The Christmas Will

As the twilight of life began to fade away for John Roberts in 1946, the owner of the cherished JRs department store, he turned back the pages of time in a dream of his early life. In the dream, he revisited the profound love he once shared with Gail over thirty years earlier, a woman whose smile could illuminate even the darkest of rooms. The year was 1914 when John first met Gail, and he fell for her as deeply as the ocean. They had a love affair for three years, but never married. But fate, with its unyielding grip, tore them apart with the onset of World War I. Gail, believing he was killed in the war, moved from their hometown and started over. When John finally returned, he could not find Gail. With a heavy heart, John forced himself to move on, burying their love deep within the recesses of his soul. Yet, when the dream ended, John longed for one last chance to bid Gail farewell. When his attorneys tracked down his long-lost love, they uncovered a revelation that would ripple through the generations: Gail had borne a son, and she named him John, after his father.

Upon his father's passing, young John Jr. was introduced to a legacy he had never known, discovering that his father's beloved department store awaited his stewardship. With a heart full of resolve, he embraced this new chapter and journeyed to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, on a three-day train ride from Mountain Home. On this trip, he encountered the vivacious Judy amidst the bustling aisles, observation car, and dining car. In the three days, their friendship blossomed into something far deeper, something that mirrored the love stories of old, binding their hearts in the timeless dance of romance. Together, they began to write their own chapter, a testament to love's enduring spirit through the ages.