Six year old Emily took a deep breath as she scanned the stage trying to catch a glimpse of her older brother Robert. Robert was a shepherd in the Christmas play and Emily was ninth in a parade of angels that numbered twelve. Her long red hair flowed freely from beneath a halo fashioned of wire and wrapped in silver tinsel. Wearing wings that sparkled with the brilliance of a thousand diamonds suspended in a moonlit sky, Emily had never felt more beautiful. Robert was a year and a half older than Emily, yet they shared a closeness that was uncommon to most siblings of their age. He was her big brother, her protector, and her source of comfort when she needed it. She scanned the stage once again catching only a glimpse of Roberts broom handle crook as he carefully concealed his presence behind the older boys. Emily stood as still as she could, convinced that the sound of her pounding heart could be heard clearly above the words of the other children. The curtains finally closed after what seemed to Emily to be an eternity. The play was over and both she and Robert were relieved as they ran into the arms of their waiting parents. A blast of icy cold air surrounded them as the heavy wooden doors of the schools main entrance swung open. The ground, which had been bare a short while earlier, was now covered with a shimmering blanket of white. Their young faces lit up with joy as Robert and Emily stepped through the doors into the frigid night air. It was a short but picturesque walk from the school to their house. The small Scottish town had been home to Emily and Robert for only a short while, yet it would hold a special place in Emily's heart for reasons that were yet unknown to her. Emily held steadfast to her Mother's hand as Robert ran ahead scooping a hand full of snow from the bushes that lined the sidewalk. with a quick glance over his shoulder he hurled the newly formed snowball through the air. He had no particular target in mind but grinned with self satisfaction as the snowball hit Emily squarely on her shoulder. Releasing her grip on her Mother's hand, Emily ran after Robert. They ran past the small country houses toward their garden gate, their parents following closely behind smiling at the joy and innocence of the playing children as their giggles floated through the night air. Emily rubbed her sleepy eyes as she climbed out of bed, her mass of red curls twisted into knots that would take her Mother's gentle touch to untangle. She had fallen asleep the night before with dreams of what was to come in the following days. It was Christmas Eve and her excitement grew with each passing second. The snow had continued to fall throughout the night and as Emily and Robert stepped through the door into the garden, the world sparkled with a pure white magnificence that only heaven could supply. The day was filled with laughter, snowball fights, snowmen and snow angels. When they had exhausted their supply of dry socks, doubling as gloves after the snow had soaked through each and every pair, Robert and Emily sat quietly in front of the fire sipping a warm cup of cocoa as the lights twinkled on the tree behind them. Christmas morning would bring everything they had wished for. Brightly colored presents adorned with bows of every imaginable color were waiting for them, just as they had been in their dreams of the night before. Dolls and roller skates for Emily, Dinosaurs and a train set for Robert. Etch-a-Sketch for each along with countless other toys and stockings filled with Christmas sweets. Emily knew this had been the most perfect Christmas she could ever have wished for, but she couldn't even begin to imagine why that was so true. It wouldn't become clear to anyone until July of the following year why this particular Christmas had been filled with so much joy and magic. It truly was a fairytale Christmas come true. The most precious gifts of all didn't come wrapped in a brightly colored box, nor were they found at the bottom of a stocking full of sweets. The most precious gifts of all are Emily's memories of a magical Christmas with her big brother. You see, what nobody knew at the time was that this magical and beautiful Christmas was to be Roberts last. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Word Count: 757 This story is absolutely true and based on my strongest and most precious childhood Christmas memories. Since nobody here at Renderosity knows about my brother, I used his real name but I did change my own name in order to maintain anonymity.