WeWriWa—Joyless Christmas

Welcome back to Weekend Writing Warriors, a weekly Sunday hop where writers share 8 sentences from a book or WIP. I’m skipping a few paragraphs ahead of last week’s, as Grand Duke Mikhail has tried to encourage 14-year-old Aleksey by telling him how much stronger and healthier he is than when he was a small boy, offered to create a new exercise room with a therapeutic pool, and suggested they go sledding, provided precautions are taken. Finally, the boy Tsar is prevailed upon to open a few presents early.

 

Alekséy made his way towards the Christmas tree and looked over the stack of presents.  Last year at this time, his eyes would’ve sparkled at the bright wrapping paper and ribbons, and at the shiny lights and beautiful baubles on the tree, but now it all seemed a cruel mockery of Christmas.  A holiday was nothing without family to celebrate with, and his family would never be whole again.

“How about that one?” Mikhaíl tried to coax him. “I got that one for you in a brand-new store, with you in mind.  It’s not one of the boring gifts like books and clothes I’m sure your sisters and grandmother got for you.”

Alekséy reluctantly picked up a very large box wrapped in cranberry-colored wrapping paper, bound with an evergreen-colored bow, and walked back to the davenport where he’d been sitting.  He pulled off the paper and ribbon as slowly as possible.