A foreign Christmas
S: Still in Berlin during the holidays, Luca finds himself in a wonderland.
Though Luca didn't consider himself a Grinch, he had never given Christmas time great importance. For him, being kind and generous to others had never been just a holiday mood but a lifestyle he carried on all-year-long.
This year wasn't even the first Christmas he'd spent away from home, but it was proving harder than expected. In this part of the world, the weather was cold enough for a sprout of snow to linger on the roofs after the snowfall the previous day, even though the sky was pretty clear now. Go big or go home, Luca had thought. They hadn't had snow in California since the '49, way before he was born, and he'd fancied to have a proper white Christmas to supply all the homesick feels.
"Alright, keep your guard up," Luca said before ending the video-call with 20-Davids. He was glad for technology; it made communication with friends and family a lot easier, despite his pops still wasn't all used to it. Sometimes, however, seeing each other through a screen didn't feel nearly enough.
Luca scrolled the pictures on his phone; he now smiled at Street's figure all covered in dirt after an operation going not so smoothly, then grinned at Deacon's kids decorating the Christmas tree. Melancholy reached at his heart just before a brief surge of jealousy washed over him; Tan was right there, staring at him while wheeling Black Betty. At last, another grin took over Luca's features at the picture of Chris next to Xiomara and the food truck.
He would have given anything right now to be able to go back home for the holidays, despite that would have meant to give up some vacation time to work a full shift with 20-David. Luca was having a blast teaching Germany, French, and Italian's finest, but still, he was fully persuaded that no one will ever be as good as his team family.
One thing some of his students got right though; they booked Luca a ticket to visit the Botanical Garden on Christmas Eve night.
As soon as he set foot inside the garden's gates, Luca was awestruck like a child falling into a winter wonderland. He took out his phone. He knew no picture could give justice to the play of lights, but he needed something to show to Kelly. She would have adored that place; she would have loved being there with Luca just as much as he would have loved being with her, here or anywhere else.
He started following the lights onward. The bitter cold beat at him, but his warmed up heart was enough for now. Almost every tree seemed to be speckled with stars. What truly struck him, however—making him even forget to take pictures—was the Field of Lights. It gave Luca the sensation of looking down at an expanse of water and seeing the milky way reflected in it.
He was about to get lost in another field, this one lighted only by glittering strings shaped as reindeer—which seemed oddly real—when he was led by his growling stomach to a little stand. It came from there frizzling noises and an inviting smell impossible to ignore.
He filled his hands with mulled wine and rosti (a kind of fried pancake made of potatoes that he now wanted Xiomara to learn to make). Once full, he advanced still further in the garden. His mind wandered beyond the ocean to his home, while his feet led him to this spectacular lighted tree. Its branches dripped with cards and pieces of paper of all sorts.
The Wish Tree, said a sign at its feet. Luca read on; apparently, if you scribbled down your dearest wish, this magical tree had the power to make it real. Of course, only if you believed.
But Luca wanted to believe tonight. Believe in magic. Believe in mankind. Hope for a bright future, and who knew better about brightness than this very tree in this magical garden?
Some people, he observed, had brought their cards from home; however, on a little table next to the sign, some pens and pieces of paper were waiting for the most clueless like he was. Writing his thoughts down wasn't always easy for him, and the wool gloves didn't help, but he didn't dare take them off.
While a drought prickled his cheeks, Luca utterly inhaled, concentrated, and let out all his positive energy with his exhale of air. He wrote his wish, careful nobody could see his handwriting, then moved to the selected branch and pinned the note to it.
Luca wandered away with his wish in mind. As his path was brighter than ever, the chilly air of the clear night could do anything against the warmth spreading from the center of his chest.