Monthly News

The white snow laid upon the grass like a warm blanket. The world felt quiet and the
howls of the wind lulled her and her sisters to sleep. Before they left for the neighbor’s
Christmas Eve party, their parents gave the children only one rule that night:
“Be asleep before twelve o’clock so Santa can come.”
Their father even stopped by the ice cream parlor around the corner and got them a scoop
each, just to ensure they’d listen. With bowls licked clean and teeth brushed, the girls were
tucked in, leaving the eldest daughter to watch her two younger sisters.
A few hours later and long into the night, the second daughter awoke. She squinted at the
clock that sat high on the dresser and tried to read its long gold hands. She struggled to
remember how they worked and quickly gave up. She looked over to her sisters who slept
peacefully and a shining glow caught her eye. The light from the living room shone under their
bedroom door and she jumped at the thought that Santa had come. She nudged her sisters and
tugged on their blankets, waking them from their sugarplum filled dreams.
“The light!” she whispered loudly, pointing to the door.
Her sisters rolled over anxiously to see the glow of the light. They looked back at her
with their hands over their mouths and excitement in their eyes.
“We have to go look!” said the girl while climbing out of bed.
“No, we can’t!” said the eldest, holding her blanket tightly.
“I’m going, I want to see Santa!” the girl said as she made her way toward the door.
Her sisters looked at each other in disbelief and waited nervously to see what she’d discover. She
slowly turned the knob on the door and flinched at the sound of its creak, pausing to take a
breath. She slipped out the bedroom door and tiptoed through the hallway.
The glow from the living room called her name and slowly she made her way towards it. Her
heart raced with excitement as she imagined Santa placing gifts under the tree.
But when she reached the living room, she froze.
The tree stood tall and glittering, but lonely. Beneath it was nothing, no presents with glistening
wrapping paper, no overfilled stockings, just the trains that circled round and round on their
tracks.
Her excitement dropped, and her stomach ached from it. Were her parents even home yet? She
wondered. She walked to the lamp that sat on the side table, its glow was no longer captivating.
She reached behind it and flipped the switch and shuffled down the hall toward her parents’
bedroom, clumsily tripping over the edge of the rug. Hesitantly, she pushed the door open just
enough to peek inside.
The bed was empty, still perfectly made waiting for her parents to come home, just like her.
Disappointed, she turned around and made her way back to her room. She clenched her teeth in
anxiety at the idea that if her parents weren’t home yet, Santa might not come. She hurried down
the hallway and ran back into the room, her breath fast and uneven. Her sisters sat up the
moment they saw her face and ran over to comfort her.
“What happened?” the eldest whispered as she wrapped her arms around her.
“They’re not home,” she said, her voice trembling. “And…and Santa wasn’t here. What if he
doesn’t come because they’re not home yet?”
Her sisters hugged her tighter.
“He’ll come,” the eldest murmured warmly, brushing her sister’s hair back. “He always comes.”
“Maybe he’s just running late,” the youngest sister added softly with a shrug.
The girl sniffled quietly, letting the warmth of their hugs and the comfort of their voices calm her
racing mind.
“Let’s try and go back to sleep.” said the eldest as she walked her sisters back to their beds.
The girl crawled into bed, slumping down into the soft pillow behind her and pulling her quilt up
to her shoulders. She fought her tired eyes and eventually succumbed to their heaviness, falling
back into her soothing dreams.
Hours passed, a soft brightness slowly crept in through the window. The girl squinted at the
glow, blinking awake with confusion. She stretched her arms and legs like a sleepy kitten and her
sisters awoke from her movement. Relief washed over them after what felt like the longest night
ever was finally over, and Christmas was here. They jumped up excitedly and raced down the
hallway tripping over each other’s feet. The glistening from the star on the tree matched the
sparkle in their eyes.
“Santa was here!” shouted the girls with their smiles reaching ear to ear.
Their parents overlooked with joy as the girls’ giggles bounced throughout the house and
wrapping paper flew through the air. The children and parents all exchanged loving glances. In
that moment, wrapped in the glow of the tree and the comfort of each other, the whole house felt
warmer and full of the kind of magic that stayed long after Christmas morning had passed.

Reminder: Speed limit is 15 MPH

Please advise your visitors.

Also: Do Not block the Mailboxes and surrounding area.

Remember: This is a private community, Road.