Death Do Us Part

I

The eve of Christmastide was one of the most joyous days in the village. Soft, white snow blankets the tops of houses and shops. Christmas wreaths, decorations, and lights flowed through town like a river, giving it a magical feeling. Fireplaces blazed in these buildings, warming the interiors, drawing people to flock into them to steal small puffs of warmth, even if it was for a couple of moments. The stores that were the busiest at this time were toy shops full of parents and older siblings wanting to give their younger relatives the perfect present, jewelry shops full of men wanting to give their sweethearts a Christmas proposal or a special gift to commemorate their years spent together, and dress shops where most people (single, married, or taken) were trying to pick out something to wear for the Christmas ball that would occur near the town square later that night.

Lovely's shop was among them, having the most customers as she had crafted some of the most exquisite outfits for the occasion. Reds, greens, icy blues, and silver and gold designs grace the display windows. She knew just the right ones to catch the guests' eyes as every passerby would automatically walk into the shop. (Even if it was to look at the dresses or if they had somewhere else to be.)

"That color is perfect for your eyes!" Lovely exclaims, turning a customer around in her new outfit.

The outfit was a pink, long-sleeved ball gown decorated with white bows on the skirt, yellow ruffles at the ends of the sleeves, and gold laces in front of the corset. White-lace rose embroidery became an ornament at the bust area above the laces. The wrap that matched the dress's color parted to reveal a pale gold skirt underneath. This dress was, without a doubt, perfect for the customer.

She claps her hands with joy and jumps in little leaps. "It's lovely! Thanks, Love! I'll wear it tonight for sure!!" She babbles to herself about any other occasion that would call for the dress to be worn as she exits the shop.

Lovely looked at her pocket watch to discover that it was around lunchtime - the time the shop would close for an hour for Lovely and Luffy to rest from a hard day's work. She gasps and looks around at the many people still in the shop.

How am I going to get these people out of here before the end of our break? she thought. Then, she had an idea. Something that would bring everyone together for a brief moment would be nice. She takes a bell from the front desk and rings it bringing everyone's attention to her. She freezes for a moment in nervousness before gathering the courage to speak.

"Hello, everyone," she greets. "Unfortunately, it is lunchtime, so I'll have to close the shop for a while."

Groans erupted from the customers before happy chuckles.

"However, today will be different!" Lovely continues. "Why not stay here and warm by the fire? Have a warm cup of cocoa."

Exclamations and mutters of interest or gratitude rose around her, making her smile. As the customers begin surrounding the fireplace, Lovely walks into the kitchen to find Luffy sneaking a cookie into his mouth. Lovely smiles and shakes her head.

"So you're the one who keeps stealing the cookies!" she exclaims happily. "Caught you red-handed!"

Luffy continues chewing on the cookie he put in his mouth and slowly sets down the others on a plate. "Sorry, I couldn't resist a sweet treat."

"That's alright," she says. "But remember, those are for Mr. Claus."

"Who?"

"Santa Claus."

His eyes widen, and his heart thumps with fear. "Oh no!! Am I gonna be put on the naughty list because I ate his cookies?!!"

Lovely giggles using a napkin to wipe leftover chocolate from his mouth. "No, it's alright. He knows I'll make more." She kisses him when she's finished cleaning off every crumb and puts on a kettle of warm milk. "I'm making hot cocoa for the guests since it's our lunch break. Can you fetch me some cocoa from the pantry, please?"