled under boots. Twigs snapped as she ran in a hastened pace. A dark silhouette came running toward me, its arms spread out like wings of an angel.

  “Declan! Thank you!” Poppy shouted, panting, and ran into my arms. “Thank you so much for the present. I loved it!” she gushed.

  “H-H-H-o-o-o-w c-c-c-ould ya-ya-ou? I-I-I-t w-w-w-a-a-a-s d-d-d-e-e-e-str-o-o-o-yed!” I groaned.

  “I still loved it. It was beautiful. What a lovely thought to bake me a cake.”

  “U-U-U-n-n-n-t-t-t-il the d-d-d-o-o-o-g t-t-t-r-r-r-i-i-i-pped m-m-m-e!”

  “Declan, it was an accident. And, did you see what happened? Dexx stepped up, to save the day. He’s transformed, like a magnificent butterfly emerging from a cocoon. He tried to stop Dancer from knocking into you, so admirable, like a real-life superhero.”

  “N-N-N-o. E-E-E-v-v-v-e-r-r-r-y th-i-i-i-ng i-i-i-s s-s-s-t-i-i-i-ll r-r-r-r-u-u-u-u-ined!”

  “No, it’s not. It’s Christmas. You should forgive the dog, and yourself. I’ve already forgiven Dexx, and the others, for a lot of things. Like for bumping into me in the hall at school, and ruining my poster, remember? But now, Declan, it’s time to believe, in miracles, where we can all change into the amazing beings we were meant to be, for the better. We should be in awe, grateful, my project succeeded. And it will continue working!”

  “I-I-I c-c-c-a-a-a-n’t! I-I-I-t’s t-t-t-oo h-h-h-a-a-a-rd,” I complained. My fingers wiggled rapidly.

  “Declan, I still have not had the chance to give you my gift,” Poppy said tenderly, changing the subject.

  Her small hand wiped away the tears from my face, and dusted some frosting off my fingers.

  “Hmm? It’s very special. You might like it.”

  She raised her brows to entice me to forget about the cake incident.

  “W-W-w-e-e-e-ll, o-o-o-kay,” I said shyly.

  Poppy reached into her coat pocket, and pulled out a little white box with a thick, silky red bow. She placed it gently in my hand which bowed from the weight of the package. Our eyes met. She smiled. A gust of wind dried the remaining tears that trickled from my eyes.

  “Open it,” she insisted, giggling.

  I pulled the ribbon from the box. It slid off with ease. An artic gust blasted us with a harsh chill. The ribbon took off like a kite as the wind blew hard through the trees.

  “O-o-o-ps!” I cried.

  “Don’t worry, keep going,” she reassured me warmly.

  The red ribbon looped in the wind stream, dancing to its own private love song. It landed high in the tree above our heads, and tied back into a bow. It resembled a crimson sprig of mistletoe.

  Poppy’s eyes sparkled. She watched me unwrap the gift. The clouds above parted. The moon glowed upon us, and illuminated the black sky.

  My fingers shook. I opened the box, and picked between the tissue paper. I grabbed a heavy, smooth orb and pulled it out of the box. It was a glass snow globe. Inside, a happy couple set to dance around a brightly decorated Christmas tree, frozen in time, in eternal happiness. A metal knob waited for me to turn it.

  “Go ahead, Declan, play the music, and shake the globe!”

  I cranked the knob, and shook the glass. Christmas Canon played from underneath the
globe as the happy couple danced around the tree in the falling snow.

  I wept fresh tears.

  “T-T-T-hank ya-ya-ou,” I cried.

  “Declan, what’s wrong?”

  “I-I-I’m s-s-s-o sc-a-a-a-red th-a-a-a-t I-I-I a-a-a-m g-g-g-o-o-o-ing t-t-t-o l-l-l-o-o-o-se ya-ya-ou, th-a-a-a-t ya-ya-ou w-w-w-o-o-o-n’t w-w-w-a-a-a-nt t-t-t-o b-b-b-e w-w-wi-i-i-th m-m-m-e f-f-f-o-o-o-rever! And, and, and, o-o-o-ne d-d-d-a-a-a-y ya-ya-ou’ll l-l-l-e-e-e-ave m-m-m-e!”

  Poppy straightened out her jacket. She wiped away the tears from my eyes once more, and grabbed my face. She pulled it close to hers so we could look each other eye to eye. Poppy wrapped her hands around mine so that we both clutched the globe together. As the beautiful music played she began to speak softly, but clearly.

  “Declan, before I met you, I had a hole in my love. But, since you came into my life, my heart has been filled with love for you. And, no matter what happens between us, as I am still only sixteen, and you are barely an adult, I will ALWAYS love you! I never want to lose you. Come what may between us, my heart will ever be filled with your love. It will never be empty again. So, just remember, no matter what, no matter where I am, no matter where we are,” she paused, and placed her small hand on my heart, “I will eternally be right here.”

  I removed her hand from my chest, and kissed it hard. I grabbed her body. Pressing it into mine, I hugged her tight.

  “I-I-I l-l-l-o-o-o-ve ya-ya-ou!” I muffled.

  I meant it, forever and ever, for eternity, because it was easy to be brave with Poppy by my side.

  Chapter 29

  December 26th

  Dexx

  My eyes fluttered open. They filled with the bittersweet sensation of spending my last moments in the presence of the Davies family, and their spectacular Christmas spectacle. Their wondrous festivities were never rooted out of their abundance of wealth, rather their propensity for generosity, and willingness to forgive. Their ability to move beyond superficial appearances allowed them to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with friend, family, and one lost soul, a wandering outsider, eager for a familial connection, a boy in search of validating his passions, a kid in need of a true friend, namely, me, Dexx, or rather, Dalton Dabney.

  I sat up in my bed with a new, ecstatic energy, and a newfound outlook on life. I crumpled up my jealous nature like old garbage. I tossed away my insecurities in the trash bin in my mind. I gathered the re-born strength to push forward with my dreams. I had Denver to thank for this bout of bravery, along with her brother, and of course, Poppy.

  I never wanted to close my eyes again. I never wanted to judge people, or take anyone for granted. I wanted to live as the open-minded human being I always assumed I was, but never had been. I wanted to be the amazing person I was meant to be.

  I took a deep breath. I inhaled the pleasant hominess of this room. Nostalgic, although recent, memories swarmed my brain. So fresh, yet reminiscent of my time spent here. I clung to the scent. I never wanted to let it go, or forget its deliciousness. I gathered the sheets and blankets in my arms, and sniffed them until I could no longer smell a thing. I dropped them, and scanned the room to make sure I was alone, and no one was watching. I blushed anyway, caught off guard by my sentimentality.

  Quickly, I slipped a shirt over my head, and packed up my belongings. I attempted to brush my hair into a faux hawk with my fingers, but my bangs flopped over, and fell into my face. I gave my teeth a quick brushing, just in case Denver got close to my mouth. I would hate to leave her with an offending impression of my breath.

  As I left my room for the last time this Christmas, I heard the clanking activity in the kitchen below. Fresh coffee bubbled, and gurgled into a carafe. It sent up the rich aroma to my nose. Silverware, plates, bowls, they all clunked on the tabletop. My feet sent me running to the grub. My tummy gurgled loudly, being too used to the holiday feasts.

  “Just toast and cereal today, dear,” Debbie chimed as I entered the kitchen. “The holiday is over, so it’s back to business as usual around here.”

  Business as usual meant something completely different in the Davies household than in my own. Five choices of bread clustered around a bright yellow, retro toaster. Next to it rested a cereal dispenser you might find at a hotel buffet, loaded with several choices ranging from healthy flakes to unnaturally colorful puffs. Small dishes of whipped butter, cream cheese, and fruit jams turned around on the lazy Suzanne in the middle of the kitchen table. Two glass pitchers contained milk and orange juice. A funny cow creamer cozied up to a sugar cube dish. Five star treatment all the way.

  At first, I wished my entire life looked like business as usual. But, I stopped before my brain could go any further in the fantasy. I reminded myself about my inner promise. I squelched the jealousy to enjoy the now.

  “Gee, thanks, looks great!” I said.

  “Dexx!” Denver screamed as she ran into the kitchen.

  She pounced into my arms then stepped back a few feet, aware of her mother’s watchful eye.

  “So happy to see you. Kind of sad too. I’ll miss waking up and seeing your face,” she whispered discreetly.

  My face turned red. “Me too,” I carefully whispered back with a wink.

  “Why, Dexx, does this mean you like me?”

  “Maybe,” I teased.

  Denver turned around in a huff.

  “Yes, Yes, of course I do,” I assured her.

  She turned back to face me with a smile. “I’ll be right back!” Denver skipped to the mudroom, and placed a fresh bowl of food, and a clean dish of water out for Dancer who scurried off to eat his breakfast.

  Denver returned. She grabbed a bowl of cereal, and plopped down next to me. Her eyes fixated on mine. I dared not break our contact, but it was unavoidable. Declan and Poppy entered the room.

  Dressed in a deep purple sweater, and a starched white shirt, Declan strutted in, fresh off an oversized magazine cover. His lips froze in a rigid smirk. His eyes, set in a faraway place. He avoided eye contact with everyone but Poppy. He was a posh cologne ad come to life. One hand closed around Poppy’s. The other gripped a glass ball. Upon further inspection, I realized it was a snow globe.

  Declan refused to look at anyone. I didn’t blame him. I figured he was embarrassed, and upset about his reaction to last night’s incident.

  I honestly hated witnessing him trip, and ruin his cake. It killed me. I wanted to be his hero, stop the dog that was faster than a speeding bullet, and save the day. I wanted to be the guy who would give him the shirt off my back, or the cake off my plate, the same way he would for me.

  I acknowledged he wasn’t ready to let it go. Perhaps I would have reacted the same way if the gift that I worked hard on creating had been obliterated by a hungry-angry dog. But with Denver in my life, the unstoppable, enchanted Declan Davies would come around, eventually. And, once he did, maybe he might even let me back in, the way he did the first we met. I looked forward to developing a brotherly relationship with him. Trust, friendship, they took time. I had plenty of that.

  “Declan, please take that globe back upstairs,” Debbie addressed her son.

  Declan’s eyes flamed with anger. He knit his brows. Unbeknownst to me, another tension lingered in the air. Declan’s wordless rebellion challenged Debbie’s request. Debbie’s face sank with motherly sadness.

  I turned to Denver to see if she noticed. But she sighed in a smiley daze, oblivious to her family’s afflictions. Now, was not the time to ask her about it.

  “Fine,” Debbie relented. “Put the globe down on the table so it doesn’t break.”

  Declan obliged. He placed the glass ball between himself and Poppy. They made sweet, lovey-dovey faces at each other.

  “Let me get you something to eat, Declan,” Debbie offered.

  “I-I-I c-c-c-
an g-g-g-et i-i-i-t myself,” he snapped. “I-I-I w-w-w-i-i-i-ll t-t-t-a-a-a-ke c-c-c-a-a-a-re o-o-o-f m-m-m-yself f-f-f-rom n-n-n-ow on!”

  “All right. I understand.” She backed off and sat down.

  “H-hey, um, Declan. S-so sorry about the cake last night, bud. Have you ever considered becoming a baker?” I asked. “That was an amazing work of art.”

  Declan grumbled under his breath. Denver looked at me, and shrugged.

  When Declan thought I wasn’t looking, he gazed over at Poppy. A warm smile spread over her lips. She nodded at the idea. His eyes lit up, and his hands shook, his moody, tense demeanor melted, momentarily, then he quickly shot the room a dirty look when he realized we were still watching him.

  He wasn’t ready to let last night go. I understood. There went Declan take two.

  We ate in awkward silence. My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the text. My mom.

  Disappointment hit me hard. I had to leave. Ignoring the text, I shoved the phone back in my pocket. It buzzed again. Then, two more times.

  “Do you have to go?” Denver asked.

  “Yeah.” I looked up at her and smirked. “My mom’s waiting for me outside in the car,” I announced to my hosts, embarrassed that she refused to ring the bell.

  I stood up. The entire Davies family and Poppy immediately stood up as well.

  Huh! Manners! The Davies family never ceased to amaze me.

  “It was nice meeting you.” Dereck shook my hand with a firm grip.

  “Thank you for coming, dear.” Debbie grinned.

  I rambled off some lame speech, offering my gratitude that failed to match the Davies gracious propensity for words. I said goodbye to Poppy and Declan. Poppy wiggled her fingers in a cutesy wave. Declan pouted his lips, and clenched his jaw. His eyes darted away from my direction. He stewed in silence, stuck in his head. Poppy shrugged.