Last Christmas

A new story that is complete.

(Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

-/-

It is mid-morning Christmas Eve 2081. Eighty-seven year old Finn Hudson is sitting by a fire in the gas fireplace and a fake, overly decorated Christmas tree in the family room of the Selwyn Oaks Retirement Home. He is dressed in his very best outfit, waiting patiently.

Finn is bent and old, and he is rubbing his aching knees trying to find some relief from the pain as the fire in the fireplace warms him. He's cold, but no matter how warm the retirement home is, he can never feel warm enough.

Finn's alone in the spacious room. Christmas carols and songs have been playing softly over the PA system for days. Almost all of the residents have left with family members to celebrate the Christmas holiday together. He's the only one on his hall who hasn't been retrieved by their families. It has been a steady stream of family members and visitors wheeling his fellow residents out the front door to a brief respite from this warehouse for old people since yesterday.

Selwyn Oaks is nice enough, but it isn't home. Not his home. Not the home that he had shared with the love of his life for over fifty years before cancer took her from him. His children and grandchildren come to visit him, but it's not the same. This place is merely a last stop. A place to wait for death.

Finn isn't complaining, he has had a fulfilling life, and he celebrated Hanukkah with his son Benjamin earlier in December. Benjamin and his wife Elizabeth came and took him out to dinner. It had been a great time, but in the end he was deposited back at Selwyn Oaks. A way-station on his ending road of life.

Finn knew that his daughter Rebecca wouldn't be coming by to see him today. She had decided to take a sabbatical to Israel and had been sending him daily updates and photos. She wouldn't be back in the States until after the New Year.

Rubbing his painful knees, Finn rolled his wheelchair over to the window to see the snow that had been falling steadily all morning. He remembered back to a snowball fight in Central Park when he and his bride were still newlyweds. They were so poor. Poor as church mice as the saying goes, but in the falling snow all troubles were forgotten.

A lop-sided dimpled smile appeared on Finn's face as he replayed the sound of her laughter in his mind, but the warmth of the fireplace called him back to the fire.

He was staring at the fire reliving the memory of another fire in another fireplace long, long ago when he heard the familiar slap, slap, slap of a nurse's soft sole shoes as someone approached.

"Are you Mr. Finn Hudson? I've been looking everywhere for you. It's your son calling for you. He called the nurse's station when you didn't answer the phone in your room," the young nursing assistant said brightly as she handed the phone to a nodding Finn.

"Thank you," Finn said to the smiling young woman before he took the phone from her hand.

"Benjamin, are you coming?" Finn asked the caller on the phone before he paused and listened.

"I see, please don't come over here in this weather just to check on me. I'm safe and sound here, and you don't need to be out on the icy roads. You stay home and take care of Elizabeth. Tell her I hope that she's feeling better soon. Maybe we can get together for New Years. Shalom to you too," Finn said as the call ended.

Finn's lop sided smile had disappeared as he handed the phone back to the nursing assistant.

"They aren't coming are they?" the young woman asked.

"No, my daughter-in-law has the flu, and Benjamin is afraid that I might catch a germ or something. It's okay. I'm Jewish and Christmas is just another day for me. What are you doing here on Christmas Eve? You aren't one of my regular nurses," Finn asked turning the conversation back to the young woman.

"My name is Sarah, and I'm your CNA today. I'm also Jewish and I'm working here today and tomorrow so your Christian nurses can have part of the holiday off to spend with their families."

"Well my name is Finn Hudson, but you can call me Finn," Finn said with a small smile.

"Finn and Hudson aren't Hebrew names," Sarah questioned. "Were you born Jewish?"

"No, I converted when I married my late wife. It was the only way her fathers would give us their blessing. And before you ask, yes my wife was the daughter of two of the most wonderful gay men that ever lived," Finn said with a small laugh.

"My mother and my step-father were Christian so Rachel, the children, and I always had blended holidays. My step-brother is an atheist, but we get together for the holidays anyway."

"Is your step- brother still alive?" Sarah asked politely.

"Kurt is more of a brother than a step-brother. Yes Kurt is still alive, but like me, he lost the love of his life too. He lives alone in their old apartment, but he has become more of a shell of himself. He comes to see me when he can, but getting around isn't easy for him. He doesn't drive anymore, but we talk on the phone every day. At least he isn't stuck in a wheelchair the way I am," Finn sighed heavily.

"Are your legs the reason why you're in a retirement home? Your mind is as clear as mine." Sarah asked shyly.

"Yes, I'm here because my legs don't work like they used to. Thank God that I still have my mind, but this is where I need to be. My children have lives of their own, and I don't want to be a burden to them. My children, Rebecca and Benjamin did take care of me for a few years, but they're in their sixties now and helping me to and from the bathroom and in and out of bed had gotten to be more than they could handle."

"When I was looking for you, I saw a younger picture of you on the wall in your room. You were in an Ohio State football uniform. Is that what happened to your legs," Sarah asked.

"That and old age. When I was a senior at Ohio State, I was sacked by a linebacker. He hit me in the knees and broke both of them. My football career ended that day."

"So you were a quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes?" Sarah asked in amazement.

"Yes, but don't you have something better to do than spend Christmas Eve listening to an old man go on and on about his past. You're young, you must have someone special out there waiting for you," Finn questioned her back.

"I do have someone special Mr. Hudson, but I have another ten hours left on my twelve hour shift. You're here alone, and I'm enjoying spending my time with you. When I was in your room searching for you I also saw some old Broadway posters on the wall. They all had the same striking young woman on them. Who was that?" Sarah asked already guessing Finn's answer.

"That would be my Rachel. It took her awhile to get her start on Broadway, but once she did, she took off like a rocket."

"I don't remember hearing about a Rachel Hudson on Broadway, but I do remember a famous Rachel Berry. Was Rachel Berry your wife?" Sarah questioned.

"Rachel Berry was her maiden name and her stage name. She wanted to keep our personal life private. When she was not on stage, she was Rachel Hudson. My wife and the mother of our children," Finn said proudly of his late spouse.

"Tell me about her?" Sarah asked eagerly getting comfortable on a couch in front of the fireplace beside Finn.

"Are you sure that you don't have something else to do?" Finn asked again.

"No, not really. I'm a temp here today and tomorrow, and you're the only resident left on your hall. If you don't mind talking to me, I would love to hear all about you and Rachel Berry and what it was like to be an Ohio State quarterback. Did you meet your wife at Ohio State?" Sarah asked getting more and more interested in Finn's life story.

"No we met when we were both fifteen during our sophomore year in high school. We were in glee club together," Finn smiled at the memory.

"You were in a glee club? Did you play football then too," Sarah asked amazed.

"Yes, I was the high school quarterback, and I was sort of black mailed into joining the glee club, but it was the best thing that could have happened. That's where I met Rachel. She was so talented, and she could read me like a book. I think she was the only person in the world that ever truly understood me besides my mother."

"Was it love at first sight?" Sarah asked unable to stop grinning.

"No, her enthusiasm kind of freaked me out at first, and I had another girlfriend at the time. We had our ups and downs. I think we broke up three times before I realized that she was the one."

"How did you know that she was the one? I would like to know in case I find the one for me."

"This is kind of embarrassing, but I think I knew she was the one the first time that we—ah, well, you know."

"We always had this kind of link that kept pulling us back together every time that we broke up, but making love to her in light of the fireplace was the crystallizing moment for me."

"Did she feel the same way about you?"

"Not until later. She was dead-set on going to school here in New York after graduation, and she really didn't see me being happy in the city. I was a country boy from Lima, Ohio. She said that we would probably move on with different people, at different schools, in different states after graduation, but she wanted her first time to be with me. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was during our senior year on a Saturday night. Rachel had just finished the school musical West Side Story. She played Maria, the female lead."

Finn continued, "On Friday, the day before, a recuiter from OSU came up from Columbus, Ohio on a scouting trip. He watched me play that night."

"Did he sign you to Ohio State on the spot?" Sarah excitedly interrupted.

"No, not at first. I think the only reason he kept coming back was because he was smitten with my football coach," Finn bowed his head and smiled to himself.

"So you had a gay football coach?" Sarah questioned.

"No, the Beiste was a woman. The only female football coach in the country, but I learned so much football from her."

"You called your female football coach, the beast? Wasn't she offended by that?"

"No, that was her name. Shannon Beiste. It's French. Coach Beiste changed my life when she introduced me to that college recruiter. If it hadn't been for that chance to go to college, I would have probably spent my life changing tires in my step-father's tire shop in Lima."

"Okay, let's get back to Rachel. Was the fireplace as romantic as it sounds? Did you plan it for days? Did you have soft music, candles, chocolate covered strawberries, and rose petals scattered everywhere?" Sarah blushed.

"No, it just kind of happened, and I was sweating like a race horse," Finn joked.

"We're you nervous?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes I was nervous, but it was seventy degrees outside and we were under a sleeping bag on the living room floor. The fire was so hot. I wanted it to be romantic for her, but I think I kind of grossed her out with all of my perspiration," Finn smiled shaking his head. "Why am I telling you this? I'm probably grossing you out as well."

"You don't have to tell me anything, but I'm enjoying listening to your story. You're the most interesting person that I have met in a long time. When did you and Rachel get married? Did she go to Ohio State with you?"

"No Rachel went to school here in New York and I went to Ohio State on a scholarship. She didn't think a long distance relationship would be fair to me, so she tried to break up with me after high school graduation."

"Didn't that break your heart?" Sarah asked horrified.

"Yes, but I told her that I didn't give up that easily. She gave in, and we spent the next four years seeing each other when we could and calling every day."

"Didn't the girls at Ohio State throw themselves at you, being the quarterback and all?"

"Yes, but I stayed true to Rachel. We had a bond between us, and I knew that one day we would be together. And there was no way my mom could afford my tuition if I lost my scholarship or my eligibility. I wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, so I had to spend my extra time in the library with tutors just to keep my grades up."

"Tell me about your injury," Sarah asked.

"I had been hurt before, but I had always managed to come back until that hit late in the season of my senior year. The linebacker came out of nowhere, and before I could throw the ball to my receiver I was on the ground. I didn't look at my legs, but I knew that they were bent in shapes that they weren't supposed to be in. It was the last football game that I ever played in."

"My knees were repaired, but I spent my last semester in a wheel chair a lot like the one I'm in now. When I graduated, I crossed the stage on crutches. By the time Rachel and I were married later that summer, I was walking, but my football career was behind me."

"What did you do then?" Sarah asked from the edge of her seat.

I moved to New York and started looking for a job in communications. That had been my major in college. I finally found an entry level job working for a multi-media corporation, but I worked a lot of crap jobs first. Rachel had graduated also and was going to every audition that she could. Our parents were helping us, but that first winter was very hard. If it hadn't been for them, we would've probably frozen or starved to death. Our apartment was so cold; we spent the nights huddled together in bed to keep warm. That was the winter that our son Christopher was conceived," Finn said with a far away look on his face.

"Wait you said that your children were Benjamin and Rebecca, and Christopher is a Christian name," Sarah asked confused.

"Benjamin and Rebecca are our children. We lost our first son Christopher when Rachel was about five months pregnant. Our son Christopher was named for my father. My dad died in Iraq when I was a baby."

"The doctors advised Rachel to never get pregnant again. Rachel was such a tiny woman that they didn't think she could carry a child to term, but she was as determined as she was stubborn. To keep from drowning in grief, Rachel threw herself into her work. When she landed the lead in an off Broadway production of Wicked she began to live again. When the production ended, she was two months pregnant with Benjamin. After almost five months of bed rest, Benjamin was born full term. Rebecca was born two years later. Rachel had many Broadway leads over the years and won two Tony awards, but she always said that our children were her most precious accomplishment," Finn smiled at the memory.

Sarah was so mesmerized by Finn's story; she almost didn't notice that he had stopped talking. Shaking herself from her trance she leaned over and hugged Finn lightly.

"Finn, I'm so sorry for the people that you have lost," she whispered to the old man.

"I am too, but someday I'll be with Rachel, Christopher, mom and dad, and all the others that have gone before me. I just have to wait and be patient," Finn said with a small tear gleaming in his eye.

"I hope that doesn't happen for a long, long time," Sarah smiled as she sat back on the couch. "I want to hear all about your life, but in the mean time, it's time for lunch."

Pushing Finn into the dining room only a few residents were there. Mrs. Goldstein and Mrs. Kaplan motioned for him to join them and Mr. Klein in the almost empty dining hall.

"Looks like we Jews have the dining room all to ourselves," Mr. Klein laughed as Finn joined them.

"That would appear so. All of the Christians have gone home for Christmas," Finn joked with the three other senior citizens.

Sarah leaned over Finn's aging shoulders and said to him, "I'd better check in with the head nurse on duty, but I'll see you after lunch. We've only gotten up to the birth of your children, and I want to hear all about the rest of your life with Rachel."

"I would like that, but Kurt always calls me at one o'clock and then I take a nap," Finn smiled.

"Well hit the call button when you're ready for your afternoon nap, and I'll find another CNA to help me get you into bed safely," Sarah smiled back at the gray-haired Finn.

Kurt called exactly at one o'clock and fifteen minutes later Sarah and another CNA helped Finn into his bed for his afternoon nap. Finn slept until five when Sarah woke him up for dinner.

After dinner, a male CNA helped Finn with his bath and into his pajamas for bed. Sarah came by as Finn was watching the evening news on his television.

"My shift will be over at seven pm, but I wanted to see you before I left. I know that both of us are Jewish, but it's Christmas. I'll be here again tomorrow, and I would really like to bring something for you."

"Mr. Hudson, what would you really like for Christmas?" Sarah asked the eighty-seven year old Finn. "I still want to hear all about your life with Rachel. It sounds like it was the ultimate love story."

"It still is the ultimate love story, but I don't need anything. I have all the bedroom shoes and after-shave that any man could want," Finn answered with a lop-sided smile.

"Is there anything special that you would like to eat? My mom can whip up anything that you would like. Kosher or non-kosher," Sarah offered again.

"Honestly, all that I want in the whole wide world is to go home," Finn said slowly.

"I wish that I could arrange that for you Mr. Hudson, but I'm not a relative so I can't take you out of this facility. Maybe the snow will be cleared enough for your son or your brother to come here to see you tomorrow," Sarah offered as a consolation.

"If they can't make it, a smile from you will be enough. Thank you for listening to an old man's rambling. It meant a lot to relive my memories with someone today," Finn concluded as Sarah kissed him on his thick thatch of gray hair before she turned to leave.

The next day was Christmas and Sarah came through the door of the Selwyn Oaks Retirement Home for her twelve hour shift a little before seven o'clock in the morning. After checking her assigned schedule, she headed straight for the dining hall hoping to find Finn there eating breakfast. She had brought some of her mother's home-made bagels and cream cheese for him. Finn wasn't there so she headed for his room. When she got there his bed was stripped and his pictures on the wall were gone. Immediately she ran to the nurse's station to ask if Mr. Hudson had been moved to another room.

"Are you Sarah, the temp CNA that spent part of the day with Mr. Hudson yesterday?" the older nurse asked staring at Sarah over the top of her glasses.

"Yes Mam, I'm Sarah. I'm Jewish, so I'm filling in so some of your regular staff could spend Christmas with their families," Sarah answered the head nurse.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but Mr. Hudson had an episode last night, and he died around three this morning. He asked me to thank you for spending his last Christmas with him, and to tell you that he got his wish. He was going home. I'm assigning you to another hall since no other residents will be on that hall today."

Sarah didn't hear the last of the head nurse's words. It dawned on her what Finn had meant when he said that all he wanted for Christmas was to go home. He didn't mean going home to his home here in New York City or Lima, Ohio. He wanted to go home to be with his beloved Rachel, his son Christopher, his mother and father, and all of the others who had gone on before him. Finn Hudson had gotten his wish. He was with Rachel and Rachel was his home.

Sarah spent the rest of her twelve hour shift on a different hall with a Mrs. Rosenberg who had to tell her all about her dozen grandchildren and a Mr. Goldstein who didn't have a lot to say. By the end of the day most of the residents who had left to spend the holiday with their families were coming back in. The women all had gifts of hand lotion and pajamas while the men all seemed to have bedroom shoes and aftershave.

Tomorrow Sarah would be assigned to a different nursing facility by her temp agency, but she wanted to apply for a permanent job at Selwyn Oaks. When her shift ended, she made one last visit to Finn's empty room. "Merry Christmas Mr. Hudson," she said to the evening darkness. "I'm glad that you got your Christmas wish, but as for myself, I'm going to miss you."

-/-

The End. I hope that you have enjoyed my twelfth story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I am sorry that it is sad, but Finn did have a long and happy life with the woman he loved, and he did get his Christmas wish. To be with Rachel again.