After Lover for Pay: ONESHOTS

Happy Holidays! Pt2

Happy Holidays Pt2

Merry Christmas, Marbell!

"You know what the best thing about Christmas is for me?" Henry asked. He was walking alongside his brother-in-law towards Marbell's car. School had just let out a couple minutes ago, and everyone was beginning to head home. With his hands clutching both straps of his backpack, he smirked toward Marbell with a raised brow. "As a Jewish kid, I don't have to worry about school for two whole weeks for no reason at all. It's like a fourteen day long weekend for me, all because Christmas is oh so special. No offense, of course."

"None taken," Marbell replied with a light chuckle. After unlocking his R8, he and Henry dropped into the vehicle together. "Even though the wording of it was changed from Christmas break to winter break, we all know Christmas is the only holiday advertised throughout it. You never see a sign saying Hanukkah Sale or Kwanzaa Sale posted on the window of a store."

"Oh, yeah," Henry nodded, putting on his seatbelt, "And we get to take advantage of sales. Then again, this holiday has always been about consumer consumption anyways. Every store just tries to make what money they failed to make during the first eleven months of the year. I'm telling you, whatever meaning Christmas had, it went out the window when businesses realized consumers were easy cash cows. Now it just makes kids greedy. In class today, this girl said she'd hate her mom forever of she didn't get to new Apple phone."

"Don't worry, Henry," Marbell said, making his way out of the teacher's parking lot. "Once you're a full-fledged adult, the holiday madness won't really affect you anymore. You'll wake up, go to work, go home and sleep, and then do it all over again until you're able to retire."

"Ugh," the teenager groaned, "Is that really what being an adult feels like?"

"Yup, but if you actually enjoy your job, it's not all that bad."

"Hmm," Henry hugged his backpack against his chest, "And you had to grow up pretty fast, huh?"

"Kinda, yeah," Marbell answered, a little surprised this talk with Henry was getting a bit personal. Even though he and teenager were certainly on very good terms, he'd never actually sat down with Henry to have a serious one on one. "Because my mother passed away after giving birth to me, my father's sorrow caused him to neglect me in the beginning. My nanny practically raised me, but - while she was very kind - she was also strict, and I grew up a lot more mature than my classmates. Actually, when I was younger, a part of me hated this time of year."

"Why?"

"Because my father drowned himself in his business, so when my nanny would leave to be with her own family, I was either in the office next door waiting for him to finish whatever he was doing, or I was home alone by the time I was older."

Henry glanced toward the other man as he drove again, "But you like Christmas, now?"

"Believe it or not," Marbell smiled to himself, "Even though you and your brother and sister celebrate Hanukkah, I'm just excited to finally be surrounded by the people I love at this time of year."

There was nothing said for a moment as Marbell continued to drive. He really did feel that way. Not in all his life had he ever experienced what it was like to truly celebrate Christmas. He never had a family dinner, festive occasion for gift giving, or something to anticipate on Christmas morning. Now married, however, married to a wonderful man who wanted to make such a day special, Marbell couldn't wait until both Christmas Eve and Christmas were upon him.

"Me, too," Henry added then, staring out the passenger window as the car moved. "When London and I were little, we celebrated Hanukkah, but mostly by ourselves. Our dad didn't care too much for any holiday, Jewish or not, our mom was forgetful, and London and I never ever had any money to buy each other anything. But, when London came home after leaving, and it was just me, him, and Joyce...even though I was still upset at him for leaving in the first place...having him around made the holidays feel better."