The Christmas gift - a Christmas story - Chapter 18
Terrence was just too overwhelmed to sleep. He couldn't believe how everything worked out just perfect. He had a job and he had his daughter back, and his life seemed pretty perfect now. Three years ago he had lost all hope to live and now everything went full circle and he felt like the man he was before. A loving father, and a hard worker that would do anything for his family.
Julia and Terrence met each other at church. They were only eighteen years old, but it truly was love at first sight. He would never forget how he sat behind her in church and saw the light shining on her reddish hair. He can remember imagining her face, and when she finally turned around, he was dumbstruck by her beauty. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, and he felt butterflies the second she spoke to him. Julia came from a very conservative family and had quite a few brothers and sisters, he can't even remember how many. Julia made him feel daring and he had plenty of first experiences with her.
It was the best day of his life when he asked her to marry him and she said yes. Perhaps she only wanted to get out of the house, but there at the mere age of twenty four, they got married. Perhaps she never loved him, but he tried everything in his power to make her happy.
She was not used to much, so in the beginning she respected him and motivated him and she seemed grateful for every little thing he did, but later on it became a habit. It felt like she became bored with him and he suggested that they try for a baby.
For the first year it seemed exciting and when she finally fell pregnant after fourteen months, she seemed to be delighted. He worked harder and he tried his best to provide for his family, but after he got the promotion at work he had to work longer hours and Julia seemed to lose interest in him. Most days when he got home, he had to pick up the baby from her mom's house because she was out with her friends. This carried on for months, and when he tried to comfort her, she pulled away.
Gabriella was the most beautiful,friendliest little baby he had ever seen in his life. She had such fair skin, and pitch black hair and she was just as beautiful as her mother. When Gabriella was three years old, Julia started staying out partying with her friends. He had to look after their baby and things became so bad that Julia moved out. She left Gabriella with him, and it was difficult for him to work such long hours and care for a child.
Julia was gone for nearly two months, but she came back and it seemed like she had changed. It took him weeks to trust her again and to leave Gabriella alone with her again. He never asked her where she went, but he was glad that she was back. Things went well for a few months, but a few months later things started to become rogue again.
This time she brought her friends home, and night after night they partied in his house, while he was trying to keep a five year old Gabriella asleep and get some sleep of his own because he had to work. When he got home from work he had to cook dinner and see that Gabriella takes a bath. She was not his wife anymore, and when he confronted Julia she became angry.
The last straw was when he caught Julia making out with a young guy nearly five years younger than she was, and he was so disgusted in both of them that he kicked them out. Julia came back two days later as if nothing had happened and then one morning when he woke up, both Julia and Gabriella was gone. He searched everywhere and took some time off work to search for his daughter and used a lot of money hiring private investigators. It drained him.
For nearly a year he had absolutely no word from her, and then he received an anonymous tip from someone that they saw Julia in the city of Illinois. It was totally cross country and he quit his job to go and find her. He searched for weeks, and finally his money ran out. He just had no more fight in him, and he had no choice but to give up.
He ended up living on the streets but he was always searching and on the lookout. There was still hope but he felt dead inside. Nothing could take away that pain of longing and sadness and it was only when Jonah showed up that he started to feel alive again. Jonah was a broken little boy and he had to do everything in his power to protect him. He made sure that Jonah got enough to eat everyday and he made sure that Jonah slept warm at night.
The first ray of hope in finding Jonah's mother, flickered up when Jack showed up. In the last three weeks, everything changed, and now he had his daughter back. He couldn't believe how happy he felt today, but he was so angry with Julia. His beloved Julia that left their child with total strangers. He shuddered to think about the trauma that Gabriella had to go through, but for now he was just happy that she was back.
-To be continued
Chapter 1 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-1
Chapter 2 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-2
Chapter 3 - https://steemit.com/story/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-3
Chapter 4 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-4
Chapter 5 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-5
Chapter 6 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-6
Chapter 7 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-7
Chapter 9 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-9
Chapter 10 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-10
Chapter 11 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-11
Chapter 12 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-12
Chapter 13 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-13
Chapter 14 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-14
Chapter 15 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/dtbcx-the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-14
Chapter 16 - https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-16
Chapter 17- https://steemit.com/fiction/@giantbear/the-christmas-gift-a-christmas-story-chapter-17
Thank you giantbear, I do not read a lot of stories on steemit, because of time. But yours is exceptional and anyone with any empathy should read this.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT OFTEN HAPPENS IN LIFE. Sometimes people choose the wrong path and ruining their lives and the lives of their loved ones. It's very sad. I hope in the continuation of your story will have a happy ending.
I hope you read the other chapters?
The first view is so memorable and seductive haha 😎😎😎
♥♥♥it is a nice Christmas Gift and Christmas Story - thank you brother @gianthear for the sharin♥♥♥