A Christmas Angel

Lucas is 24 and Riley is 23

This one shot went all over the place but enjoy.

Lucas blew into his hands wishing he was back home in Texas enjoying the winter sun. Instead of in New York freezing on his uncle's Christmas tree lot. He'll admit he loves Christmas and New York he just wasn't use to the winter weather since he always left for Texas for his break.

But this year he stayed to help his uncle out since his aunt had a stroke and couldn't help him like she did each year.

He had just gotten some warmth back in his fingers when his uncle Thomas calls out to him to help a customer tie their tree to their roof. He sighed holding his fingers over the heat lamp his uncle gave him making his way towards the family.

He was working nonstop listening to different families decide which tree was the best. His uncle laughed at him for about an hour when he helped two older ladies with their tree and they both gave him a nickel squeezing his cheeks. Making them sore and red as he drank his hot chocolate rubbing them.

He looked up seeing the sun setting and looked at the time seeing it was almost seven. He groaned when his uncle seen the time putting on Christmas music letting it blast across the lot. He wished he could have just let the regular music play he wasn't ready for the multiple versions of jingle bells.

After helping a couple with their little daughter who called Lucas a Christmas giant he finally had a break sitting down by the heater eating one of the candy canes they pass out. He had just unwrapped it when he hears the sound of jingle bells.

He thought it was his imagination playing tricks on him since he had heard that song just a few minutes ago. He shrugged going back to his candy cane when he hears them again. He stands looking around the lot but didn't see anyone except his uncle standing by the front gate.

He sits back down and hears the bells getting closer he moves between the trees spotting a bright red sweater moving outside the gate. He makes his way over to it when his uncle stops him saying he had this. Lucas chuckles moving back to his seat watching his uncle hug the person in red.

He couldn't quite see who it was until they move more towards him and he drops his candy cane from his mouth. He sees it's a brunette haired girl around his age with the bright red sweater that he sees is one with a Santa pin on it. He chuckles thinking this girl looked exactly like a Christmas tree.

Aside from her sweater he could tell she had on snowflake earmuffs and a green dress that flaired out with Christmas lights on it with black tights. He didn't know if she was going to a party or she just really loved Christmas. He watched as his uncle laughed and talked with her pointing over at him as they both waved at him.

He gave a short wave before he got called away by another customer. When he finished he turned back to where they were but he didn't see them. He spotted his uncle who was placing cups of hot cocoa on the table along with different cookies. He asked who the girl was and his uncle only smiled saying she was a Christmas angel.

He shook his head as he enjoyed the hot drink and ate a cookie before helping another customer with their tree.

The next day was more the same and as soon as it hit seven his uncle put on Christmas music. He took his break hearing those jingle bells again still unsure of where they were coming from. He searches the trees finding nothing except he spots that familiar red sweater again.

He sees his uncle who tells him he has it as he helps a customer he notices his uncle and the girl walking towards a tree. He watches as she smiles at it before leaning forward and smelling the tree. He thought it was a little weird she was smelling it but went back to work.

After she leaves he finds his uncle at the little table setting out hot cocoa and cookies again. Lucas once again asked who the girl was but his uncle still called her his Christmas Angel.

Everyday for the rest of the week he would see the girl his uncle called the Christmas Angel stop by with a different holiday sweater after seven when they played Christmas music. His uncle always helped her talking with her showing her the same tree everytime.

Lucas wanted to talk to her but all he managed to do was smile and wave at her which she always returned.

He was starting to think maybe she was a real angel since everytime before he saw her he heard those jingle bells. He asked his uncle about them but he always shrugged with a mysterious grin on his face.

The following week like clockwork he spots her coming in the lot with a smile on her face like usual. He didn't see his uncle around and was going to help her when he spots her talking with some guy.

He sighed sitting back down when he overhears her telling the guy who he heard her call Auggie. They should get going since their dad was expecting them to bring the hot cocoa. She looked around the lot before spotting Lucas waving and smiling at him before she left.

He waved back with a smile as he sees her talking to his uncle before he brings over hot cocoa and cookies again.

The next day when she comes Lucas tries talking to her but gets caught up with a customer whose daughter and son decide to have a snowball fight with Lucas instead of looking for a tree. He was about to throw a snowball when he sees the girl looking at him with a smile on her face making his cheeks heat up.

Again before he can talk to her his uncle gets to her first showing her which Lucas was sure was her tree. He wondered how come she didn't just buy it instead of coming everyday to smell it.

He finally was going to get his answer when his uncle had volunteered to be Santa for the kids at the tree lot and Lucas was overseeing the customers. His uncle told him to tell him when she got there but Lucas had other ideas. He was finally going to talk to this Christmas Angel and see if she was real.

At seven he turned on the music and waited for those familiar jingle bells. He waits to hear them but he never does. He sighs looking around for her Christmas sweaters since she had on a different one everyday. He figured she wasn't going to show and warms himself by the fire.

He had just grabbed for a candy cane when he hears her voice.

"Maya can you detach yourself from my uncle Josh and meet me please?" He watches as she sets something down taking off one of her gloves with her teeth brushing her fingers along the tree branches of her tree.

"Maya Penelope I am going to buy it today I swear." She giggles and Lucas feels his heart begin to beat faster. He moves closer to her and watches as she dances to the music before spinning and giggling. He couldn't help the smile on his face as he looks over at his uncle before looking back at her.

He looks and doesn't see her he searches for her and doesn't see her until he gets hit with a snowball. He turns and sees her smiling at him as they move closer to each other. "Hi." She says smiling at him. He tells her hi as she says it back making them both nervously laugh.

"Is your uncle Thomas here?" She asked looking around. "I finally decided to buy my tree." Lucas looked at her and seen the heat rise on her cheeks. "Well I can help you you know." He tells her moving towards the tree. She follows behind as he takes off his gloves getting ready to help her.

"Are you sure?" She asked brushing her fingers along the branches again. He looks at her confused making her smile. "Yeah I'm sure." He chuckles as she looks at him. "I'm not sure you can. Your uncle told me about you." She tells him as he looks at her with wide eyes.

"What did he say?" He asked finding himself getting extremely nervous. "Well." She tells him picking up the basket she put down. "He said you wouldn't believe and if you don't believe how can you help me?" She hands him the basket as he looks at her still not understanding her.

"I believe." He tells her nonchalantly making her bite her lip to keep from smiling. "So you believe I'm a real angel then?" She asked looking at him with a smile on her face. Lucas rubbed his neck not sure how to answer that. "Yeah I believe you are one."

She smiled bouncing lightly on her feet before putting her hands in her pockets and then tossing confetti in the air around them. "Thank you now I can return home." She hugs him and skips off leaving him confused.

He shakes his head as he takes the basket where he sees his uncle taking off his Santa costume. "You were supposed to tell me when she got here. What did she say?" He asked looking at Lucas with a serious look. "She said thank you now she can return home." His uncle looked at him and nodded as several jingle bells went off scaring Lucas.

"Well there she goes." His uncle tells him taking a cookie from the basket. Lucas looked at him thinking it was all a joke and he would see her tomorrow like he always did. But he didn't she didn't come over for the next three days. He'd asks his uncle who told him she went home.

He was starting to believe it when the following night he heard jingle bells but didn't see anything. He looked around not being able to spot her he spots his uncle who points at a customer. Lucas sighed as he walks over tripping on a tree and falls.

"Oh my gosh are you okay?" He looks up seeing a bright light and rubs his eyes seeing the girl standing over him in all white. "You're an angel." Lucas tells her feeling the heat rush to his cheeks when she giggles. "Actually I'm Riley." She tells him helping him up as he tells her his name was Lucas which she already knew from his uncle.

He looked at her as she smiles picking up the basket she set down when she helped him up. "I've finally come for my tree. I brought my friends to help but they're probably making out somewhere." She tells him looking around as they make their way towards her tree.

"You know I was starting to think you really were an angel." He tells her taking off his gloves. She tilts her head looking at him and then laughs. "Well how do you know I'm not?" She giggles as she explains about her multiple trips.

Every year she would come to his uncle lot and pick a tree for her apartment. But since she never had enough money the first year to pay for the one she wanted his uncle made her a deal he would hold it for her until she had enough. Which she did by the second week.

So being grateful to him she would bring hot cocoa and cookies everyday and visit with her tree. Now she can afford to get it but she likes the tradition of visiting it and his uncle before her two week mark.

"Usually your aunt helps me but I heard what happened. I sent cookies her way too." Riley tells him as he hauls her tree towards her car. Lucas smiled knowing his aunt and uncle always loved helping others.

They tie her tree as she looks around for her friends telling him they walked down to the bakery. He finally finished as he sees her staring up at the tree with a smile. "Well thank you for your help." She tells him opening her car door.

"You sure you'll be able to take this by yourself?" He asked not ready for her to leave yet. She smiles telling him she wasn't going that far handing him the basket. He nods starting to walk away when he thought of something.

"Why does my uncle call you a Christmas Angel?" She turns back around smiling at him. He walks back towards her leaning on her car. "When I first came here I was sort of dressed as an angel. Halo and all." Riley laughs as Lucas looks at her weirdly and tells him she was helping out at a local hospital.

He chuckles knowing that's all it would take for his uncle to nickname her that. But something was still bothering him. "What about the jingle bells?" She looks at him weirdly and he tells her he hears them right before he sees her.

She smiles and shrugs kissing his cheek. "I don't know what you're talking about but thank you for helping with my tree." He nods watching as she starts her car tossing him something.

She waves and he looks down at what she threw him laughing when he seen it was gloves with jingle bells attached to them.