The Waiting Star Game — In the warm parlor, Tessa tucked her toes under the rug and invented the Waiting Star Game. Read the full story →
In the warm parlor, Tessa tucked her toes under the rug and invented the Waiting Star Game. She would count one ornament, then one stocking, then one present, very slowly, while the fire made soft pop-pop sounds and the pine needles smelled sharp and sweet.
One red ball. One striped candy cane. One bow on a box. The room grew quieter with every careful count, as if the tree were listening too. “Your turn,” Tessa whispered to the gold star.
Then a car rolled past outside, and its headlights slid through the window. The star flashed once, bright as a wink, and the bells below it shone after, one by one. Tessa smiled and began again, slower this time. Next time you see the star at the top, can you wait long enough to catch its turn?
