Our Own Angels

Chapter 17

Christmas. The season of love and giving. A time to celebrate with friends and family.

I put the card back down and and continue to search for more. I don't know why I always choose to do Christmas shopping a week before. I should have learned from past years. The whole mall is filled with customers running frantically in and out carrying huge bags and wrapped presents. I walk into a candle store and suddenly, I was smacked in the face with a plethora of sweet fragrances. Mostly cinnamon, vanilla, and mistletoe, the classic scents of the holidays. Recently, Alice has been going through a phase with candles. Once a candle has fully served its purpose she goes out and buys a cheap one from the store.

I continue walking through the store and I enter a section where the candles are layered with different scents. My eyes roam the shelves and they land on a triple layered candle. The prices of these candles are too overpriced but Alice deserves every last cent. The candle is cased in a holder shaped like snowflakes. The first layer is a glittery light blue with a scent called, "Jack Frost". The second layer is a dark green with a scent called, "Christmas Wreath". The third layer is a pearly white with a scent called, "Sugar Frost Cookie." When I take the top off and smell it, I'm taken back to a memory with my mom. Her, Eli, and I were in the kitchen Christmas morning baking snowman cookies. I remember laughing and smiling every time I lifted up the cookie cutter and a perfect snowman appeared. When we finished, we asked father to judge our cookies. We all knew that mom decorated them the best but father would always give Eli and I first place. We'd spend the day making Christmas dinner and watching Christmas movies as we drank hot chocolate. Everything was perfect.

I place the lid back on top and pay for the candle. I ask the nice lady if she could wrap it for me. Wrapping paper is my enemy. I get millions of paper cuts and I could never cut the right amount to cover the present. The lady tells me to come back in twenty minutes so I decide to look for more presents for Alice. There are no amount of presents in the world to repay for everything that she has done for us.

I pass a store that does custom everything. Custom mugs, keychains, photo albums, calendars, you name it. As I search the store I pass this glass heart. Engraved inside are words of your choice. It looks like a 3-D puzzle but in the shape of a heart and made of glass. In the center, the pieces make up the word, Family. I check the price and it's almost the same amount as my monthly allowance. I decide to buy it anyways. I tell the cashier to write my name, Eli's name, and Alice's name as the puzzle pieces and to keep the word, Family, in the center. He said that they will ship it two days before Christmas. Thank God. I pay and head back to get the candle. when I arrive back at the store, the candle is wrapped in golden wrapping paper with mini white snowflakes and a large silver bow on top. It looks perfect. I give the lady a large tip and leave the store.

"Good evening shoppers, the mall will be closing in 20 minutes, the mall will be closing in 20 minutes." Someone on the loud speakers says. I start to make my way to the exit until I hear a familiar voice. I look into the jewelry store next to me and who do I see? Silas. Of all people, Silas had to come to the mall the same day and time as I did. He's talking to a man dressed in a suit. The man is showing him a couple of necklaces and bracelets. Before having the urge to walk up to him and hug him, I dash out of the mall and drive home. I wonder who he's buying jewelry for. That someone must be very special because he was in the most expensive jewelry store in the city.

The next day, I continue shopping for everyone else. I buy Eli the top new video games of this year , one of those 3-D, color changing, lamps in the shape of R2-D2, another set of walkie-talkies, a grow-your-own-terrarium thingy, a crayon set of 400, and another set of Legos. I buy Cleo a customized spa box filled with bath bombs, fancy soaps, nail polish, lotion, perfume, and gift cards. I buy Matt a grow-your-own Bonsai tree, he's been into plants lately, personalized socks with his face on them, and a bluetooth shower speaker.