Aurora Magazine 2019

wasn’t room for more bitterness.

Two hours later, the house was quiet. Sue Ann lit her candle against the evening dark and began her evening protocol of prayer. In the darkness, the Christmas lights flickered. Samuel departed with his mother, supervised by the grandparents in a carload of gifts. Tomorrow she would sleep in before opening her pres - ent. Fool that that she was, she had no legal papers to protect her rights and no paper could protect her heart. She threw the legal summons into the fire and knew she would not fight the mother for custody. As the papers turned to ashes, Sue Ann fingered her present, and unrolled the paper drawing of baby Jesus by Samuel. She stood and walked to the kitchen. She’d place it on the refrig - erator once her traitorous fingers let go of the finger-painted duo of Samuel holding baby Jesus while an old angel labeled grand - ma looked on. Sue Ann paused and savored the gift. After all, she’d shared the love and obeyed the rules. She gave the finest Christ - mas gift of all to Samuel. She’d kept the faith. She let him go.

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