On Christmas Eve, a wealthy but lonely Dennis stumbles upon a lost eight-year-old boy in the town square.
Haunted by memories of his own childhood, Dennis soon finds his life changing in ways he never expected.
The square was alive with lights and laughter.
Kids zipped around on skates, their cheeks red from the cold.
Couples walked hand in hand, leaning close, bundled up, and smiling. A small group of carolers sang on the corner near the big tree, voices warm even in the chilly air.
I took it all in, trying to feel… something. You’d think a successful guy like me, an orphan who grew up to be a businessman, wouldn’t feel out of place here.
But here I was, alone, like every other holiday season.
I’d had a few relationships over the years, but my partners saw dollar signs, not me.
Suddenly, I felt someone collide with me, and I turned to see a young woman sprawled on the ground, looking up at me with a grin. Her laughter was contagious, and for a split second, I couldn’t help but smile back. She was beautiful, bright-eyed, with a spark that caught me off guard.
“Oops,” she laughed, still sitting there.
“Sorry! Guess I’m not as good on skates as I thought.”
“It’s alright,” I said, offering a hand to help her up. “You sure you’re okay?”
But just as quickly, a tall guy came over, scowling as he pulled her away from me.
“Hey, buddy, what’s the deal here? Hitting on my girl?”
“No, I wasn’t,” I said quickly, backing off, with my hands up. “Just helping her up, that’s all.”
“Yeah, well, don’t,” he muttered, shooting me a glare as he led her away.
She looked back once, mouthing a quick “Sorry,” and then they were gone, swallowed by the crowd.
I stood there for a moment, shaking my head. “So much for miracles,” I muttered. I turned to leave, ready to head home.
Then I felt a small tug on my coat.
I turned around, half-expecting that girl again, but instead, I found myself looking down at a boy. He couldn’t have been more than eight, with wide brown eyes and a nervous look on his face. He clutched a small keychain, his hand trembling.
“Excuse me, sir,” he said, voice soft and polite.
“I… I need some help. I can’t find my family. Haven’t seen them in days.”
The words hit me like a blast of cold air.
“You… you lost your family?” I asked, lowering myself to his eye level. “When did you last see them?”
The boy looked down, shuffling his feet. “I’m not sure.
I been lookin’ for a while, though. But… but please, sir, don’t call the police.”
“Not the police?” I asked, puzzled. “But if you’ve been lost for days—”
He shook his head vigorously.
“No, no police. I heard people sayin’ that sometimes, when parents don’t have much money, the police take kids away. And… and my family doesn’t have much.
They’re poor. I’m afraid they’ll… well, they’ll take me away, too.”
I looked at him, feeling a pang of something I hadn’t felt in years. I knew what it was like to be a kid worried about getting taken away.
“Alright,” I said gently, resting a hand on his shoulder.
“No police, I promise. We’ll just… we’ll figure this out. Okay?”
He nodded, relief flashing across his face.
“Thank you, sir. I didn’t know who else to ask.”
“Call me Dennis,” I said. “And what’s your name?”
“Ben,” he replied, clutching his keychain a little tighter.
“Alright, Ben,” I said.
“Let’s get you home. Do you know where you live?”
He nodded. “It’s a little ways from here.
I can show you. I think I remember.”
I called my driver, and we waited in the cold as he pulled up to the curb. Ben climbed in first, tucking himself into the back seat.
I followed, shutting the door and glancing over at him. “So,” I said, trying to make conversation, “what kind of keychain is that? Looks pretty special.”
He looked down, fingers wrapped around the tiny silver heart on his keychain.
“It’s… well, it’s just a keychain they give you at this place I stayed at once.”
I looked at it more closely, realizing that it looked familiar. Very familiar.
“So, you like Christmas?” I asked instead.
“Yeah, it’s nice,” he mumbled, still looking out the window.
When we reached the address he’d given, I got out and walked with him up to the front door. He knocked once, then again.
Silence.
“Maybe they went to my grandparents’ place,” he said, though he didn’t sound convinced.
I glanced back at the square, its lights twinkling in the distance. “Alright, Ben,” I said, kneeling down to his level. “Maybe we’ll give it some time.
How about we head back to the square and enjoy a few things while we wait? Have you ever been skating?”
He looked at me, his eyes lighting up. “I haven’t!
Can we?”
I stood up, smiling. “Sure. Why not?”
As we headed back to the square, Ben’s face lit up with excitement.
The whole place was glowing, with lights strung up on every tree and children darting around. I hadn’t done much for the holidays in a long time, but tonight felt different.
“So, skating first?” I asked, nodding toward the rink.
Ben’s eyes went wide. “Really?
Can I?”
“Absolutely. Let’s get some skates.”
Minutes later, we were on the ice. Ben took off, shaky at first, his little arms flailing.
I was no expert, but I managed to stay upright. We slipped, stumbled, and laughed. I felt lighter than I had in years.
“Look, Dennis!
I got it!” he shouted, gliding a little more steadily, a grin stretched across his face.
“You’re a pro already,” I laughed, half-joking. “I’m gonna need lessons from you!”
After skating, we tried one of the carnival games—throwing rings onto bottles. He didn’t win, but he nearly knocked over the whole stand with how excited he was.
“Can we get hot chocolate?” he asked, eyeing the stand nearby.
“Of course,” I said.
We got our steaming cups, finding a bench to sit and watch the crowd. As he sipped, Ben looked so content. His cheeks were flushed, and there was a peace in his expression that felt like a gift.
I looked at him, a warmth growing in my chest that I hadn’t felt in years.
I’d only known this boy for a few hours, yet I felt connected to him. And I didn’t want the night to end.
But eventually, I cleared my throat. “Ben, maybe… maybe it’s time to head back to the shelter.”
He looked up, surprised, and for a moment, his face fell.
“How did you know?”
I smiled gently, pointing at his keychain. “I recognized that keychain the second I saw it. They gave out the same ones when I stayed there.”
His eyes widened.
“You… you were at the shelter?”
I nodded. “A long time ago. I was around your age.
So, I understand. I get what it feels like to want a family, even just for a night.”
Ben’s eyes dropped to the ground, and he nodded slowly. “I just… I wanted to feel like I had a family, you know?
Just for Christmas.”
“Yeah,” I said softly. “I know. And I’m really glad I got to spend Christmas Eve with you, Ben.”
He looked up, and I saw the gratitude in his eyes.
“Me too, Dennis.”
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