In The Wee Small Hours Of Christmas Morning (flash fiction)

(credits to the owner – imaged sourced via Google)

It had been a long hectic nightshift. So many deliveries. Everything kids had wished for this Christmas either weighed a ton or was the most awkward shape on earth to deliver. Those kids who had asked for mobile phones that came in small easy to handle boxes were his favourites…not that he was allowed to have favourites.

Checking his delivery schedule, he confirmed that the last delivery had been made and he’d come in ahead of schedule.

His wife wasn’t expecting him home for another hour…

Oh, what the Hell! He decided to take a few minutes to himself. He’d earned them, he reasoned.

Leaving his delivery vehicle in the car park, he walked across the dunes under the light of the full moon. Breathing a sigh of relief that that was the Christmas rush over for another year, he walked slowly along the moonlit beach, splashing his way through the small waves that washed over his black boots. Stuffing his hat into his belt, he allowed the gentle breeze to blow through his hair. He felt the weight lift from his shoulders. For the first time in weeks, he felt calm and relaxed.

His mind wandered to the plaque that hung in the family bathroom above the toilet roll – “Beach More Worry Less.”

Damn right, he thought…