Page 6 of Christmas in July

I feel like there are a million thoughts and feelings hidden beneath her surface, swirling around in her mysterious mind. I wish I could explore them, and get to know even a fraction of who she is, and what she’s experienced. What has shaped her into the person she is today? What led her to this airplane?

Why is she going to Snowflake Creek? Of all places on the planet.

Why do we happen to be headed to the same little town?

And why is she so sad?

I don’t know, but I’m going to try my best to help. To make her smile, and heal her wounds, whatever they may be. It’s not going to be fixed so easily with a carefree giggle here and there. It’s going to take time, and trust. It’s going to take tenderness.

But I’ll try my best… because there was another girl once, and I should have tried harder to make her smile. I should have made her feel loved and happy at every chance I got, because I didn’t know that there would be so few chances.

That’s my core injury. My deep wound, deeper than Mauna Kea. The baggage I carry around, in my overhead bins, so to speak.

No matter how many bags I check, and how many frequent flyer miles I rack up, I can never get very far away from the memory of my mistakes.

And to be honest, I wouldn’t want to. Memories are all I have left.

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