All I Want For Christmas Is You

Four

The roar of the plane’s engine hummed beneath my feet as I sat next to Kelvin, watching him bounce with excitement. His small hands gripped the armrests, and his legs swung back and forth, too short to reach the floor. He had been chattering nonstop since we boarded the flight, his enthusiasm uncontainable.

“Mom, do you think he’ll like me?” he asked for the fifth time, his wide, innocent eyes locking onto mine.

I froze, unsure how to answer. Would Adrian like him? How could he not? Kelvin was kind, funny, and full of life. But Adrian didn’t even know he existed, and I had no idea how he’d react.

Lisa, sitting on Kelvin’s other side, swooped in like the savior she always was. “Kelvin, of course he’ll like you,” she said, ruffling his curls.

“You’re the coolest kid I know. Right, Vennessa?”

“Absolutely,” I said, forcing a smile. “There’s no way he wouldn’t.”

Kelvin grinned, satisfied for the moment, but his curiosity didn’t wane. “What’s he like, Mom? Is he funny? Does he play video games? What kind of food does he like? Does he look like me?”

I swallowed hard, gripping the edge of my seat. “He’s…tall,” I said awkwardly. “And he’s very good at football.”

Lisa jumped in again, her tone light and playful. “Super good at football. He’s like a superhero on the field.”

Kelvin’s eyes widened. “A superhero?”

“Well,” Lisa said with a wink, “maybe not with a cape, but he’s got the moves.”

Kelvin giggled, his face lighting up, and I silently thanked Lisa for her quick thinking.

As Kelvin leaned back into his seat, gazing out the window at the clouds, I let out a quiet sigh. My heart was a tangle of emotions—anxious, terrified, and guilty. I had avoided this moment for so long, burying the truth under layers of fear and self-preservation.

I glanced at Lisa, who gave me a knowing look. She reached over and squeezed my hand. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered.

I nodded, but her reassurance didn’t ease the knot in my stomach.

Kelvin turned back to me, his curiosity flaring up again. “Mom, do I look like him?”

My throat tightened. He did look like Adrian—same sharp jawline, same deep brown eyes. But the resemblance was softened by Kelvin’s round cheeks and innocent smile.

“You’ve got his eyes,” I said softly.”And his hair.”

Kelvin’s grin stretched wider. “Really? That’s so cool!”

Lisa jumped in, pulling out a coloring book from her bag. “Hey, Kelvin, why don’t we color for a bit? Give your mom a break from all these questions.”

“Im too old for coloring books”, he said.

“Saying the boy who still sleeps with his stuffed toy”, Lisa teased and they began fighting “Are you scared there is something i’ll finally beat you at .”

Kelvin eagerly grabbed the book and crayons, his focus shifting. I mouthed a silent thank you to lisa, and she gave me a cheeky thumbs-up.

I leaned back in my seat, staring out the window at the endless expanse of clouds. My mind drifted back to prom night—the night that changed everything.

Adrian had been the center of attention, as always. He was the star quarterback, the school’s golden boy, and the object of every girl’s affection. I had been invisible, the quiet girl in the corner, more focused on academics than socializing.

But that night, for reasons I still didn’t understand, he noticed me. We danced, we laughed, and when the party ended, we found ourselves alone in the dimly lit parking lot. One thing led to another, and in a moment of drunken spontaneity, I let myself believe I mattered to him.

The next morning I found myself alone in my room and, he was gone. No note, no goodbye. Just a hollow emptiness where the boy I had admired for years had been.

I blinked, shaking off the memory. That was a lifetime ago. Adrian wasn’t the same person, and neither was I.

“Mom?” Kelvin’s voice pulled me back to the present.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Do you think Dad will come to my school play?”

The hope in his voice was like a knife to my chest.

“I…I don’t know, Kelvin,” I said honestly.

He tilted his head, considering my answer. “If he can’t come, maybe we can send him a video. Then he’ll see how good I am.”

Lisa jumped in, her voice warm and encouraging. “That’s a great idea, buddy. But let’s wait and see, okay? You might be surprised.”

Kelvin nodded, satisfied for now, and returned to his coloring.

I shot lisa a grateful look. She leaned over, her voice low. “You need to give yourself some credit, Vennessa. You’re doing the right thing.”

I let out a shaky breath. “I hope so. For Kelvin’s sake.”

The rest of the flight passed in a blur of crayons, snacks, and lisa’s endless stream of jokes to keep Kelvin entertained. By the time the plane landed, my nerves were frayed, but Kelvin was practically vibrating with excitement.