Two weeks. I was up to two weeks of high school, two weeks of trying to be a normal person, and I wasn't sure which was harder. I had found a house that I liked in the list, and it was even relatively near the docks; I just had to hope that Papa would approve it. Today, though, I had promised Emmy that I would take her to the mall. Charlotte had said she would come too, and Michael was on board; Rebecca had to do some family thing she didn't sound all too happy about. I wasn't sure why. Family was a gift, she should be happy about it. But whatever.

None of us had a ton of money to spend at the mall; Charlotte had saved a bit from the shifts she was doing at Granny's, but the rest of us only had a few dollars apiece (Emmy thought her ten were a fortune). We were mostly going to window shop and buy ice cream. Emmy said it was something she had read that people did that was very fun. Having never been to a mall before, I would have to take her word for it; Charlotte had never been either, which made Michael the only mall veteran, and he hadn't been since he was around five. So it would be an experience.


"Why is there green stuff everywhere?"

"Those are Christmas decorations," said Michael.

"What's Christmas?"

"Uh... I'll explain it later."

"Okay."

"Who's the big fat guy in the toy store?" asked Emmy.

"Santa Claus," said Charlotte. "I think."

"Charlotte, you know this stuff."

"Elizabeth, if you'll remember, I'm an Earthling. I lived in the early twentieth century, but I lived here, and I know Christmas stories. This whole decorated mall thing and Santa being in a store seems odd. Also that it's only the first week of December and they have Christmas stuff."

"Yeah, I don't know how it used to be," Michael said, "But now people go all out super early. They also come to malls and have kids sit on Santa's lap and tell him what present they want for Christmas."

"I'm a kid," said Emmy.

"Do you want to do it?" Charlotte asked.

She nodded. "Then I get a present."

"Uh... you don't really get the present, Emmy," Michael said. "The kids say it when their parents can hear and then their parents get it for them."

"Oh. Why do they do it like that?"

"The story is that Santa comes around on Christmas Eve and gives every good child in the world what they want."

"And people believe that?" I asked. It seemed so utterly ridiculous.

"Yeah, they do."

"Well, it still sounds fun," said Emmy. "And if you all listen you can hear what I want and get it."

"Huh."

We went into the store, and Emmy waited in the line. When it was her turn, she eagerly sat on the man's lap-a stranger's lap, that was odd!-and said, "I want a tiara. And a computer."

"Can anybody afford a computer?" Michael whispered to the two of us.

"I can afford half of a cheap plastic tiara," Charlotte whispered back.

"I'll work it out," I said. "I have connections."


After Emmy had her moment with Santa, we went to get ice cream. "Does everyone do this Christmas thing? Does my Papa?"

"I don't know," said Michael, "But it's probably fair to say that Emma does. In fact, they've almost all got fake or real memories from this world... Emma, your brother, Henry, they probably all do it... Regina probably does. Maybe the Charmings too. You'll probably get a Christmas dinner, Elizabeth."

"Is it fun?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. My family didn't celebrate it."

"Why not?" said Emmy. "It's fun."

"It's also a religious holiday for a religion we weren't."

Emmy frowned. "Toys and parties. Why not do it?"

Michael laughed. "Eat your ice cream, kiddo."

"So, the mall isn't always like this, right?"

"No."

"Good. Because it's crazy."


"Papa, I found a house that I like."

He smiled a bit. "Did you now?"

"Yes, and hopefully this one you'll approve?"

"I have high standards for our home, Elizabeth."

"Basically anything would beat this."

"Well... that's actually a fair point. But a house... a home... is something important. I want to get it right."

I showed him what I had found.

"Alright, I guess I like it too."