Kissing Kringle - A Forever Safe Christmas

After about twenty minutes, she starts to get fussy, so the nurse brings me a bottle. Giving her what she wants, she settles again.

She’s asleep and the sound of her even breathing is soothing. I am almost asleep when I hear a gasp. The sexiest gasp I’ve ever heard, in fact. My head snaps up and the hottest girl I’ve ever seen is staring straight at me, her tiny hand clasped over her heart.

Well, fuck. It’s the one woman in the whole world who could make me look twice…

Chapter 2

Kristina Bell

“Ms. Bell, I’m sorry to have to tell you that you won’t be able to graduate this year if you don’t get some extra credit. Even though your grades are good, you simply missed too many hours of school,” Mr. Willer says looking at me with a look of pity that I fucking hate. I know that I have missed a fuck ton of school, but I couldn’t very well leave my sick baby sister at home with a drunk bitch of a mother. She doesn’t even remember her own name half of the time, there’s no way I’d leave my sister there with her without me to defend her.

I have made sure that I kept my grades up so when I turned eighteen, I could finally fucking get my sister and I out of the hellhole my mother calls a home. She likes to think she plays the doting mother but everyone knows that Frances Bell, aka my mom, is a drunk who likes to spread her legs for any man who will look her way in hopes that maybe one of them would actually love her.

“Mr. Willer, I know that I have missed some days but isn’t there something I can do to make up for the hours that I missed?” I ask him, almost in tears. I know there is no way in hell they will let me have Deanna if I can’t even finish high school. I have been working a part-time job since I turned fifteen. I’ve been saving up money so the minute I turned eighteen, I could get a place for her and I to stay, but let’s face it I am basically an eighteen-year-old single mother whose money goes to get a roof over our heads and food on the table. I have to take off school and work whenever Deanna is sick, or mom is in one of her drunk fits and trying to break shit.

I’m only three years older than Deanna but I feel like I have been more of a mother to her than our own. I have been taking care of myself since I was five. Mr. Willer sighs, drawing me out of my miserable thoughts.

“You’ll need to get at least twenty-three hours of community service hours to be able to graduate on time, Ms. Bell. I know how hard you are working, and I know life at home isn’t easy, but I can’t make any exceptions.” I nod my head.

“I can do community service. Do you know of any places I can sign up?”

“My wife works at San Tropez Hospital in Queens. She says they are looking for some elves to help with Santa. They need some baby snugglers. I can pull some strings and have her sign you up. I know you’re not a bad kid and you try but this is your last chance, Kristina.” I nod my head again, at this point he probably thinks I am bobblehead.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Willer. I’ll go there right after school.” He nods his head.

“Go on back to class. I’ll let her know to expect you.”

Yeah, like I am really going to be able to concentrate. I make my way to math class. The day goes by in a blur and before I know it it’s time for me to head to the hospital but first, I need to find D and tell her what’s going on. I feel like I am letting her down in some way. Apart of me really feels like I have the entire fucking world on my shoulders however I’ll keep doing what I have to do because I am a fucking survivor. We don’t have cell phones because I can’t afford one, so I walk over to her locker and wait for her to get out of class.

“Hey, sis what’s up,” she asks. I hate that she sounds as defeated as I do.

“I need to go to the hospital for some community service hours so I will be late coming home. I know I promised that I would help you study but if I don’t do these hours, they aren’t going to let me graduate.”

“Shit. Okay. Can I come with you?” I know she doesn’t want to go back home without me, but I don’t know what the hospital is going to be like.