352: Christmas Tree 🎄✨
Daily Image created using ChatGPT (Anime AI Art)
🎄 The Tree
Petra spotted the tree at the edge of the lot, half buried in snow, and knew it was the one. Visually, it fit the bill, with approximately the right height and symmetry, but it also looked the part with pointy needles that held light like stars. Her gloves were soaked by the time she dragged it to the car, but she didn’t care. This year, the tree mattered.
Inside the apartment, the ritual began. She laid out the ornaments in rows: red and white glass baubles from the flea market, gold bows she’d tied herself, candy canes still sticky from last year’s heat. The star, a tin one with a crooked point, waited last. She didn’t rush. Each piece had its place, each light its rhythm.
The fireplace flickered beside her, casting shadows that danced across the walls. Outside, the snow kept falling. Through the frosted window, the village square glowed. Lampposts wrapped in garland, children tugging sleds, someone singing off-key near the bakery. Petra paused to watch, then returned to decorating the tree.
She added the teddy bear, nestled among the presents, and placed the Santa figurine just so, facing the fire like he’d earned the warmth. Her sister would arrive soon. She always did, late but bearing something ridiculous. Last year, it was a gingerbread cactus. That silly thing was still in the closet waiting to be re-gifted.
This year, she’d bet on peppermint pickles. She didn’t mind. The tree was ready. The room smelled of pine and cinnamon, and the wreath above the mantle blinked in slow, steady pulses. When the knock came, she didn’t answer right away. She stood in front of the tree, letting the glow settle into her. It was imperfect, but the room felt complete.
She opened the door. Her sister grinned, holding a box wrapped in paper that looked suspiciously like recycled comic strips.
“Don’t ask,” she said.
“I never do,” she replied.
They laughed. The tree blinked behind them, steady and warm.
