Truths about Christmas
Logan Echolls always hated Christmas. There was nothing nice about it. There was no Santa Claus. And Christmas didn't make people any nicer. Logan would always remember the Christmas in which Aaron showed his real crazyness. He remembers scar he got from that holiday, his first. He remembers about that Christmas everytime the word 'pear' is pronounced. He still remembers the way those fruits kept being shoved down his throat. The way he was choking on them. The coughing and spitting, the knife on his father's neck. The one and only time Lynn Echolls stood up to his husband. The first time Lynn Echolls was sent to the hospital with a broken leg.
Christmases weren't special in his house. They didn't sit in front of the chimney drink hot chocolate together. The didn't put on Christmas carols and prepared the tree; they hired interior designers to do that. There wasn't that sugar filled aroma around the house that had everyone relaxed. There was no letter to Father Christmas. Usually 1.000 $ were put in the young boy's hands and he was free to buy whatever toy he wanted. Of course they weren't prepared for the fact that at 13 young Logan bought himself a stripper for the night.
In his time in Neptune Christmases only got worst. His parents would go to events or parties and little Logan would be left alone to watch Home Alone and the reruns of 'Seinfield'. Things started to change when he became friends with Veronica. She was short, skinny with long blond hair, big blue eyesand little freckles on her nose. They were fourteen the first she rang on Christmas Eve to give him her best wishes. His parents were in Roms for some Christmas dinner at Donatella Versace's home and Logan was by himself with a carton of Ben & Jerry's, a chicken and a new X-Box. Veronica invited him for dinner at her small house, as much as he tried to decline she insisted saying that at Christmas nobody should be left alone. He still doesn't know why but Logan almost felt like the Grinch in that moment. He spent the ngiht and the day after with Veronica, her dad, her mom, her older cousin Alex and Backup the pitbull. He'd always remember that Christmas.
In his second year of college his girlfriend Parker invited him to Colorado for the holidays. He unwillingly accepted. But after two days there he simply couldn't take it anymore, he broke it off with Parker and took the first flight to Neptune. He couldn't stay in a house where a whole collection of his father's movie were and where they prepared a special 'pear-pie'. He knew that Keith had gotten stuck with a difficult case in Alaska and that Veronica was alone. On the way home he stopped and bought chicken, marshmallows, chocolate powder and ice-cream. He knocked on Veronica's door and she quickly opened it standing there with an oversized pjama and her taser in hand. She asked what he was doing there, and he easily replied that no one should be alone at Christmas.
At the age of 27 Logan stood infront of the small backyard. He looked at the two kids running around laughing. He looked at the big tree on which Veronica hung a few decorations. He looked at the swings that hung from it. He looked at the mistletoe on the outside table. The wood gate opened and Veronica walked in the backyard holding some shopping bags. She pulled out two candy canes and handed them to the young kids. The pom-pom on her hat shaking as she hugged their younger son. Logan almost doesn't see her when she puts her arms around his waist, kissing his neck.
"What about a candy cane for me?" He asked with a small pout. She smiled and handed him one. He kissed her gently on the lips and then rubbed his nose on her.
"I saw Dick at the supermarket. I invited him over." Logan looked at her surprise, his eyes questioning. He said he'd pick up the gifts for the kids and would come over."
"Christmas makes you nicer my dear." She slapped him playfully on the arm and hugged him.
Dick did infact come over, full of toys for his niece and nephew. He sat down on one of the backyard chairs, alone. Logan and Veronica were occupied cooking. He sat there thinking of how nice it would be living a normal life. With a wife, a job, a dog and two kids. He was so worried in thinking that he didn't realize when Annie took his hand and tugged it.
"Uncle Dick come play with us." Nathan, her younger brother was standing next to her, his thumb in his mouth. Their big blue eyes looked at him with innocence. The innocence he still wished he had. The innocence Cassidy always had.
"I don't think I should." Nathan pulled his thumb out of his mouth and took the soccer ball from the floor handing it to Dick.
"Dwon't be siwwy. No one should bwe awone on Chwistmas." Touched by the boy's words he took the ball and picked him up.
"You're right. Let's play football." Annie shook her long brown hair.
"Mommy said no football after daddy broke the window." Dick bent down at eye level and looked at the seven-year old.
"Wanna know something? At Christmas we're all aloud to play what we want. Plus mommy won't notice." The young girl smiled and kicked the ball.