Merry Christmas, Henry by Aubrey Wynne

This is a hauntingly beautiful story that will stick with me for a long time.  Henry is an old-fashioned boy who loves to paint.  He's not old, but he has no interest in the activities of the people around him.  He just likes his little apartment and painting.  That's the only real world to him...

The author graciously gave me a copy of this story to read for review.  You can find a copy of it on Amazon.

This is a short story but I found it very effective.  You understand Henry's solitude and his loneliness.  He has a job as a security guard at the local museum.  One night, as they are unwrapping new paintings for exhibits, he finds the most beautiful woman he's ever seen in a painting.  It looks like she's looking right at him.  The painting is deemed not worthy of public display in the main exhibit hall and is placed in another less travelled area.  That's OK with Henry.  He visits her on his night shift and eats lunch with her.  She looks so sad, though.  It's a beautiful setting, but there's no real color. One night, an idea comes to Henry.  He knows it's against the rules and even against the law, but who's going to notice?

He sneaks his paints into the museum and begins adding flowers to the picture.  He hasn't touched the lady but he notices she's beginning to smile.  As he keeps enhancing the picture he sees more changes.  No one else sees anything.  He already had a crush on her and now he loves this woman in the picture.  It will do no good, but he does.

Sometimes miracles happen on Christmas Eve so Henry is hoping she may walk out of the painting.  He has no such luck and tells her Merry Christmas and turns to go.  Henry might not get what he had planned, but he does get what he wanted.

I really enjoyed this story and how the author ended the story.  It's a precious little read if you enjoy fantasy and light romance.  Why not give it a try yourself?