Ethan's Christmas Surprise

Sample story

Snowflakes tumble past the window like tiny white feathers, and Ethan presses his nose against the cold glass. The whole world outside is sparkling. Inside, the Christmas tree stands tall in the living room, its branches heavy with red and gold ornaments. Colorful lights blink softly — on, off, on, off — like the tree is winking at him. But something is missing. Ethan looks up at the very top of the tree, where there is nothing but an empty branch reaching toward the ceiling. "I'm going to make a star," he whispers, and his heart beats fast with excitement. He rushes to the kitchen table and grabs glue, golden glitter, and thick yellow paper. His scissors go *snip-snip-snip* as he carefully cuts out a shape. Glitter spills everywhere — on his fingers, on his pajamas, even on the tip of his nose. It tickles, and he giggles. But then the paper folds the wrong way. One point of the star crumples and tears. Ethan stares at it, his bottom lip trembling. The glitter smudges into a messy blob. "It's ruined," he says quietly. A single tear rolls down his cheek, catching the light of the Christmas tree behind him...