Chapter 1

It was Christmas time again in Minnesota. The snow had begun to fall lightly against the windowpane and Julie sat watching it and sighed.

How she wished she were the one out playing with the children in the snowy mixture instead of being stuck inside with her family. She was of course an adult at the ripe age of twenty-two, but she still had a child like spirit.

The family racket behind her she seemed to tune out while she continued watching the children. She laughed slightly as she watched them closely; each one of them bundled up looking like Eskimos.

Sighing again Julie turned back to the family behind her. She took a long sip of her cocoa and let the mixture pour down her throat and warm her body from the inside.

“So when are you getting married,” Julie’s aunt Helen said walking up to her flashing a big crooked teeth smile.

Julie had remembered when she was a child thinking her Aunt Helen smelled like cigarettes and stale wine, but now the mixture was mixed with an awful old people smell as well.

“Oh,” Julie said smiling. “Mark and I haven’t decided yet, sometime probably during the summer.”

“A summer wedding,” Helen said nodding her head. “I like summer weddings, but you know spring weddings are better.”

“Yes,” Julie said with another fake smile. “I appreciate the comment, but Mark and I just can’t make up our minds yet. You understand how it is, right?”

Helen frowned and looked at the floor and then back up at Julie. “Well Frank and I got married in acourthouse with only one witness. It was amazing how we stayed together all those years until the tragic passing last year.”

At this moment, Helen broke into sobs and walked away quickly. Several other family members saw her discomfort and tried to help as they sat her on the couch.

“A spring wedding would be nice,” Mark said walking up beside her. He took a sip from his wine glass and smiled.

Rolling her eyes Julie sat her glass down on the coffee table and frowned. “I don’t want to discuss this, please. Let’s just enjoy the day and not fight.”

“Who said anything about fighting,” Mark added shrugging his shoulders slightly. “I just said that…”

“I know what you said,” Julie interjected. “I just think we have time and we should rush things. If you truly loved me then this wouldn’t be such a big deal.”

“Julie I was just trying…”

“What trying to get me to change my mind,” she interjected. “You just can’t seem to grasp the concept that I might not want to marry you at all and that bugs the crap out you, doesn’t it?” Her voice was slightly higher now and people were beginning to stare. “See what you did,” she whispered. “I told you I didn’t want to argue about this.”

“You started this,” he interjected throwing his hands into the air. With that, he had turned and was leaving the room.

Julie turned back to the window and stared at the snow and children once more. ‘Life is so simple for children,’ she thought to herself, smiling brightly.

‘I want kids,’ she told herself. ‘Someday,’ she added. She could just imagine it now, with little ones running around playing, maybe a little boy with dark black hair, and a girl with long brown curls.

There was a tap on her should shaking her out of her dreamland and back into reality. “Yeah,” she said quickly turning around to face her mother.

“I was just wondering is there something wrong? You seem a little upset.”

“I am fine,” she muttered with a weak smile.

“Are you sure,” Paula added.

“Yeah,” Julie said with another fake smile.

“Well,” Paula added as she scurried off. “If you need anything just let me know. It’s really nice to have you home for Christmas.”

A/N: I guess I was just in the Christmas mood. Hope you enjoy!