Editor’s note: This is Chapter 9 of a 12-part fictional Christmas tale. Parents are encouraged to read aloud with their children.

The morning before Christmas Eve, Anna waited in the store room for Tyler. She stood several feet from the door, marveling at how much her life had changed in just a few short weeks. She had always been full of Christmas spirit, but since the door had revealed itself, she understood now more than ever the importance of giving and not receiving, of really paying attention to who may be in need.

She hoped the trip today would be extra special, because they wouldn’t have another chance to go through the door until after Christmas. On Christmas Eve, her family and Tyler’s family always had dinner together and then went to the town square for the annual hot chocolate festival.

She checked her phone to see the time, wondering what was keeping Tyler. She started to head out to the cafe to wait when she froze; the shiny black door had appeared in the blink of an eye. She looked around nervously — the door had never appeared for just her before. Going through it without Tyler felt a little wrong somehow, yet it was obvious that the magic of the door was wanting just that.

She took another look out into the store to make sure Tyler wasn’t heading back yet. There was no sign of him, so she took a deep breath before approaching the door to click the shiny door knocker.

The door opened immediately, revealing a quiet, snowy landscape, and she took another deep breath to calm her nerves as she stepped inside. As she did, she heard Tyler’s voice and she smiled in relief that he’d made it after all.

She turned back toward the storeroom, calling out to her friend. “Ty, I’m inside. Hurry, come in!”

But the storeroom was empty. She frowned in confusion when she heard his voice again, only this time it was from behind her.

She whirled around, her eyes widening at what she saw.

Inside the door’s memory, Tyler sat on the ground in front of his father’s grave. She could tell the scene was from years ago; Tyler’s hair was styled the way he had worn it up until fifth grade, and he was wearing his old puffy coat he loved that he’d retired after Anna had accidentally burned a hole through it while making s’mores a few years back.

Tyler was on his knees with his head down, holding something tightly in his hands. As Anna stepped closer, she realized it was one of the old steam engines from a model train set he and his dad set up every year.

His dad loved vintage Lionels, and during the holidays their basement was transformed into a huge model set, complete with mountainside towns and rivers that ran between villages and shops. They spent hours arranging it and decorating all the models for Christmas.

Tyler hadn’t spoken about the trains since his dad had died. It was the only thing he’d ever excluded Anna from during the holidays, and she’d never minded because she understood it was special, just between Tyler and his dad.

“I’m so sorry Dad,” Tyler was saying. “I didn’t set them up last year but I tried this year. They just don’t work. I checked the transformer and the wiring. The fuses. Everything. It must be the engine that’s broken.”

His voice cracked and Anna’s heart cracked with it. She watched as her best friend gripped the black and green vintage engine tightly in his hands.

“I wanted to run them. But I can’t do it without you. I tried, Dad. I’m sorry.”

“Anna! Where are you?”

Anna’s head whipped up at the sound of present-day Tyler’s voice behind her, realizing he must be in the storeroom.

She wiped a tear from her cheek, giving one last look to her brokenhearted friend in the snowy memory. The door wouldn’t have shown this to her if she wasn’t supposed to help him. He needed her, and she was going to find a way to fix this for him no matter what it took.

Read Chapter 10 in Friday’s newspaper.