The snowfall arrived unannounced, covering everything in a white silence. Arika, still small, raised her hand carefully, trying to catch a snowflake before it melted between her fingers. That image brought back a vague, distant memory... although, as was usual for her, her face showed no emotion.
Behind her, soft footsteps broke the silence.
—Merry Christmas —said a child's voice.
Arika turned just in time to feel something warm fall on her head. Reize, also small, had placed a red Christmas hat on her head, smiling proudly.
Arika awkwardly adjusted the hat and looked at her curiously.
—What is this?...
Reize tilted her head slightly before answering, explaining in simple words.
—It's a special hat —said Reize —. People wear it at Christmas.
—Christmas?... —Arika repeated, trying out the word, still confused.
—It's an important night —Reize explained gently —. Everyone gets together, eats together, talks... and for a while, they forget about sad things.
Arika was silent, processing each word.
—Is that why everyone was so cheerful and smiling?
Reize nodded.
—Yes. And it's okay if you don't fully understand —she added—. When you arrived, Christmas was already over. But now you're here.
Arika looked down for a moment, thoughtful. Reize watched her closely.
—Is something wrong?
—No, I'm fine... —Arika replied after a brief pause—. I was just thinking that... this is my first Christmas, at least the first one I can remember.
Reize smiled even more broadly, as if her answer had given her courage.
—Then it will be the best one ever. I'll make sure of it —she assured her—. I saw that there are lots of presents inside. Come on.
She took Arika's hand and led her inside the orphanage, leaving behind the snow that continued to fall silently.
Elsewhere, in a room filled with stacked boxes and old decorations, a young Elion was carefully searching for Christmas candles. He frowned, checking again and again without success. Then the door opened.
—Did you find them? —asked little Stella as she entered, her voice calm—. You took a long time, and Hael is looking for you.
Elion shook his head.
—Not yet...
Stella approached without saying anything else and began to help him. It didn't take them long to find the candles and, hidden behind a box, some chocolates.
Elion looked at them in surprise.
—They were there?... But I looked there like three times.
—A fourth time wouldn't hurt... and you're not very good at looking, apparently —Stella replied with a teasing smile.
Elion looked down, a little embarrassed.
—Well... —he said finally—. Let's take everything downstairs. We can share them.
They both went down to the courtyard. Elion approached Mrs. Julia, who was looking after Hael. As soon as he saw him, the little boy stretched out his arms and called to him with a happy babble. Elion picked him up carefully.
—Thank you for looking after him —he said to Julia.
—It's nothing —she replied with a smile.
Mr. Javier appeared shortly after, carrying a puppet in his hand.
—Oh, you're back. Looks like we won't need this then —he said—. Hael was restless without you, so I went to get something to calm him down.
Elion thanked them both. Julia explained that Hael was a calm baby, despite being only two years old, but that he got upset when he didn't see his brother.
Stella appeared shortly after.
—Look what we found —she said, showing them the cookies—. Let's hand them out.
The neighbors gathered, sharing the moment in hushed tones, as if no one wanted to break the calm. When the clock struck midnight, fireworks lit up the sky, and amid lights and smiles, everyone wished each other a Merry Christmas.
Elsewhere, far away, little Koen watched the fireworks from a high window. He was dressed in elegant clothes and was at a party full of people, but his gaze remained distant, indifferent to the brightness that surrounded him.
A butler approached discreetly.
—Young Koen, a present has arrived.
—Put it with the others —he replied without looking away from the window.
—But... this one is from your mother.
Koen turned around immediately.
—My mother? ... All right, give it to me —he took the box carefully—. Tell my grandfather that I'll be away for a moment.
The butler nodded, and Koen went up to his room. He placed the box on the bed and opened it carefully. Inside was a letter and some chocolate-vanilla cookies filled with mango.
He took the letter and read it silently.
His mother's words seemed to embrace him, speaking to him gently, asking him to be strong, promising him a reunion. Koen clutched the letter between his fingers when he finished reading.
He couldn't hold back the tears.
He took a cookie and ate it slowly. When he finished, he closed his eyes for a moment.
—Merry Christmas... Mom —he whispered.
Outside, fireworks continued to light up the sky, as if even the distance wanted to remind him that, on this night, he was not completely alone.