Tis the Season: A Christmas Romance

Chapter 1

Noelle's POV

The holiday season has officially begun. Halloween has passed and Thanksgiving dinner eaten. Most people look forward to the holidays but not me. For me the holidays were just a reminder of everything that was missing in my life. A reminder of everything I lost.

My joy of the holidays ended when I was 12 years old. Coming back from Christmas Eve mass, the snow was coming down and it was hard to see. The car hit a patch of ice and my father lost control. I don't remember much now, just the screaming coming from mother and the sound of glass breaking and metal crunching. And then nothing...I woke up the next morning on Christmas Day, only to find out to my parents were no longer here.

That was the last year I celebrated Christmas.

As I got older, the pain lessened. Those winter months were getting easier to bare. That was until I walked in on my fiancé fucking his assistant underneath the Christmas tree. And to make matters worse the following year they had the nerve to get married on Christmas Day.

Subconsciously, I know the holidays had nothing to do with my parents death or my cheating bastard of an ex, but the season just seems to signify every horrible thing has happened in my life so far. And so now I adopted a new tradition...avoid the holidays like the plague.

Now as the season begins to approach, I find myself dreading the weeks to come. I was all alone with no one to celebrate with. I was an only child, my mother's aunt that was left to raise me passed away my second year in college. I had no other relatives. My ex got all of our mutual friends when we split. So while most families look forward to gathering around the big holiday dinners, I was all alone.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my life the other 10 months out of the year. I have a great job teaching at a local community college. Great colleagues.

Since my parents invested well, I had enough money that if I didn't want to work I really wouldn't have to. I was very comfortable.

I lived in a nice two bedroom condo and I had a cabin in the mountains, one of the last things my father purchased. I spend the summer and winter breaks up there. I loved the small, quaint town the was ten minutes from the cabin. It was a great retreat and I looked forward to going.

It wasn't the holiday itself that I had a problem with per se it was all that came along with it. The families...laughter...the presents...the joy of being with people you love. I had none of that. So when school lets out, I head up to my cabin with a bag full of books and movies that will get me to New Year's. That way I don't need to be surrounded by what I am missing.

When you're all alone the last thing you want to do is celebrate the season that highlights all that you are lacking.

So Dear Santa, if you are real. I would like a family. One that won't leave me. I don't want to be alone anymore.

Hey it could work.