1 [Report This]Date: December 22, 2020 10:56 pm Title: Chapter 1
warrior, this was so good. I loved everything about it. You could truly feel how devastating it was when they thought Phil would be in the hospital for Christmas, and then their joy when he was able to come home in time. You captured Cece and Phillip perfectly. This was a great fic, that ending definitely put me in a Christmas mood.
Author's Response:
Thanks Aly. As I've told others, I've had my own experiences dealing with hospital stays around Christmas. Two years ago I was in the hospital myself for heart surgery and was able to come home Christmas morning. I fed a lot of those kinds of feelings into this story. I'm very glad you liked Cece and Phillip. My daughter is Phil's age in this story so I was able to use a lot her mannerisms as a base for how he would act here. I'm honored the end helped get you into a Christmas mood.
Hope you and yours have a great holiday season. Merry Christmas.
1 [Report This]Date: December 22, 2020 09:43 pm Title: Chapter 1
...Damn, man.
I appreciate you taking some of the Christmastime story conventions and made them your own. The fact that Phil was the Tiny Tim AND that the real Santa was there was just heartbreaking and heartwarming, respectively. Cece is the best as always, and I love we get to learn more about Gerald and Betsy since "Niagara" is all we saw of them.
There's also the little things. Dwight getting the FMLA approved just goes to show how far he's come; the man wouldn't do it for just anyone. And the fact that someone questioned him about the doc is fascinating in this instance since the office is a bunch of celebrities now, and as charming and outgoing as Jim is, of course, this was an instance of "Please, now's not the time". Makes sense.
The struggle with Jim and Pam felt VERY natural. Not to overshare, but my parents had to undergo similar emotions that they're feeling and they're intense. And, as a father yourself, I'm sure you know better than anyone.
I'm reading this right off the heels of setting and decorating the tree with my folks AND a LEGO train display around it, so how about some more Christmas feels three days off?
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Author's Response:
Thank you very much 3V. I like bringing in Gerald and Betsy because you're right, we don't get to see a lot of them. Thanks for picking up on all those details like FMLA, real Santa, and Jim putting the fangirl in her place. It really makes me feel like the effort I put into writing is worth it when I get comments like that.
I've had my own issues with hospital stays around the holidays. They're never any fun. I'm glad the emotions I put into Jim and Pam came alive for you.
I hope you have a great holiday season. Merry Christmas.
1 [Report This]Date: December 22, 2020 08:51 pm Title: Chapter 1
Christmas magic is the best kind of magic and you brought it alive with this story.
Knowing something was off from the very beginning and learning it was their child hit me right here. Having been in the ER with each of my children when they were very young I know the anxiety a parent feels when their child is very ill (and our longest stay was overnight). What Jim and Pam must have been going through, especially when trying to keep Christmas happy and magical for Cece. But even if I hadn't had any experience with a sick child he way you wrote I could feel the emotions they were struggling through.
The line about coal walks and parking lot epiphanys was strong in conveying the helplessness in the moment.
Having to deal with a fan who was completely insensitive just made it that much worse and Gotta give your Jim credit for not biting her head off.
I love the hippopotamus for Christmas song. Not well known but one the kiddos sang at school concert. May I suggest another fun one-- Santas Solar Sleigh. Yours may still be too young to get it but it's great fun even for us adults.
What a perfect little twist with Santa ...I applaud you ....that is a perfect Christmas miracle twist and one that I didn't see coming.
While I love the Santa twist the love Cece has for her brother was the real magic of this story. I just love how you exemplified that with this holiday fic.
Thanks for sharing the magic with us.
Wishing you a yours all the magic of this season. Merry everything.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much Maxine. I've had to bring my daughter into the ER before and know that feeling well. Also two years ago now I was in the hospital myself and got to come home Christmas morning. That's a feeling that still gets me choked up.
Thanks for picking up on a lot of the details I put into this one. Nice to see people appreciate the little things that get added in.
I'll have to check out that Solar Santa Sleigh song. Rusty Chevrolet is another fun Christmas song I thought of adding in, but went a different route.
Kids are remarkably perceptive at times. Considering how quick witted her parents are, I would think that Cece is sure to pick up on why she needs to do her part to help take care of Phil.
I'm glad you liked this one so much. It was a fun story to bring together.
I hope you and yours have a happy holiday season as well. L'Chiam!
1 [Report This]Date: December 22, 2020 08:24 pm Title: Chapter 1
I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying.
This was amazing, warrior. I adore the relationship you gave Phil and Cece in this story. And among the uncertainty of the ICU, you still managed to make this such a magical Christmas story with a beautiful ending. I loved it! :)
Author's Response:
I'll admit, I was getting choked up myself when writing the Santa scene in the hospital, Christmas morning, and Pam and Jim looking up at the North Star. Hope you didn't go through to many tissues.
Thanks so much WW. I'm glad you liked this story. It was challenging at times, but also helped light some Christmas magic in my own heart. Merry Christmas.
1 [Report This]Date: December 22, 2020 02:14 pm Title: Chapter 1
I’m pretty sure this was for me. And I am beaming. I couldn’t be happier that you wrote it, Eric! I love it, so so so much! This was just wonderful, and I love your description of the kids, and what a miracle to have Christmas morning. Ugh this hit the feels in ALL the right places. Merry Christmas!!!
Author's Response: You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I'll be honest I started getting choked up a bit while writing those scenes with Santa and on Christmas morning. I hope you have a great holiday. Merry Christmas.
1 [Report This]Date: December 22, 2020 12:56 pm Title: Chapter 1
Number one, how dare you.
No, but seriously. Like many Jews, I'm not much of a magic of Christmas person, and I still found this wonderfully sweet. Clearly the *real* Santa did a good job finding the true good girls this December.
I love Cece as totally committed to her brother's health and recovery and the Cece-Phil relationship - they remind me A LOT of my niece and nephew at that age, and feel like actual kids, particularly with Slapball. It made it all the harder to read Jim noticing the small ways Phil's sickness was taking its toll on Cece. Really, the impact of this scary situation on the entire family just felt real.
The detail of the receptionist fangirling out and Jim having to rein her in was a good addition - the sort of thing that would definitely crop up for a post AARM Jim and Pam a fair bit, and always at the worst possible moment. And the description of the hospital does well in letting us really see it.
Anyhow. This was just a really nice story which coincidentally I read in a very dusty room. Good job.
Author's Response: I'm glad you enjoyed this one so much. It was a fun project to work on. Thanks for picking up on so many of the details here. They were a lot of fun to add in. I hope you have a great holiday season. L'Chiam!