Second Chances

I'm Literally Going To Go Home And Just Die.

Despite the glistening aluminum stars clinging to light poles and the cheerful Christmas displays in the store windows that Maddy stomped past, it was a bleak, ugly morning, the sun unable to burn through the gray sky. A wayward breeze sent plaid scarfs fluttering, and hats flying, inducing pedestrians to clamp their holiday packages securely against their bodies. As she struggled to draw a breath of air through her frozen nostrils, Maddy watched a plastic bag and a paper coffee cup play tag on their way down the sidewalk.

"The woman's a straight-up psycho," Maddy thought as she made her way down the stairs to the subway stop. "The whole place is toxic. You should be happy to get out of there."

She wasn't wrong but she sure wasn't feeling the warm holiday spirit.

Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Haley: WTF?!!!! The Pitbull fired you?!!!

Maddy slipped the phone into her pocket as she merged with the line of riders pushing through the turnstiles. She didn't need to respond. Haley already knew the answer to her question. She was being a supportive friend but Maddy didn't have the energy or the will to engage. It was all she could do to hold it together until she got home.

She squeezed her way into the cramped train car, grabbing the handrail. She noticed an open seat not ten feet away and then realized why the seat was empty. A guy wearing a long coat caught her eye, leering as he patted the open seat beside him as an invitation. His naked legs protruded from the bottom of his coat, ending in a pair of pink vinyl boots on his feet.

She broke eye contact immediately, muttering, "I think I wore those same boots at my third-grade dance recital."

........

A twenty-minute train ride and an eight-block walk later, Maddy arrived at her apartment building. She plodded into the entryway, then stood at the bottom of the steep staircase, gritting her teeth.

"I'm not gonna miss these damn stairs."

Another wave of emotion hit as she began her climb.

"Yes, I am." Her voice stuck in her throat sounding like broken glass in a blender.

By the time she'd conquered the first five flights, the dam had broken. Her body expended so much energy in producing tears and pushing them out of her eyes, that her legs wobbled. 

Leaning against the wall, Maddy sobbed, "Oh, God. I'm such a loser. No boyfriend. No job."

Mrs. K popped her head out into the hallway. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

Maddy nodded, wiping her nose as she crossed the landing.

The elderly woman said tenderly, "Merry Christmas, dear."

Maddy cleared her throat, then replied, "Merry Christmas, Mrs. K."

Suddenly, Gary's apartment door flew open revealing Gary dressed in a Christmas vest, no shirt over his hairy torso, and pajama bottoms. He held a sprig of mistletoe over Maddy's head. "Is that mistletoe I spy?" he said, then made kissing noises.

Maddy ripped the mistletoe from his hand, throwing it over her shoulder down the stairs. "Whatever this is that you're doing every single time I walk up and down these damn stairs is disturbing, cringy, and totally unacceptable."

Gary lowered his head. "I'm just trying to keep it real with you."

"Just stop. Okay? I don't want real from you. I don't want anything from you."

"I don't do fake, girl. That's not how I roll."

Maddy heaved a deep sigh. "I'm wasting my breath trying to communicate with 200 pounds of deviant."

"Two twenty-five." Gary patted his gut. "I can't stay away from the Christmas cookies."

Maddy winced. "Thanks for momentarily distracting me from my crushing depression with your over-the-top creepiness."

"You make that sound like an insult," he replied.

"Merry Christmas, Gary." She stomped up the final three flights.

"Merry Christmas," he called after her.

Mrs. K shook her head, then retreated into her apartment.

Ascending the last flight of stairs, Maddy produced her keys then, with her last ounce of energy, lunged at her apartment door. Before she could turn the doorknob, she stumbled inside as the door swung open on its own.

"Now what? A burglary? This day just keeps getting better and..."

Her jaw dropped.

Standing against the opposite wall was a decorated Christmas tree, an enormous bear of a tree, nearly scraping the ceiling.

She inched closer, transfixed by the tree, marveling, "How?... What?" She turned when she heard a light knocking behind her.

Nathan stood in the open doorway, a hopeful grin on his face. "You like it?"

"I love it! How did you even get in the building?"

"I can be very persuasive."

"You carried that huge tree up all those steps?"

"That wasn't my original plan. But when I found out there's no elevator in this building..." He flexed his arms.

"My God! That tree must be eight feet tall!"

"Nine and a half. Pretty dramatic, right? I was trying to make a statement."

Awestruck at the sight of the tree, tears welled in her eyes. "This is soooooo sweet."

"I'm sure you could do a much better job of decorating than I did."

"It's absolutely beautiful."

Nathan heaved a nostalgic sigh. "Well, like my grandfather used to say, women are like streetcars. You gotta oil their wheels or they squeal like hell going around the curves."

There was a moment of silence before Maddy replied, "Why would he even say that? And why would you repeat it?"

Nathan scratched his head. "Seems like we were right on the verge of a kiss or something."

"Yeah, I think we probably were."

"I definitely need to work on that. Anyway, Merry Christmas, Maddy."

She raced to him, reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, their lips meeting. She whispered, "Merry Christmas. And don't ever say that streetcar thing again."

They joined in another kiss, a real kiss, long and overheated, his arms clasped tightly around her waist.

When they separated, he looked at her with pure joy, like the face of a kid opening a box full of puppies.