Mistletoe Blues

Title: Mistletoe Blues
Prompt: Mistletoe
Fandom: original
Characters: Wolfgang, Bernd, and Didi, mention of Amber & James
Word count: 797
Rating: PG13
Summary: Wolfgang’s story about how he met his wife left Bernd feeling sad…
Warning: loss of a parent
Author’s notes: Thanks go out to my beta, Kat, for pinking this for me. Amber & James belong to Kat.


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Bernd stood on a ladder, armed with a couple of pushpins, and a sprig of mistletoe. He was in the threshold between the kitchen and the mudroom, and was doing his best to hang the sprig under his father’s watchful eye. Bernd pushed another green pushpin into the red ribbon that was tied around the mistletoe. He leaned back ever so slightly to admire his handiwork, before coming down off the ladder. With a bit of luck, he would be able to catch Amber under it when she came over for dinner.

Wolfgang looked up from the kitchen table where he was eating his lunch. “I met your Mutti under the mistletoe.” He helped himself to more potato salad.

“Yeah?” Bernd said as he folded the ladder. Leaning it against the wall of the mudroom, he reached for his coat and pulled it on. He sat on the bench and put on his boots.

“Yeah. It was at one of the village dances. I went with a couple of my friends. I was the last to enter the biergarten, where the party was held, and this beautiful girl walked up to me and kissed me.”

“Mutti really do that?”

Wolfgang nodded. “Go put the ladder away and I’ll you more when you get back.”

“Okay!” Grabbing the ladder, Bernd hurried out into the snowy backyard to the garage, where he left the ladder. He quickly retraced his steps and back inside, he called out, “Tell me more, Vati!” Bernd hung up his coat in his cubby and pulled off his boots. He was careful to put them neatly away on the tray his father had to catch the melting snow. Bernd walked into the kitchen.

Wolfgang got up and made his son a turkey sandwich and got out his special container of potato salad, taking both to the table, while Bernd got himself a glass of milk. He sat down at the table next to his brother, who had joined them for lunch while Bernd was outside.

“Where was I?” Wolfgang said. He smiled as his sons exchanged glances.

“You said Mutti kissed you at a party,” his youngest, Didi, said.

“Aah, yes… I was shock to say the least, but I couldn’t help laughing when she pointed up. I had been standing under the mistletoe and she stole a kiss.”

“That was it?” Bernd said between mouthfuls.

“Well, we danced the rest of night and I wound leaving my friends behind, so I could walk her home. And after that, we dated and then got married a year and half later. Then you came along.”

Bernd blushed. He knew he was a preemie, but something about the way his father said it made him think. He quickly dismissed that train of thought. While he was aware that his parents had to have had sex in order to have him and his brother, he still did not want to think about that.

“You and Mutti lived in Germany then?” Didi asked.

“Yeah. We didn’t move to America until shortly after you were born.”

“That’s when Mutti got sick…” Bernd said softly.

“Yeah.” Wolfgang sighed. “Anyway, let’s go finish putting out the greenery. Didi, can you help me put the angel on top of the tree?”

“Sure.”

While Bernd picked at his lunch, his father and brother soon finished theirs. They left him alone with his thoughts while they continued decorating the house for their Yuletide celebration. Bernd stared at the mistletoe. His father’s quiet little story left him feeling sad. He picked up his sandwich and threw it away along with the remaining potato salad on his plate. Bernd took it to the sink and washed the lunch dishes. He dried them and put them away. While he was not feeling any happier, he pretended he was and helped with the decorating.

“Are you feeling okay, Bernd?” Wolfgang said when his son listlessly handed him the stockings that he hung up, one by one, on the fireplace’s mantle.

Bernd nodded. “I’m just tired. Can I go lie down until Amber gets here?”

“I can help you, Vati,” Didi said.

Wolfgang nodded. He raised an eyebrow when Bernd headed towards the kitchen, but let the matter drop, preferring to keep the peace. Instead, he focused his energy on getting the house ready for the holiday with his younger son.

Bernd stood in the kitchen, gazing up at the mistletoe. Instead of feeling happy and hopeful about stealing a kiss from Amber, he felt sad as he suddenly missed his late mother. Sighing softly, he turned and headed upstairs to his room. Despite his happy holiday memories, especially those with Amber and James and the rest of his family and friends, they were overshadowed by feelings of loss.