A Mistletoe Christmas

She hadn’t realized until now that the picture she’d had of Christmas Eve had been the three of them decorating the tree together. In her visions of the holiday, it had been three at the table eating a Christmas Day feast.

It felt as if something had ended before it really had a chance to begin. She felt as if she’d lost something she’d never really had, and she’d forgotten until now what the pain of loss felt like.