Christmas Time
by Nyssa Jayne
I used to live in a huge house, filled with laughter and love from all my family. At Christmas time, all of this was amplified with carols and presents and decorations and cooking, plus even more family.
After the wedding, my wife Natalie and I moved into a smaller flat. This, our first Christmas together with our son Ezra, seemed world's away from what we were used to. There was a very small tree with only three presents beneath it. We had to keep the sound down so as to not upset the baby, and cook basic meals, for our kitchen skills allowed for nothing fancy.
Everything was different...
It wasn't late one night in December. Ezra was asleep, so Natalie and I
were snuggled up on the couch, watching one of our favourite shows, 'Queer as
Folk'. A commercial break came on.
"Remember when we used to be able to watch this on cable, commercial free?"
sighed Natalie.
"We had to watch the late night re-runs because it was banned in both our
houses," I laughed. "I would sneak out of band practice and babysitting to
get to your place, hoping to spend some quality time with you-"
"And I'd make you wait until the show was over," she giggled. "Ah, the
days of forbidden love."
"For both each other and 'Queer as Folk'." I shook my head.
"Actually, I genuinely like it now. I never used to, but it's sucked me
like a soap opera should."
"Things are so different now. We had a wedding and a baby to prove our
love, you like 'Queer as Folk'..."
We could hear our baby cry, so we stood up and headed for the nursery.
"Don't cry, honey," hushed Natalie, picking up Ezra and resting him on her hip.
Placing myself next to Natalie on the side that she held Ezra, I began to sing
Ezra to sleep.
"Everything is different, but nothing's changed, are we going in circles, it's
Christmas again..."
Ezra's crying subsided, as his eyes closed. Natalie didn't put him
straight back in his cot, instead choosing to rock him gently for a moment.
I hooked one arm around her waist, and kissed the top of Ezra's head.
"It's midnight," whispered Natalie.
"Merry Christmas, baby," I smiled, kissing her on the lips.
... but nothing's changed.
Musical Credit
Loosely based on 'Christmas Time' by Hanson
from the album 'Snowed In'