HoT/Menorah
A/N: Not sure how old Ryan and Trey are. Old enough that they're dad is no longer around, but young enough for Ryan to still like Ninja Turtles. Sorry if I made any mistakes concerning the celebration of Hanukkah. This is unbeta'd.
Summary: One winter in Chino, Dawn finds a nice Jewish man to 'settle down' with.
"But, what about Christmas?" Ryan asked quietly, being careful not to whine.
"I don't do Christmas, Kid," Mom's boyfriend, Rob, grunted, pulling some old looking things out of a worn box.
Ryan liked Rob. He didn't yell a whole lot, he let Ryan and Trey play in the living room and he didn't punch hard like Mom's last boyfriend, Jerry.
Hearing that still made Ryan feel kinda disappointed though.
Not that he still believed in Santa or anything, but was he was kind of hoping Rob might convince his mom to get him that Ninja Turtles action figure he wanted.
That probably wasn't going to happen now that they were celebrating 'Ha - nu- kkah' instead. Aw, well. Mom would've probably said they didn't have enough money for toys anyway.
In fact, Mom was in the back bedroom still shrieking over Rob buying, 'that fuckin' Jew shit' when they had better things to do with their money this time of year.
Even when she screamed in his face, Rob never hit Mom.
He just told her it was his money, and if she was so worried she should get off her ass and work more shifts. Then he left her alone.
Rob was just 'like that', Ryan guessed. Always making sure Mom went to work, signed permission slips and had food in the fridge for him and Trey.
His older brother told him not to get too used to Rob, guys like that didn't stick around women like mom for very long. Still, he couldn't help hopin'. Two months, that was a long time for a boyfriend to stay, and at the end of the month it would be three.
When he got home from work, Rob had made them pancakes outta potatoes that were... okay, even though they had to use the same oil they'd fried chicken in the night before and french fries a few days before that. It was either that or don't eat, anyway.
But it wasn't until the sun had gone down that he pulled out that old box.
"What the fuck is that?" Trey laughed as Rob pulled out a funny lookin' candle holder.
Ryan glared at his brother. He knew Trey really didn't mind Rob but sometimes he wished his older brother would just shut up.
"A Menorah," the man murmured absently, moving some old mail and cheap trinkets aside so it would fit on the mantle.
He realized, belatedly, that his mom had run out of steam and the background noise they'd been trying to ignore had faded.
"What's it for?" Ryan asked curiously.
"Looks like some shit outta a Dr. Seuss book," Trey smirked.
"If ya shut your traps for a minute, Smartasses, I'll tell you what it's for," Rob replied without heat.
Even though Ryan could tell Rob forgot a bunch of the story, he still liked it. He knew Trey kind of enjoyed the part about the Maccabees and the Miracle of the Oil was nice. It was like the time back in Fresno where the power company left the lights on for 2 whole weeks even though Dad couldn't pay the bill.
"This is the shamash," Rob explained, lighting the candle in the middle, "You light one more candle for every night of Hanukkah"
"There's no tree?" Ryan asked bewildered, "or stockings?"
'Like mom would buy one for us anyway, stupid" Trey rolled his eyes
"Here, Ryan, light the first candle" Rob said, ignoring the question.
The grabbed Ryan around the middle and hoisted him up. Ryan stiffened for a moment, still not used to Rob picking him up (or ruffling his hair or giving him those playful shoves) before carefully taking hold of the 'shamash' and with Rob guiding his hand, used the already burning candle to light the new wick.
"There," Rob announced one he set Ryan down again, "Get the lights, will ya, Trey?"
Suddenly the already dim room became pitch black except for the flickering light from the 'meh -nor-ah'. Ryan thought it almost looked magical.
"It looks retarded with only two candles-"
"-Shut up, Trey," Rob cut him off, "This is important". To Ryan's surprise, Trey actually stopped talking.
Rob started murmuring things in a language Ryan didn't understand, but it kind of sounded like a prayer, so Ryan dipped his head a bit and tried not to fidget too much until it was over.
"My ma used to do this with us every year when I was kid," Rob said once he was finished.
It stayed quiet for a moment, the three of them standing in the dull orange glow.
The Menorah looked incomplete, but not in a bad way. Like there were more good things coming soon. Ryan smiled at the thought of how bright it'd be once all the candles were lit.
The silence was broken by a loud raspberry.
"That's it? This is a stupid holiday," Trey said boredly, "At least Christmas has cartoons. I say your mom gypped you."
"Yeah?" Rob challenged as he turned the nearest light back on, taking the menorah's magic away, "Well, if you think this holiday's stupid, I guess you don't want the presents I got for ya"
"There's presents?" Ryan's eyes glittered hopefully
"Eight days of 'em," Rob answered with something that almost looked like a smile, "Of course, since you guys are bored..."
"We're not!" Ryan protested, "Right, Trey?"
"When do we open presents?" Trey asked casually
"Later, dude," Rob said, pulling out small bag of gold coins out his sweatshirt pocket, "Now, we play dreidel"
Ryan had just gotten the hang of spinning the dreidel in a game Trey called a, 'baby version of craps', and his brother had just convinced Rob to play him for quarters instead of chocolate when the back bedroom door opened emitting a slurring, teary eyed Dawn.
"Robbie...'M sorry, Rob," She whimpered, " Ba-by ya know I dinnut mean it like that, righ'?. I jus' get like that s-some-times, 'kay? C'mon, b'by. F'rgive me?" She wobbled a few steps from the doorway towards him.
Rob sighed, looking at the boys briefly before getting up from their game and going to their mother, "Yeah. I know, Dawnie"
Mom immediately latched onto him, pressing sloppy kisses onto his mouth and then his neck, arms wrapped around his waist to keep her balance.
Ryan tried to look away as the 'cuddling' got heavier, Rob's low rumbling accompanying his Mom's high pitched giggles.
Rob half led, half carried Dawn to the backroom, casting one last look at Ryan and Trey.
"Presents are in my work bag, boys. Take *only* the presents, you got me?"
The bedroom door clicked shut, not doing much to muffle their mother's drunken squeals.
Ryan spun the dreidel half-heartedly, shoulders slumped.
He thought Rob was going to finish the game with them.
Deep in his own thoughts, Ryan jumped when Trey threw a newspaper covered package into his lap, not bothering to sit down before tearing into his own.
"Well, open it, LB. Shit...Presents? Chocolate? This Ha - nu- kkah is better than any Christmas Dawn could've slapped together"
Ryan looked back to the menorah still burning steadily, despite being overshadowed by all the light and noise.
He smiled a bit, carefully picking the wrapping off what he knew was a Ninja Turtle.
Well, it was only the first night. Besides, if the next 7 days were anywhere near as good as this one, he'd be willing to try this Hanukkah thing again.