Seven Nights of Christmas • Dec.18

"I'm very sorry, but there is really no hope," a solemn tone coming from Beth's doctor. "The least I can advice you is to be prepared. She'll need you to overcome her pain. There would be few days left for her, make Beth happy. She’s very lucky to overcome her due."

Camille on teary eyes leaned to her husband Miguel. Can't catch his throat, Miguel started to talk, "how long would it be?"

"Well depending on her past records, maybe a week or so. But rest assured it won't take a month."

Walking towards Beth's room, Camille broke her silence, "I'll just pray in the chapel," she told Miguel.

And he replied, "Let me go with you."

"No... I guess... I just need space. I need time to think…"

Miguel differ his tone, "but Beth doesn't have much of that."

"Don't make it too hard for me Migs... I just need silence," listless, she told Miguel, "Go to her room... She must be awake."

"But..." he insisted.

"Just leave..." she said with an effortless smile.

Camille slowly walked to the chapel, cold feet, she got down on her knees, feels the coldness of the flooring, and she started to move towards the altar. Crying, she prayed. "God... Thank you for giving us Beth... But please... Not now... Please give us more time to spend with her..."  She faced Christ on His cross, "You gave us Beth exactly on Your birthday, please... Give her the chance to celebrate her 12th birthday with You..." She then reached the altar, kissed the floor and broke up with tears, "Please let Beth live..."

Miguel slowly opens the door and sees Beth lying on her bed, "is she asleep?" he asks Mika, her older daughter.

Mika on top of a chair, decorating the room with little lanterns, "yes Dad, she just helped me decorate her Christmas tree."

"You let her?" Miguel hushed.

Then she faces her father, "she wanted to..."

Beth open her eyes, "isn't it beautiful Dad?" asked Bethwith her innocent smile.

"Well, it's beautiful baby..." Miguel stares on the tree and noticed there is something missing, "where's the star?"

"You won’t believe Eman, he forgot something that significant..." Mika answered.

"But Kuya Eman’s gonna buy one..." then Beth stand up and fixing her headdress, "Dad, does my Bandana fits me well?"

Miguel then smiled, "You’re beautiful..."

"No... Ate Mika's beautiful..." Beth answered with no emotion.

"You're also beautiful!" Mika exclaimed as she got down from the chair where she was standing.

Beth slowly touches her head and felt what’s underneath the fine cloth, "I have no hair..."

The room shut with silence, on that instance not a single word uttered from their mouth, not until Eman came in, "here comes the star!"

Smile draws back to Beth's lips, "let me!"

Eman immediately handed the glass star to Beth and Miguel raised Beth for her to place the star on top of their Christmas tree.

"Christmas’ coming..." Beth whispered.

"What do you want for your birthday?" Miguel asked.

"I want to be 18 years old..."

With confusion on every faces, behind the door there’s Camille silently listening on their conversation.

"I want to wear a beautiful dress like that of Ate Mika when she celebrated her debut... I want to dance with you, Dad, Kuya Eman... I want a big birthday cake..."

“That’s like, seven years, we still need to wait for that seven years before you’ll be eighteen,” Eman explained.

Still hiding, Camille thinks on how she could grant her dying daughter’s wish.

“Today’s 18,” Mika started to count the next days to come with her fingers, “19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, seven days before your twelfth birthday.”

"If that's what you wanted..." Camille begun to speak, while entering the room, "we must celebrate your 12th birthday tonight... Celebrating it every night, we’ll be getting you eighteen by Christmas…" she smiled.

Confused again by what Camille is referring to, Miguel raised a question, “what do you mean?”

“What I’m saying is, our little Beth is requesting for a time-warp this Christmas-slash-her birthday. We can make it every day until she reach eighteen,” Camille then answered.

It took a minute of silence before Eman stand-up and, "That's fantastic! I'll buy a cake!"

"Then I’ll be the one to buy balloons and spaghetti I guess," said Mika.

"Well... I have to invite your cousins then..." said Miguel.

The family's plan brought happiness to Beth, just by hearing what’s gonna happen that night the little girl’s emotion grew as to as if she’d never be happy in her entire life..

And the night came, complete with balloons, cake, lot of foods and cousins, Beth celebrated her birthday, this maybe not her first time to celebrate it at the hospital but it is different, full of joy and love.

Mika handed a gift to Beth, and she immediately opens it until a pair of slippers got out from the box. Silver slippers.