HOLIDAY LUCKY MAGIC

Holiday disasters and my dislike for them always came together. Each year, something went wrong. One year, I missed a flight. Another time, my debit card vanished the night before New Year's Eve. Last year, on Christmas, the man I loved said he'd been unfaithful for months. Then, my car stopped working on December twenty-third. I wasn't even surprised. Sitting in the car seat, I watched my breath fog the windshield and the dashboard lights blink as if mocking me. The town around me buzzed with decorations and gleaming lights and doors with wreaths and couples laughing together. The holiday spirit didn’t seem meant for me. I gently tapped my forehead against the wheel. That was when I saw the small velvet bag sitting on the passenger seat. It definitely hadn't been there earlier. I frowned and picked it up and loosened the drawstring. Inside I found a tiny gold charm shaped like a star. It felt warm in my hand as if it were almost alive. Confused, I stared at it. Then the car started on its own. Just like that. My breath caught and I laughed nervously and shook my head. “Okay. Weird.” I didn't realize it then but that charm was about to change my holiday completely.