Jennie was disappointed and even a little pissed off. She wouldn't be able to make it home for Christmas. She arrived at the airport and discovered her flight out had been cancelled. Bad winter weather was moving in. It was going to be the first major snow storm of the season.
"Shit! This sucks so bad!" she muttered, dragging her luggage behind her as she navigated the Christmas Eve crowds.
Jennie had been so looking forward to going home to be with her folks for the holiday. She had saved up her vacation time just for this trip. Jennie managed to hail a cab and get a ride without much trouble despite the other passengers surging out to find other places to stay.
Once she was back home, she changed into her soft, warm jammies and robe and made herself a cup of hot chocolate. She tried to watch television but soon grew tired of weather warnings and goofy Christmas movies.
Jennie laid down on the couch and feel asleep as soon as her head hit the couch cushion. She didn't notice it had begun to snow and, by night fall, it had turned into a raging blizzard.
The sound of the phone ringing jostled her awake. She blindly grabbed at the coffee table for her phone and knocked it in the floor. She retrieved it and answered with a groggy, "Hello?"
"Jennie?" a male voice asked.
"Who wants to know?" she growled when she stood up and stubbed the hell out of her big toe.
"It's Nick."
Nick? Nick who?
"I don't know anybody named Nick!" Jennie yelped, hopping around as she tried to rub her throbbing toe.
"When in the hell do you not know your own cousin?" shouted the perturbed male voice.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, the aching toe suddenly forgotten.
That Nick.
"Nicky!" Jennie squealed in delight. "Is that you?"
"No, it's fuckin' Santa Claus!" he barked.
"Why are you calling me anyway?" she asked, ignoring his sarcasm.
"My flight home got diverted to your airport, and all flights out are cancelled," Nick said. "When I called Mom to tell her I wouldn't be home for Christmas, she said Aunt Linda had called and said you were stuck, too. Can you put me up for the night? I don't want to camp out in the airport. I promise I won't be any trouble."
Jennie jumped at the chance. She would get to spend Christmas with kin after all. She hadn't seen Nick in a while, and they would be able to catch up on things in the family and with themselves. This was going to be fun!
"Sure! You got to take the couch though," she said.
"Beggars can't be choosers," Nick agreed.
It seemed like it took Nick forever to make it to her place. She was beginning to worry until she heard a knock at the door. Peeking out, she viewed her snow-covered cousin who didn't look at all happy.
Jennie swung the door open, and Nick stepped in leaving a sparkly white trail of flakes in his wake.
"Damn cab got stuck! I walked the rest of the way!" he exclaimed.
"Merry Christmas to you, too, Cousin," Jennie said.
"I'm sorry, Jen. I would give you a hug, but I would get your clothes wet with this snow. I'm going to go to the bathroom and change," he said.