Second Chances

It's Christmastime In The City

The Uber lurched to a stop in front of Macy's department store, tires half-buried in curbside slush.

"Careful out there," said the driver. "It ain't like those Hallmark Christmas movies. These people will tear you up and spit you out."

"I don't love the way that sounds." Maddy wrapped her scarf around her neck.

Car horns blared from behind.

"Happy holidays," she said, climbing out of her warm Uber into the frigid city air.

"Watch your back, girl," he shouted before merging into traffic, flipping the bird at an aggressive driver.

Maddy worked her way through the pedestrian traffic toward the revolving doors and was immediately shoved aside by a woman twice her size. She managed to squeeze into the lobby, recognizing that the only path to the escalators was through the perfume gauntlet where multiple painted and packaged women sprayed random fragrances at disoriented shoppers.

Holding her breath, she checked the store directory, then rode the escalator up to the toy department.

On the fifth floor, Maddy was greeted by a sign which read: SANTA'S MAGIC CHRISTMAS VILLAGE with a  bold red arrow pointing to the left. With no desire to watch children mobbing some dumpy guy in a red suit wearing a fake beard, she turned right. She paced down the aisles, checking out displays of toys - big trucks, monsters, and superheroes.

A familiar voice from the next aisle attracted her attention. "Need help, ma'am?"

She peeked around the corner. "O-M-G!" Maddy gulped. "It's Nathan."

Dressed in a blazer and pants that he'd apparently borrowed from a much smaller man, he stood at the end of the aisle, hands on his hips, attending to a frazzled female customer. Her rambunctious 6-year-old son hung from the edge of a shelf, kicking his feet, determined to make her crazy.

"I need to return this." She pulled a boxed toy from a shopping bag.

Nathan leaned forward, addressing the boy. "What's your name, buddy?"

"David," he answered shyly.

"Stop that, David!" His mom grumbled, grabbing his wrist and pulling him down from the shelf. "I'm not crazy about children." She heaved a sigh. "He uses that against me. Constantly."

"Well, okay. Hmmmm." Nathan squatted, getting down to the boy's level. "You don't love this toy?"

David shook his head "no."

Nathan scrunched up his face, examining the toy. "I gotta be honest with you. I don't really like it, either. Here. Let me show you something."

Maddy's first impulse was to sneak away, but she was captivated by Nathan's consummate salesmanship.

He led the boy to a corner display, his mother following. Nathan took a dinosaur from the shelf, then set it on the floor. "Anybody can play catch with their dog, right? Watch me play catch with this dinosaur!"

Nathan bounced a small rubber ball on the floor. The dinosaur opened its mouth, scooted forward, and caught the ball.

"Drop it," Nathan commanded.

The dinosaur dropped the ball.

The kid was entranced. Nathan handed the ball to David. "You try it."

David bounced the ball with far too much force. The ball flew over Nathan's head into the next aisle.

"David!" his mom hollered.

Nathan scooted into the next aisle, then returned on his hands and knees with the ball. "He's just a little dinosaur," Nathan said. "You need to bounce it gently." David tried again. The dinosaur caught the ball.