Todd sat up in his bed. His digital clock read 4:03. Too early, he thought. His mother told him that no matter how excited he was, he had to stay in bed until at least five. With a sigh he flopped back onto the twin mattress and pulled the warm down comforter back over his face, but he knew that sleep wouldn’t come. He was way too excited.
After all, it was Christmas Eve.
Ever since the first snow began to fall, his excitement for the upcoming holiday became nearly palpable. The days seemed to drag on and on, each one longer than the next as he counted down to the holiday. And now, the day was here. It was almost time.
He rolled over again to steal a glance at his clock. 4:05. He had to find a way to make the time pass. He started counting, not counting anything in particular, but just running his mind up the numbers. It was a concentration tool that he had learned, and he found that it helped him pass the time during class when he was bored. One, two, three, four, five, six…
He sat up with a gasp. He had fallen asleep! The cold morning light illuminated his room. With one motion he jumped out of bed and looked at his clock - 7:43! How did this happen? He shoved his feet into his dog-faced slippers and bolted down the stairs.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Todd’s mom smiled. "I thought you were going to miss the big day!" The smell of cinnamon French toast permeated the kitchen. "Your breakfast is almost ready. After you eat, let’s get you showered and dressed, and we’ll go to the mall to see Santa. Are you ready to see Santa today?"
Todd grinned, showing his missing tooth. He just experienced the loss of his first baby tooth a few weeks ago, and was pleased to have received a dollar from the Tooth Fairy for it. Not that he believed in something as silly as the Tooth Fairy. “Of course I’m ready! I’ve been waiting for this for-ev-er.”
"Good," she replied, but she already knew that was his answer. They had been talking about this day for a long time. She piled his plate high with French toast, and while he was nearly too excited to eat, his Mom’s French toast was nothing to pass up. He ate every bite, dropped his fork, and darted upstairs to shower.
As he dried himself off he carefully examined the outfit that his Mom had picked out for him for the occasion. A thick red sweater with reindeer appliques. Brown cords. Warm socks and a pair of boots. He nodded in approval at her choices, and quickly dressed himself. Within minutes he was downstairs, and his Mom helped him finish getting ready. Thirty minutes later, they were in the car, on the way to the mall. It was almost time to see Santa.
As the moment drew closer, his mood grew solemn. Todd’s mom sensed it immediately. “Are you sure you are ready for this?” She asked.
"Yes," he replied soberly.
She pulled their red Corolla up to the front entrance of the mall, and looked her son over. She opened his coat one last time to double check the explosives he wore strapped beneath his sweater. They were ready. This was it.
"I’ll see you again someday, right Mama?" Todd asked, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Of course you will," she said sincerely. "Of course you will. Now go tell Santa what you want for Christmas."
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Credits to: jennifer1911
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