The Mare

Velvet

I thought there would be snow up where they were and there wasn’t. I thought I would see snowmen. But it was the same cold wet with old pieces of dirty snow on the curb and the grass, except lonelier than my street. Right away when we got out the car, I asked to go see my mare, and for the first time Ginger said no, it was late, didn’t I want to see the tree? I said please and Paul said tomorrow. And I felt mad. Because it was my Christmas and I even said please.

But then we came in the house. It was dark at first and then Ginger went in the living room and the tree went on and — it was like being in a room I never saw before. Their tree was big, much bigger than the one at the restaurant or even at school; it was like the only thing in the room. And there was all different things on it, colored balls with designs on them, glass birds, candy canes, and angels and animals, and you could see they put them together in a way that was on purpose. There was tinsel hanging on every branch. And there were little white lights, but also big lights in soft colors that reminded me of the game I played at day care, Candy Land; there were wrapped presents underneath. My blood started moving really fast in my body, like music that’s too fast to dance to. I thought of Strawberry then, how she talked like a little kid, because that’s what I felt like.

“Do you want to open them tonight or tomorrow?” asked Ginger.

“I don’t know.”

“How about one tonight and the rest tomorrow?”

I picked a little one and when I opened it I found a silver ring in the shape of a blue butterfly. It was more beautiful than anything I ever had. It made my blood run faster, like something too fast for me to hold.