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The Angel And The Star

They said there was a first time for everything.

Mateo had never known who they were, but he heard them cited many times before, and had always had mixed feelings on that quote. Many things should happen more than once but never did, others which should never happen happened more than once, and then there were all sorts of variations.

That said, he had no mixed feelings about this particular first time, he thought as he stood between two open trunks of Navidad decorations, listening to the unusually strong wind blowing outside and watching as his fiancé stood on a stepladder and surveyed the árbol navideño they were making, holding the latest box he had given her as she mused where to put its contents.

It was the first árbol navideño he and Elena made together, their first Navidadsince they had gotten engaged, and the first tree either of them made with decorations that belonged to both of them. And he was loving every bit of it, from the sheer joy of the experience to the cute sight of Elena's furrowed brow as she decided where to put the ornaments he gave her.

He broke from his musings as her focused gaze lit up, knowing what it meant.

As she looked below, she asked, "Could you spread these on the top most branches?"

He raised his tamborita. "Got it!"

He focused on the ornaments, and a golden glow surged inside the box. Then, five golden and blue spheres floated from it and flew around the tree, neatly perching themselves on the branches Elena had pointed to him.

Mateo lowered his tamborita.

"What now?" Elena asked.

Mateo rubbed his chin as he looked at the trunk of decorations to his right. There were still many decorations in it, but at first glance none seemed like the right fit to put on the tree.

Or does it? He thought as he caught a few spots of color peeking from gaps between spheres and trinkets.

He looked from it to the tree, and then smiled. There was still just enough room in it to put those decorations.

"Llevaluq!" He cast as he tapped his tamborita.

Spheres and other ornaments rolled out of the way and the lift of another small box opened. A few icicle-shaped glass fragments zapped past him and slid into a few vacant spots scattered throughout the tree, peppering it with tiny rainbows as light glowed on them.

Elena climbed down from the ladder and moved beside him. For a few moments, both stood in silence, half their gaze directed at the almost finished árbol, the rest of it directed at each other.

"Beautiful," Elena told her fiancé, referring both to the tree and to him. Even if the word was not traditionally used to describe men, there was no other word for Mateo.

"Indeed," Mateo replied, referring to both the tree and her. There was no other word for Elena.

Both turned their gazes from the tree and into each other's eyes. Neither had been gifted with mind-reading abilities, but both were speaking to each other through their thoughts, and yet at the same time not using actual words. It was not their first Navidad together, but the fact they were spending it closer together than any before made it special in a unique way.

It was not perfect. There were people both of them wished to have here for Navidad away on kingdom business, and though they were expected back in time for the celebrations, there was no way to be sure they would. But both had learned - though it had taken rather longer to sink into him, Mateo had to admit - to give value to what they had, even if they still wished for what they could have.

A particularly loud gust from outside snapped them from their musings. Both Mateo and Elena whirled toward the window, aiming their tamborita and scepter respectively at the glass panes, half expecting to see clumps of snow - or something worse - behind the glass.

There was nothing there. Just a vast dark expanse dotted by the many lights spread through the city, whether from the various homes or from the various Navidad lamps that had been put up.

Both stood at attention for a few moments longer, but nothing else ensued. Just further wind noises, though thankfully much quieter than the last one.

"Just wind," Elena sighed as she leaned into Mateo.

He pulled her closer to him. "Yes. Just wind."

This time, at least. Navidad still hadn't passed by, and they could never be sure no one would try something nasty. The snowstorm before Noche Buena a few years ago had proved it for them.

Swatting the thought away before he could dwell on it and somehow make it real, Mateo asked, "What now?"

Elena put a finger under her chin and looked up at the árbol.

"I think now we only need a tree topper. Do you have anything that fits?"

Mateo looked into the trunk. While he had known of some of the things inside it, he had never seen many of those decorations inside it until tonight, and he had yet to find a suitable tree topper.

"I don't know. Do you?"

Elena looked into the trunk. She remembered more than one tree topper from her childhood, all of which were special in its own way, but even now she still didn't know what had happened to many of the things from those years. More than a few had been destroyed, and others were still missing, perhaps lost forever. Even some of the Navidad decorations she had put back on the tree had just been glimpsed for the first time in over four decades.

But perhaps a tree topper would still be in there.

"Let's just look in each of our trunks and see if we find something," she suggested.

Mateo smiled as they put their scepter and tamborita away.

"Sounds good."

As he lifted aside a garland to look under it, Mateo yet again mused on what a wonder it was that he actually got to live such a day. He had been through many days of Navidad before, but most of those had been cold, dark affairs, celebrated secretly and in near-whispers out of fear of what would happen to them if they were caught.

His mother's stories about celebrating under the moon on the town square while singing ancient songs had been just that, and the mere knowledge that such a ceremony was still held could warrant a bounty on the ceremony goers' head. At several low points, Mateo and many others had gotten to believe that they would never actually experience what they called a 'proper Navidad', with even the basic point of it, being with those you loved, being ruined by the fear of getting caught.

A light clatter behind him made him smile as he recognized Elena's enthusiasm in her search without even seeing it.

That was all in the past, he remembered. No more Shuriki, no more having to hide. Now everyone in the kingdom could celebrate Navidad however they wanted to, and they'd all already had wonderful Navidads to remember forever.

Hopefully this one would be as well, Mateo thought as he shifted the empty box from which he'd pulled the icicle-shaped ornaments to another part of the trunk, even as he doubted there was anything he was looking for under it.

But then his eyes widened at what he saw. A faint glint peeked up at him from a tiny hole between decorations put on top of it. It was not like any of the decorations he had ever used on any ceremony, and he had only seen it once, many years ago, but he was sure he recognized it.

Could it be?

With all the slowness of a wary cat, barely daring to believe his eyes, Mateo pushed the spheres on top of the ornament and pulled out an ornament about as wide and tall as one of his spell books.

Yes. It was. The golden sixteen-pointed star his mother had shown him once when he was only a boy. The one whose story she had shared with him. The one he had vowed never to put up on any árbol navideño he set up, only for his mother to chuckle and tell him that while she felt she never could put it up herself, if he felt the time came for it he was more than welcome to put it up.

Perhaps this is the time. Mateo thought as he contemplated the star. It was a bit dirty, but it would be easy enough to clean it up with magic. He could already see it crowning the tree.

He started turning around to tell Elena he had found something, but the moment before he made any sound, a realization struck him harder than any of Fiero's spells from their battles.

What was he thinking? This tree was meant to be about of them together, not about himself. Putting up this star up there, something that had such a deep meaning to him and especially to his mother, would make this árbol, which was meant to be equally his and Elena's, more about him than about Elena. Navidadwas meant to be about the spirit of giving, not about the spirit of hoarding the spotlight, like he had ended up doing on that Navidad the magically-induced blizzard struck Avalor.

Good thing he'd stopped himself before actually saying anything.

Mateo lowered the star. However unwittingly or not, he had already made a mess of two Navidads in Elena's life. He would not ruin this one also by making it more about himself than about her.

He would just put the star back in the trunk and wait for Elena to find something she wanted to put up.

As she kept rummaging through the many ornaments in her trunk, Elena's heart started to sink a few edges. She had hoped one of the various tree toppers she remembered her parents, herself, or Isa placing on top of the trees they set up had survived the intervening years, but if they had, they must not be in this trunk, or were properly hidden.

They'd have to be to make to this day. Elena couldn't help but think.

She inwardly glared at her own mind and pushed the thought aside as she ceased her gestured. She wouldn't ruin the day by even thinking about that witch any more than absolutely necessary. She'd just focus on making it and the árbol navideño she and Mateo were about to finish as wonderful as it could be.

Yet she couldn't help but think that without a tree topper, there would be something missing from the tree… and in a small way, from Navidad itself.

It sounded stupid, Elena knew. This Navidad would already be leagues better than so many others she'd had, namely all those she'd ended up spending inside the Amulet, getting only glimpses of what was going on outside at best or alone in the Enchancian Royal Castle's attic at worst.

And she had always been the one telling that what mattered about Navidad was being with those you loved, and while maybe she would not be with all of them, she would still be with some of them. Why was she even making such a fuss about not being able to find a mere ornament?

A shuffle from behind her rose up as if in reply, though Elena knew he hadn't heard her thoughts or would be self-centered to the point of thinking like that. She couldn't help but smile, even though she still didn't have what she was looking for.

It was for Mateo.

This was their first Navidad as an engaged couple. Though not as significant as it would be the one they would first spend as a married couple, she still wanted it to be perfect for him. And that included a perfect árbol navideño with something on top of it. After everything he had done for her, he deserved that much.

Come on, trunk. She thought. If you still have anything to unveil, now's about the right time.

She resumed her rummaging, setting aside the ornaments she found. Surely there had to be something…

There! She thought as she glimpsed something white hiding under a few Christmas spheres. Maybe that's it!

Elena pushed the spheres aside and fished out the object she'd located, an ornament about the size of an average stuffed bear. Then her eyes widened as a silent gasp left her mouth and a blaze of memories hit her.

It was a Navidad angel.

More than that, it was the angel from the first Navidad she remembered in her existence, over half a century ago, the one she had put up in the first árbol navideño she could recall.

Elena blinked repeatedly, holding back a few tears that threatened to push outside of her eyes as she watched the angel's features. Though a bit dirty, it was still like she remembered. The white robe, the tan skin and dark hair typical of Avalorans, the brown eyes, the creamy wings… Like so many things from those days, it made her want to cry.

But at the same time, it only made her cry because she remembered the happiness from that day.

She smiled at the angel, the urge to cry fading. This was the perfect topper for the tree.

Or maybe not. She thought as another thought struck her.

Yes, this ornament was special to her. But in some sense, perhaps it was a bit too special. This árbol was meant to be shared between the two of them. To put a topper that somehow felt so exclusive to her felt too… selfish. Too self-centered. Mateo didn't deserve that.

Elena sighed, but despite the edge of pain, she knew she was making the right decision. It wouldn't be right to put this up.

She would just put the angel back in the trunk and wait for Mateo to find something he wanted to put up.

Yet another abnormal gust of wind screamed outside.

This time, neither of them drew anything, but they did stand up in alarm at the sound, both of them half-expecting something nastier than mere wind to be visible beyond the window as they clutched their respective ornaments to their chests.

After a while of staring at the window, both of them sighed in relief. Fortunately, it seemed that it was just the weather choosing to act up again. Once more, only the many lights of the city could be visible beyond the glass. It didn't yet rule out the possibility of anything happening on Navidad, but at least it was not happening at the moment.

Relieved for the time being, Elena and Mateo looked at one another to make sure the other was alright. Then, both their eyes trained on the ornament the other clutched.

"What's that?" Elena asked.

Mateo did his best to look neutral, even as he inwardly kicked himself. So much for putting the star down and let Elena pick what she wanted. He might still do the latter thing, but now he risked going down a path that didn't feel all that appropriate for Navidad. Not with everything along the way.

But he could still try to avoid it.

"A Navidad star. And that?"

Elena looked at her ornament, trying her best to look neutral rather than downcast. While she knew Mateo would do nothing but comfort her, it would be too much sadness for the time of the year. Hopefully she could still keep the bulk of it at bay.

"A Navidad angel."

Mateo smiled at her.

"Let's put it up then."

Despite herself, Elena smiled at him. Though she could already guess there was something special about his star, he was again showing his big heart by saying they could put up her angel instead. Elena appreciated the sentiment, but she didn't want to take the spot away from him. He deserved to put up his star just as much as she deserved to put up her angel.

"We could put up your star instead."

"Why not the angel?"

"And why not the star?"

Mateo opened his mouth to reply, but the words seemed to sink back down his throat, taking his shoulders along the way as they slumped. So much for trying to keep sadness out of the day.

He briefly mused he should have tried to make a better concealment of his sadness, but that was as effective as putting bolts on the door after being robbed.

Sure enough, Elena approached him and put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern in each of her features. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Mateo looked at the ground between his boots. He didn't want to tell her per se - if only because of how her current feelings would surely escalate even further - but he didn't want to keep secrets from her either. Whatever else his flaws could be, he knew relationships were built on honesty, and his' with Elena had been that way so far. He wouldn't destroy it now.

"I promise I won't be angry. And what even could there be to be angry about?"

Mateo knew the exact answer was 'nothing'. But all the same, his heart sank. This Navidad was already being potentially problematic with the windy weather and the potential absence of some of their friends. To ruin it further by dredging up bad memories only made him feel like someone should punch him in the face.

But what was done was done.

He raised the star closer to his eyes, and then lowered it as he turned to Elena.

"My mother showed me this star when I was younger. She said my father gave it to her as a Navidad gift. I never asked where he got it, but I imagine he had to go through quite a lot of trouble to get it."

Despite the sadness of the memory, he smiled. He had never known his father, but he knew from the way his mother spoke of the man she had loved him very much. More than once, he wished he could have known the man, but not even Elena's talent for seeing ghosts on Dia de los Muertos had ever helped him there.

He pushed the thought aside, and went on, "They didn't put it up on that day, but they meant to put it up on their next Navidad."

He fell silent once more as he returned his eyes to the floor. That story had no happy ending, and he had already brought way too much sadness into this day.

But Elena kept looking at him expectantly, even as she resolutely stayed silent.

By now, he might as well tell her the rest.

With another sigh, Mateo stood straighter. "Their next Navidad never came."

Elena held back a gasp. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like for Rafa and her husband to go through such a thing. To have to deal with so much on each Navidad they went through, and yet still manage to keep so much hope they would get to see the next, only to eventually…

Short on words, Elena could only wrap her free arm around Mateo and nestle into him. The weight inside him somehow both lighter and heavier at the same time, he wrapped both arms around Elena.

After a few moments of nestling into him and letting him run his fingers through her ponytail, Elena stood straighter.

"With a story like that, we have to put it up," she said. "That star needs to shine properly."

The corners of Mateo's mouth turned upwards, and a few chuckles escaped his mouth. Then his eyes focused on the angel Elena was holding.

Even in his sadness, he thought of her. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

And then she lost herself in the angel's face, as the whole set of beloved memories associated to it returned. That angel had brought her such joy…

And yet she could not think of it without feeling a wave of sadness.

The skin on her back prickled as she felt Mateo's hand resting on it.

"I'm sure your angel has quite the story as well."

Yes. It did. Not in quite the same way that Mateo's star, but it did. And just thinking about it brought tears to the corners of her eyes again.

As if sensing that, Mateo drew her closer and kissed her hair. Elena sighed as she felt the comfort seeping from it and into her.

Then, she raised the angel to her face, and looked at him.

"This angel is from the first Navidad I remember spending with my family," she explained.

She paused before going on. She didn't remember much of it by this point, and she wanted the story to be as complete as possible.

But it seemed her memory wasn't helping, which she supposed would be natural even without the time spent in the Amulet, but was still unpleasant.

Relieved that at least she still remembered the most important details, Elena went on. "I saw papi and mami setting up the árbol navideño, and wanted to help. My parents would give me a few ornaments and tell me to put them on this or that branch. Sometimes either mami or papi would pick me up and lift me so I could reach the branch they were pointing out."

She paused again as one of the last and best memories of that moment came to her mind.

"And at the very end, papi hoisted me on his shoulders and let me put the angel on top of the tree."

Elena smiled at the memory. The sheer joy her parents had been feeling decorating the tree, her own joy at them letting her join in, her joy at actually doing some decorating, her joy at being so high up as she perched the angel…

It's almost too much to bear, she thought as she clutched the angel to her chest again.

After another long moment, Mateo's voice returned her to reality. "Well, I'd say I was right about the angel's story. We have to put it up."

Elena looked at him.

"But what about your star?"

He raised his hand as if to stop the question. "It's alright. The angel is important to you. We can put it up."

Elena lowered the angel. "But the star is important to you. We shouldn't just toss it aside."

Mateo smiled. "Don't worry. I don't mind. Really."

Elena returned the smile, but didn't voice anything else on the statement. She knew Mateo meant it, but so did she when she said they shouldn't just toss the star aside. At least her angel had gotten to be a source of many happy memories. Mateo's star had yet to be given the chance.

Yet at the same time, she knew that if they put up the star, Mateo would only feel guilty that they hadn't gotten to put up the angel. Without any reason, of course, but she had learned Mateo was like that, just like he had learned how stubborn she could be.

Perhaps it was time to use her stubbornness to find some sort of compromise. Something that would let them both get what they wanted.

But what?

"If only we could put them up together…" Elena muttered to herself.

She felt Mateo shifting beside her. "What?"

Elena's eyes widened a fraction. Had he heard her? She knew she had actually spoken the words, but they had been so low even she had barely heard them. Mateo really had sharp ears if he had been able to tell them apart.

But whatever it was he thought he'd heard, it made his face light up.

"Of course we can!" he said.

He stepped away from her and again drew his tamborita with one hand, even as he reached out toward her with the one holding the star.

"Can you hold this?"

"Sure."

She raised both the angel and the star toward Mateo. He focused for a few seconds, and then tapped his tamborita twice, again not saying any spell. Golden sparks flew from the tamborita and ran over both ornaments as they floated from Elena's hands. The angel actually seemed to fly as it shifted its position around the star, and then both landed on the tree with a faint rustle, the angel with its arms wrapped around the star as if it was hugging it, and the star with one of its points peeking behind the angel as if it too was putting its figurative arm over its back. And for a further touch, both ornaments were pristine as if they had just been cleaned - which certainly had thanks to Mateo.

Elena moved beside Mateo as he surveyed his job, his hand poised as if to tap the tamborita again just in case.

He ran his eyes over the angel and the star a few times, and then tucked his tamborita away.

"There." he said. "Now they both get to share the tree."

Elena turned toward him, unable to stop the smile spreading across her lips even if she tried.

"Like we get to share our lives."

Mateo turned to her.

"Yes." He put a hand to her cheek. "Just like that."

She put her fingers to the back of his hand.

"It couldn't be any other way."

Mateo said nothing. He only started leaning closer.

Elena responded in kind.

Once more, the wind grew louder outside. But this time, it went over their heads as the two of them approached and their lips met.

Neither knew how long it had lasted, and neither cared to count the time. All that mattered was this moment, one of many to add to the list of those they had already shared, and one taken off the list of those they would still share in the future.

When their kiss ended, both turned back to the árbol navideño they had made, more satisfied than they had ever been that night.

It still was not perfect. There were still loved ones who had to make it to the celebration of Navidad. And something about the wind outside, while far from threatening to grow into an actual disaster, still seemed to stay at just the right edge to dampen the ambiance.

But they at least had each other. And that was already something to be thankful for.

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