Chewing on his lower lip, Misha slowly stretched a hand toward the golden wristwatch, which lay like an offering in the middle of his bed. His fingertips caressed the delicate ornaments carved in its case, and soon, a smile made its way to his lips, slightly curling up the corner of his mouth.
It wasn't the first time that Misha had taken the watch out of its hiding spot so that he could observe it and carve its image in his memory. But today was a bit special.
As he stroked the leather strap, Misha let his mind wander to the past. He thought of those long lonely years without his loved ones and how much time he had lost in regret. That period of his life felt so far away and yet so close. It was an odd feeling that made his heart throb in pain.
"Really, Santa Claus couldn't have given me a better gift."
He let out a chuckle, thinking back on the night he met the chubby old man. He was dead drunk and wanted to take a nap outside despite the raging snowstorm. If Santa Claus hadn't brought him inside his house, Misha would most likely have died, frozen to death.
Now that he took the time to think about it, things became somewhat mystical after the man's appearance. Still, never in his wildest dream would he have imagined that this chubby old man was Santa Claus in the flesh. Well, he did make a joke about his stereotypical appearance. However, that was never more than a lame joke, and it shouldn't have been taken seriously.
"Not only did he save my life, but he also gave me a chance to change my past. Even if he is Santa Claus, isn't he too good-natured?" Misha paused before snorting, "Or, did he take pity on me?"
When the words left his mouth, Gabriel's tired and bloody face flashed through his mind. Back at the bar, that listless appearance of his did startle Misha, but anger got the better of him and blurred his judgment. If Dereck hadn't stepped in to stop him from beating the man, there wouldn't have been much left of Gabriel's handsome face.
"Maybe it wasn't me that Santa Claus pitied," Misha let out a self-mocking laugh. In this tragic life of his, he never suffered alone, yet he only realized it after it was too late.
How much did Gabriel carry on his shoulders in their past life? Misha had no idea, but now, he had a hunch that it wasn't just a little. 'It won't be like this this time,' he told himself. 'I won't let him carry everything on his shoulders.' Misha wasn't a clueless child anymore, and he would butt in when he had to, whether Gabriel liked it or not.
While his mind was busy wandering left and right, someone knocked on his door, startling him. His body reacted faster than his mind, and he swiftly hid the watch under the pillow, tumbling on the bed in passing. When his mother opened the door, she thus saw him sprawled all over the bed in a strange position.
"Sweetie, what are you doing?" she softly chuckled.
"Stretching?"
"I see..." Gulnas tactfully decided not to ask further and instead said, "I was just wondering if you were ready. Gabriel will arrive anytime soon, and then we will leave and go to your grandparents' house."
"Yup. I'm all ready!" Misha nodded before leaping to his feet and spinning around to show off his clothes.
Today's outfit was as adorable as can be, making Misha gnash his teeth whenever he saw his reflection in the mirror. Still, he didn't complain and obediently dressed up. As long as his mother was happy, he could wear anything.
Well, almost anything.
"It suits you so well!" Gulnas giggled, thinking that her son was the cutest boy on earth.
As an answer, a smile bloomed on Misha's doll-like face, and he bolted to his mother, hugging her tightly.
"Mom."
"Yes?"
"I love you."
Mrs. Brown was only slightly taken aback by her son's sudden show of affection. Lately, Misha had become clingier, always hugging her and telling her that he loved her or that she was the best mom in the world. She didn't know what he was so anxious about, but she certainly wouldn't complain about the blatant display of affection. It felt great to know that her baby son loved her so much.
"I love you too, sweetie," Gulnas softly said, stroking her son's head.
Warmth welled up in his chest, and Misha buried his face in his mother's stomach a bit more, a foolish smile lingering on his lips. But because neither wanted to be the first to move, they stayed still, and the moment grew longer.
"What are you two doing?" Masha asked in an amused tone.
Without unwrapping his arms from around his mother's waist, Misha tilted his head to see his sister, who had entered his bedroom at an unknown time. After taking a glance, he had to admit that today, she was incredibly gorgeous. Light make-up brightened her face and highlighted her crystal-clear blue eyes, while her long blonde strawberry hair was left untied. It freely fell on her back, its pale color contrasting vividly with her dark-red dress.
'My sister is definitely the most beautiful girl in the world!' Misha inwardly boasted.
A mischievous glint soon flashed in his eyes, and then the boy left his mother's arms to jump on his sister, who almost fell backward as she instinctively opened her arms to catch him.
"Don't be jealous, I also love you!"
"My, my, you're quite affectionate today," Masha laughed as she pinched her brother's cheeks. "By acting all sweet like this, are you hoping I'll give you your Christmas gift sooner?"
"No, that's not it. I just wanted to tell you that I love you. Can't I?"
"Of course, you can!" Masha chuckled, gently stroking his head. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! Gabriel is downstairs, so we better get down soon as well."
"Okay," Misha reluctantly nodded.
As his sister's words echoed in his mind, it felt as though there wasn't enough air left in the room, making it hard to breathe. Shaking his head, Misha told himself to stop worrying. Everything would be fine. He would not fight with Gabriel and cross the road without looking left and right, and his mother would not have to jump in to save him and be hit by a pick-up in his stead.
'Yes, everything will be fine this time.'
***
Inside the car, on their way to Mrs. Brown's parents' house.
Sitting between Gabriel and Masha, Misha was quietly listening to their conversation. He didn't chime in as he usually would, although he did his best to appear normal and ignore the knots in his stomach.
"Are you feeling well, Misha? You seem a little pale," Gabriel asked for the umpteenth time, carefully placing his hand on the boy's forehead to check his temperature.
He made sure to move slowly so as not to startle the child. He still hadn't forgotten the fear he had seen in the boy's eyes at the amusement park a few months ago. When he had wanted to check his temperature back then, the little boy had frozen in fright. Since then, Gabriel had been more careful with how he approached him, making sure the child noticed what he was planning to do before actually touching him.
However, it seemed like his worries were unfounded. After a few months, Misha appeared to have gotten used to him, and he didn't even flinch when he put his cold hand on his forehead. On the contrary, the child unconsciously rubbed his small head against his palm.
"No, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all."
"If you don't feel well, we can go back home. Don't force yourself," Gulnas smiled, looking at her son through the rear-view mirror.
"I really am fine, mom," Misha repeated, forcing himself to smile wider.
Although it would be safer to stay at home, he also knew his grandmother didn't have long left to live, five months at most. It would be the last Christmas Eve his mother could pass with her, and thus not coming was not an option. If anything, they should spend their last Christmas together.
He just had to be careful of the road, and nothing would happen.
When the car stopped and the door opened, Misha looked right and left a few times before finally mustering the courage to cross the road. First, he made sure there was no pick-up coming up, and then he ran like a madman toward his grandparent's house.
Like in his past life, they arrived a little late, and there was no place left in the driveway. They had no other choice but to park the car by the roadside and cross the road on foot.
Once he stood near the doorstep, Misha's heart finally settled down a little.
See? Everything is fine—no need to worry.
The boy swiftly turned to wave at his family, who was walking over while talking and laughing. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Gabriel pat the pockets of his coat with a frown, looking a bit annoyed. Even if he was a little far away, Misha still heard his voice as clear as day.
"Crap. I forgot your grandparents' present in the car."
"Really? Well, I'll go fetch it then," Masha chuckled, lightly hitting Gabriel on his shoulder before turning on her heel.
After a short glance toward the crossroad, where the bright-red stop sign seemed to shine, Masha dashed toward the car without further ado. Little did she know that the incoming pick-up wouldn't stop, nor would it slow down. Instead, it would accelerate because the drunk driver couldn't differentiate the accelerator from the brake.
Things went too fast, and Misha didn't have the time to utter anything, frozen in place. All he could do was watch the shadow of his mother rush toward his sister.
Then, the nightmare repeated itself again, except that this time, the name that his mother last screamed wasn't his.
"MASHA!"
__________________________
Chapter revised on 2022-05-24
Edited by Clozed! ♥
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/rs_vaesen
Discord: https://discord.gg/ZsEYr5eh6h