Three Days Before Christmas

Cynamon Dahl always loved Christmas. Lots of people felt the same way for different reasons. Cynamon believed if you wanted something special, this time of the year was the time for it to happen. This belief came from the fact that when she was little, whatever she wanted most, she always got it for Christmas. Even as an adult, she still believed that. She enjoyed the beautiful Christmas scenery, the beautiful Christmas trees and decorations, beautiful lights and all that came with the festive season, including the shopping. But even while being caught up in all of that, she knew the real reason for the season. She loved Jesus with all of her heart and had a very strong faith in God.

There was always something to do during the holidays and Cynamon's best friend Ava had invited her to a play tonight. Ava and her boyfriend Ryan were supposed to go but there was an emergency situation at the store he owned and he couldn't go with her. Cynamon was glad to go because she loved plays and the last time she had gone to one was with her ex. Her ex was three years ago and she hadn't been involved with anyone since then. She wanted to make sure she was over the old and ready for the new with a clear mind and a clear heart. It was a hard and slow process to get to where she was now and after much prayer and positive thinking, she finally felt like she was ready for the new. She was ready to let someone in again.

The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts. It was Ava telling her that she was there to pick her up.
"I'm really glad you were free to come with me tonight" Ava said as Cynamon got into the car.
"Tonight and every other night, but I'm good." Cynamon laughed. "It's not like I have a full date card or anything."
"You will never guess who's in this play!" Ava said with some excitement.
"Not gonna try, so tell me."
"Gerry Daly" Ava said as if she had dropped a bomb.
Cynamon's mouth opened in surprise. "What?"
"The one and only." Ava smiled smugly.
Cynamon felt delirious for a second and took a moment to recoup. "Well good for him. He's been doing really well for himself since he moved to California. I'm really glad for him." She had been following his career and was very proud of him.
"He's still single too. You and Gerry would have been good together. Ava stated in a matter of fact tone.
Cynamon was quiet, thinking.

Gerry was the sweetest man. He had a wit and sense of humor that would make you smile and laugh even if you didn't want to. He looked at life from a glass half full point of view and always looked at the positive aspect of things. There were warm and sincere conversations between she and Gerry and there had always been a closeness, a connection between them so tangible you could touch it but neither one of them, for their own reasons reached out and touched. But there were feelings there and they both knew it. They became friends and developed a close relationship but never let it go beyond that. Through the past years, Cynamon had learned a lot about herself and she thought that maybe her past relationship wasn't supposed to work out. It taught her a lot and she realized that it was actually a 'no' if you will, so that she could move on and be ready for her 'yes'.

Gerry Daly was a very talented man and had dreams of becoming a singer and an actor. He had the talent, the looks, there was no doubt that he would, it was just a matter of time.
"How long has it been since Gerry moved away?" Ava asked.
"I'd say about three and a half years. He's been doing good for himself. He's starred in about seven popular plays. I don't think it'll be long before he moves to the movie scene." Cynamon answered.
Ava turned and looked at her and smiled. It sounded to her like somebody was already a big fan, but she decided not to say anything.
"Wow, Christmas is upon us"! Ava stated as they got out of the car.
"Yeah, three days." Cynamon agreed quietly.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing, I was just thinking that for the past few years, I didn't trip about being alone because I felt I needed that time. But now, this Christmas, it would be nice to have someone special". Cynamon said with a little smile.
"You're not sad are you?" Ava said as she looked at her closely.
"No, I'm not. Actually, I'm looking forward to meeting and getting to know someone again. I've prayed and the Lord knows exactly what's in my heart and what I'm ready for. I trust Him and I have to be patient". Cynamon said.
"Well, in the meantime you've got friends and family that love you very much." Ava gave her an affectionate squeeze.

Their seats were on the front row and as they sat down, Cynamon felt an excitement that wasn't there before. She found herself really looking forward to seeing Gerry again.
The play turned out to be magnificent and all of the cast was great, but Gerry, well Cynamon thought he was spectacular. The whole cast got a standing ovation, but when Gerry came out, the crowd went wild, especially the women.
"Cynamon, let's go to the lobby now. They're going to come out to meet and take pictures with everyone and we can be one of the first people there, come on! Wish we had a back stage pass!" Ava grabbed Cynamon's arm and they moved swiftly to the lobby. Cynamon began to feel a strong urge to talk to Gerry and feelings of anticipation.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way Ava planned because they were now still waiting in the lobby over an hour later. The closer they got to Gerry, the faster her heart beat and the giddier she felt. The whole time they were standing there all she heard were women going on and on about stuff like how fine and handsome Gerry was and how close to him they wanted to stand when they took a picture, slip him their phone number...
"Can I get you to stop talking about MY FRIEND? He doesn't even know you, we've know each other for years and I should have returned his calls after he moved away and let him know how much the sweet cards he sent me touched my heart and meant so much to me, should have called him back when he told me he wouldn't bother me...but I was too scared and didn't think I had what it took to be a part of his new life and I hope it's not too late so back off!"
.
That's what Cynamon wanted to say but the words and the knowledge stayed in her head. She was the only one to hear them and she felt a release. Ava had been on the phone with Ryan, excitedly telling him what was going on. She was thankful for that because she was caught up in her thoughts. She felt Ava's hand on her arm.
"Are you ok? What are your thoughts and feelings right now?" Ava asked in a soft voice. Ava knew her friend well and she knew that this was an important moment for her.
" I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago." Cynamon answered softly.

First she was going to see if there was any reason why they couldn't be the friends they were before he moved away and if there wasn't, they could go on from there. Cynamon was not going to run this time, not this time. She was scared as hell, he may not feel the same way he had before, it may have been too long. Gerry had always been the kind of man she wanted in her life and if there was a chance, this time she was taking it.

Finally there were only a few people standing ahead of them and she had a clear view of Gerry. Still handsome, still charming. Cynamon couldn't say exactly when their eyes met and lit up but the smile, that same crooked smile, that came across his face when he saw her made her heart smile and she didn't care how long it took to get to him and she would wait as long as she had to. It was three days before Christmas and she had a strong feeling that it was going to be a special one, no matter what obstacles had to be overcome afterwards. At that moment, a Christmas poem came to mind and she remembered the words. "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good...life. Cynamon didn't think it would hurt to change it up a little bit. In fact, she thought it was appropriate as she silently thanked God for her Christmas present!