An Aurora Skies Christmas Romance Tale

Chapter 7
(Part 2)

The Ballroom was a gloriously festive sight! Floor to ceiling trees adorned each corner of the room decorated with hundreds of colored lights. Beautifully wrapped presents rested underneath, that shimmered in the lights from certain angles. Garland with red ribbons draped the walls, a few wreaths nestled in between. One side of the room was where the mistletoe hung, to those who wished to steal a kiss underneath. The other side was where the food was being served, with tables and chairs to sit at. Miriam admired it all breathlessly. After all, she's the one who started the whole Christmas Eve Ball idea, last year, and loved helping out with the decorating. This Ball looked even better than the last!

Still, she sighed...greatly hoping that the man her heart was most longing for this Christmas would be there.



The Ball started at 6pm and many people arrived at the doors early. Pretty much to get some dinner into their bellies so they could spend most of the evening dancing, conversing, and basking in the spirit of Christmas. Holiday tunes instantly filled the room upon their entry, with snowflake lights dancing all around.

Miriam happily greeted all her friends and co-workers, even those she didn't know. Every time the door opened her heart skipped a beat, longing for the person behind it to be Jaron. She knew she should eat, but didn't have the appetite.

Eventually she told herself there was a great possibility that Jaron would not come so instead of feeling disappointed about it, she should have fun and not let his absence ruin her evening. It was Christmas Eve! And this was her Ball! Now was not the time to feel sad.



But why then did she continually find her eyes drifting towards the door?



Angelica approached her friend from behind and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"He's not coming," Miriam sighed, shaking her head. "I just know it."
"Oh sweetie, don't think like that. There's no WAY he'd not be here! He totally adores you too much now not to come." She winked.
"Maybe, but I know it's being around all these people that's holding him back."
"Well...he's just gonna have to get used to that!"
True. "Or maybe his soul searching made him change his mind about everything. Maybe...he finds this change of character too hard or maybe he's not willing to move on..." she looked down at the floor sadly.
"Nonsense!" Angelica declared. "He'd be a fool if he's thinking that! Oh hey, excuse me sweetie I need to talk to Richard." And off she went.
"Oh...uh...see ya."

Next Ciro approached Miriam from behind and said, "Hey."
"Hey," she turned with a smile.
"You look beautiful tonight," he said, thrusting his hands in his pockets. "I hope...Jaron will come to see you."
"Thank you," she said with an appreciative smile. She meant that in more ways than one.
"I'm sure he'll be here," he comforted. "In the meantime, just be sure to have some fun ok? This is your Ball...it always will be." He winked. And with that he headed for the food table.

Sighing, she turned her back away from the door, trying to hold back the tears. She had to believe Jaron would be there. Surely everything she did for him, all the time she spent becoming his friend, wasn't all in vain! I promise he wasn't just a project to me God, she thought, staring up at the ceiling. My care and love for him was real! It is truly, truly real! She held her hand to her heart as a tear streamed down her cheek.






Sniffing and wiping away the tear, she turned around and suddenly gasped. Frozen in place as her eyes instantly met with the newest person's who entered the Ballroom.



He smiled, that brand new man dressed in an old, white tux, and shrugged for a second. As if to say, "Sorry I'm late."

Miriam smiled brightly in return, forgiving him instantly.



Then she shot him a flirting, beckoning look.



Jaron happily obliged. Weaving himself through the crowd.



Gosh he looks so handsome! Miriam couldn't help thinking as her heart fluttered, even more wildly the closer he approached her.



"Good evening Miriam," he greeted, stopping to take her hands and look upon her. "Wow!" he whispered, spinning her around lightly and then stopping. "You look...stunning tonight. Beautiful." He corrected.
For some reason this time his touch sent an intense electrical surge throughout her entire body, cranking up the heat. "You look great too," she said breathlessly. "Very handsome. Oh...I was so afraid you wouldn't come."
"I was too," he admitted with a sigh, "but...when have I ever been able to resist an invitation from you?" He bashfully smiled.
Miriam did the same.



In the distance, Angelica, Pedro, and Ciro lightly threw some cheers in her direction from the mistletoe side of the room. She just shot a smile at them while shaking her head. She couldn't have asked for sweeter, more supportive friends.



A slow Christmas song began playing and then the lights dimmed a bit.

"May I have this dance?" Jaron asked Miriam with his hand to his heart.



Miriam closed her eyes dreamily for a second and playfully answered, "Why Mr. Hodge, I thought you would never ask me."



As they took each others hands and began swaying to the tune, Jaron said, "I guess the whole 'Why Mr. Hodge' thing is going to be a permanent joke between us now?"
Miriam chuckled. "Yeah, I think so."
However Jaron couldn't seem to chuckle back. He was just so taken by her beauty and found himself getting suc'ked into those dazzling blue eyes that shimmered like a galaxy in deep space.
"I never realized just how gorgeous your eyes are," he said, then remembered. "You aren't wearing your glasses."
"No," she smirked. "I decided on contacts for tonight. I guess," she paused, biting her lower lip, "I was thinking that since you made such a big change in your appearance...I would make a little change too."
"You really didn't have to," he sincerely said. "You're beautiful...no matter how you look."
Now Miriam was really blushing.



Meanwhile, on the other side of the dance floor, Ciro swayed hand in hand with a woman Angelica encouraged him to ask to dance.

They didn't say much to each other for the first half of the song, but soon the woman spoke up by asking, "So Ciro...Angelica tells me you're an ice hockey fan?"
That got Ciro's attention. "Yes," he replied. "I am. My dad and I used to play every winter when I was growing up so...It's kind of a special sport to me."
"Oh my gosh my dad and I used to play together too!" she revealed. "That's why I love it so much."
"No kidding? That's awesome!"
"Yeah!"



"So, I'm sorry...uh...what was your name again?" Ciro felt silly asking. He was horrible with names.
She chuckled. "Tanya."
"Oh...that's a pretty name."
"Thank you."
"So Tanya," he asked, while twirling her. "Which team is your favorite?"
"Well..." she began...



"...You might give me grief about this, but...I've always been a Llamas fan, even though everyone thinks they su'ck!"
Ciro froze, dropping her hands and gaping at her. "Are you serious? The Llamas are...the BEST TEAM EVER!"
Tanya smiled brightly. "I KNOW! Oh my gosh I can't believe you're a fan too! Wow...what a small world." They returned to dancing.
"It sure is," Ciro said, feeling his heart flutter.

His eyes suddenly met with Angelica's gaze in the distance and she winked at him. He nodded in return as he and Tanya continued talking all about their love for the Llamas and their greatest wins.

The slow Christmas song ended and the next one was more fast paced, but to Jaron and Miriam, it didn't even register. They just kept on swaying, carrying on a tune of their own.

For they were so lost in the moment, that nothing else in the world mattered. No one else even existed.



It was just the two of them. The only people left on Earth.



Jaron couldn't contain himself any longer. There'd been so much he wanted to say to her and he always held back, but now was the perfect moment to do it.

"Miriam," he began, "I don't think I ever properly thanked you for everything you've done for me. These past 24 days have been...the happiest days of my life and...I thank you. From the bottom of my heart thank you."



"Oh Jaron," she said, "I was happy to do it. I'm so glad I listened to my heart, despite what everyone else thought. And indeed, these past 24 days have been happiest of my life too."
He was pleased to hear that. "I don't think you realize...just how much you've done for me. The impact you've had on me."
"I think I do Jaron. I've seen it."
"Yeah, but I mean," he paused, "you've practically saved my life Miriam. Saved my soul."
"Oh I dunno about--"
"You did," he pressed. "I was so lost before you came along. Stuck in the darkest abyss of sorrow and hate. I'd given up hope of ever seeing the light again. Hope of ever being...truly happy again."
Miriam's eyes began to glisten.
"But then...this jubilant ball of sunshine suddenly appeared at my door," they chuckled, "and little by little she gave me a whole new perspective on life. Taught me that kindness still exists and is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. And showed me that happiness and love are still possible for anyone who's lost everything in their life. I never believed I'd have any of those things again. You restored my faith in people and in the Spirit of Christmas," they chuckled again. "You helped bring me back to the man I used to be...the man who I thought was lost forever. My life has irrevocably changed because of you. I owe everything to you Miriam...and I don't want to imagine my life without you."



Miriam wiped at the tears from her eyes, feeling so touched.
"My wish this Christmas," he went on, "is that your last gift to me will be your heart. Because every day since we met I've fallen even more in love with you. And now I must tell you," he paused, mustering up all his courage, "I love you Miriam Day. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Grinning brightly, Miriam joyously declared, "You already have my heart Jaron Hodge... because I love you too!"

In that moment Jaron leaned in, deeply pressing his lips upon hers and engaging the most passionate of kisses as he ran his fingers through her hair. Miriam giggled at the end of it and even more as he twirled her and then dipped her backward, planting another kiss on her lips again.



Soon the guests began to take notice of the two lovebirds in the middle of the dance floor and held their attention onto them; Oohing and Ahhing over how romantic the whole scene was.

Gazing at each other with the happiest of eyes Jaron asked, "Miriam Day, will you be mine this Christmas, and from every day hereafter?"
"Yes!" she emphatically exclaimed, beaming. "YES!"

The guests cheered and clapped as the two kissed again. Witnessing one of the most unexpected love stories and the greatest Christmas miracle their little town had ever known.



The new year never felt brighter for the kind-hearted Miriam Day and Jaron - the former "Scrooge" - Hodge.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

And so Miriam and Jaron's story became immortalized. Told every Christmas Season in Aurora Skies to this day, not only because a real life "Christmas Carol" happened in their small town, but because it displayed the truth behind the saying that, "Where there is kindness, there is hope." And it applies to ALL people...no matter how mean or cold they seem. For one can never truly know what cross someone has been called to bear and that...was something every single person in the town needed to be reminded of.

Christmas is all about the kindness of giving...and the hope that each of us can become a better person and start anew with the ever coming new year.




*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The End *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


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