Max preceded Logan with the large tree they had found even though it was already Christmas Eve. They had hardly managed to get it into the elevator and she had already seen herself climbing the stairs; not that it would have been hard work, but she was getting lazy. In the end the tree was inside and Logan had squeezed himself in as well. As he sat there, a branch continuing to slap him in the face, Max hadn't been able to hold back a giggling fit. He had looked up at her in annoyance but had eventually given in and grinned.
Once inside the apartment Logan had directed her to his big closet where the Christmas decoration had been stored away for years. He had never bothered to set up a tree all for himself. But he realized in surprise how much fun it was to look forward to a real Christmas.
"Want to wait for the kids to decorate it?"
Max nodded. "I think they would like that."
"Okay, I'll take care of the goose, it's way to late to have a perfect dinner, but I'll do my best."
"Yeah, right. You and a non-perfect dinner, as if that would ever happen," Max teased him. "Mind if I take a shower?"
"Not at all. Go ahead."
ooooxxxxoooo
When Max returned to the kitchen she was surprised to find it empty. The light in the oven was on and the island counter was unusually untidy. There was no sign of Logan, though.
"Logan?" She looked into the office, the computers were switched off. "Logan?" Back in the kitchen her eyes fell on a piece of paper they laid on the edge of the counter.
"I'll be back in an hour. Logan."
She sighed. 'What was he up to? Why hadn't he waited for her?' Men! Not sure what to do with her time, she sank down on his couch and switched on the TV, zapping through the numerous programs, another sign of the improving economy she guessed.
Eventually she heard the door open and leaned over the back of the headrest to watch Logan wheel towards her, still wearing his jacket and gloves. His hair was full of glittering pieces of ice. He looked perfect. "It started to snow," he announced. "We'll even have white Christmas."
Max immediately looked out the huge window front and Logan had been right, thick snow flakes softly glided down through the air. She could see them land on the buildings across the street, already covering them in a thin white blanket. "It looks so peaceful," she mumbled, totally engrossed in it.
"It does." Logan had come to a halt next to her; his eyes were trained on the beautiful girl next to him rather than the snow outside.
Max felt herself blush and shifted nervously in her seat. "It's getting dark; I think it's time to go get the kids."
"You're right," Logan cleared his throat. "And I'll prepare dinner."
"Where have you been anyway?"
"I'd forgotten to pick something up." He answered a little too fast, but Max decided to drop it. He had done more enough to deserve a little trust.
"Okay."
Max stopped in the doorway one last time after she had slipped into her jacket and accepted the keys for the Aztec from Logan. "Thank you."
Before he had a chance to answer he could hear the front door fall shut. "You're welcome, Max," he whispered.
ooooxxxxoooo
"We're back!" Max announced her arrival immediately and Logan came towards them from the kitchen where he had just put the turkey in the oven.
"Logan, this is Amy, Jason and Josh," she pointed at the three nervous kids that stood next to her. Josh was about 12, a tall, cute boy with dark brown curly hair and stunningly green eyes. Amy and Jason were about the same height, twins, eight years old, he knew from the bios. While Amy looked a lot like her older brother, Jason had blonde hair and blue eyes. He remembered Logan a little of pictures of himself as a kid.
"Hi there. I hope you had a good ride over here." He questioningly looked up at Max only to receive a reassuring nod in response. There had been no suspicious incidents.
"Yeah, thanks for having us." Josh spoke, an insecure smile playing around his lips.
"You're welcome. And just feel like you're at home." Logan noticed that the kids didn't seem to mind the chair. That was a nice change. Usually he had to endure embarrassed glances when he met people for the first time. It always felt like they had to judge whether he was mentally impaired or not before they could try and get comfortable around him. Those kids just didn't seem to worry.
"Actually, we were wondering if you guys could help us decorate the tree," Max explained. "We didn't have the time to do so yet. And I think Santa would really appreciate it."
"There is no such thing as Santa Clause," Josh spoke up harshly.
Logan looked up at Max, shocked by the hatred in the boy's features. "Why are you so sure of that?"
Josh snorted. "What kind of a Santa would do this to us at Christmas?"
Max shrugged. "Maybe Santa isn't responsible for all bad that is happening in the world. It's the people that are mean to each other, and sometimes innocents have to suffer from that. But that doesn't mean there is no Santa." She smiled at Josh to let him know she had not taken any offense. She knew that the poor boy just felt lost and lonely. She had been there before, more times than she would like to count. "Anyway, ready to decorate the tree?"
"Sure." Amy smiled up at her. "Where is it?"
"Right that way." Logan swivelled his chair around and could feel the others following him.
"Well, looks like Josh and I are responsible for the upper branches," Max grinned.
"Knock yourself out. I'll have to check the lights first anyway." Logan pulled a long string of Christmas lights from one of the boxes and carefully wheeled over to the sockets so he could check them out. "Every time. I mean they worked the last time they were used. Why not now?"
"Would spoil half the fun," Max offered from across the room where she and Jason were unpacking the decorations.
They next 20 minutes they worked in companionable silence, only interrupted by murmured curses from Logan who didn't seem to find the one damaged bulb or giggling from the kids every now and then.
"Hah! I got it!" Logan triumphantly held up the long chain of little golden lights, now glowing evenly. He carefully laid them in his lap and wheeled closer to the tree in order to hand them off to Max. "I'll go check on dinner. When you are done you could help me set the table."
"I can help you right away!" Amy offered shyly.
"Great," Logan gently smiled at her. "Then follow me."
"Thanks for doing this for us." The little girl offered when they had reached the kitchen and Logan open a drawer to take out the cutlery.
"You're welcome."
"My Mom and Dad are going to be okay, right?"
Logan looked up into green eyes that started to fill with tears. "They will be fine, it's just going to take a few more days. You don't have to worry."
The girl sniffed and then smiled bravely. "I just miss them."
"I know." Logan was incredibly glad Max had put her foot down and insisted on bringing the kids over. "You just have to hold on a little while longer. You think you can do that?"
"Yeah."
"Great. And now let's set the table."
Max and the two boys soon joined them in the kitchen and the table was ready within minutes. Eventually they all sat in the kitchen, watching Logan. "Max, switch on the radio, will you? They should be playing Christmas songs tonight."
Soon, the warm room was filled with soft music and the kids listened intently until Logan announced that dinner was ready and they all sat down around the large table to enjoy his culinary miracles. The Christmas tree was offering a soft glow in the background and the music still came from the loudspeakers that were installed all across the apartment.
Logan watched the kids, at first all three of them had been nervous and scared- and who could blame them. But they had visibly relaxed, maybe even forgotten about the whole misery they were faced with and seemed to really enjoy the evening. He could actually be their father, he suddenly realized. Well, he would have had Josh in his early twenties, but that wasn't that uncommon either.
Back when he had been married, he had thought about having kids, but he and Val had never seriously considered it, they had both been busy with building up careers; and, well, Val had been busy with making a mess out of her life, and in the wake his. There probably wouldn't have been room for a child, and maybe not even enough love.
But the idea of having a child had never been further away than in the past few months. And he realized only now that it hurt to think he would never have one. He blinked rapidly and focussed on Max who apparently had talked to him.
"What?"
"You totally zoomed out, didn't you?" she teased him. "Do you have any board games around here apart from chess?"
"Ahem, I'm pretty sure there must be some somewhere. How about you clean up the table and I'll go check?"
"Deal."
ooooxxxxoooo
It was almost midnight when the kids had played enough games. Their laughter had filled the apartment and had been loud enough to result in a phone call from Mrs Moreno who had been wondering what was going on in the usually silent apartment of her neighbour. When she heard about him having company she had assured him that they could be as loud as they wanted to be and had wished them a Merry Christmas.
Now the kids were sitting on the floor or on the couch, sipping hot chocolate and becoming increasingly tired.
Max eventually stood up. "Are you gonna help me make your beds before you all pass out?" she asked.
"Sure," Josh agreed, suppressing another yawn. Amy also stumbled to her feet and followed Max and her big brother.
Only Jason stayed back, cuddling a cushion tightly while sitting in one corner of the huge the leather couch. Logan watched him for a long moment. IN the background he could hear Max and the two other kids giggle. "Are you okay?"
"Sure," he sniffed.
"Didn't you enjoy the evening?"
He looked up at Logan. "Of course I did. I loved it." He sniffed again. "I just miss Mommy and Daddy. You know, it's Christmas, and they are not here. And in the morning there aren't going to be any presents and…" Tears started to run down his face. "I know, this is not what it should be all about, but still…It's just not a real Christmas."
"Come here." Logan stretched out his hand, inviting the little boy to climb in his lap which Jason immediately did.
"I know what you are going through, believe me. The first Christmas without my parents was terrible. It just didn't feel right. But you know what? You have your siblings around, and Max and I are gonna be here tomorrow morning as well. And you will soon be back with your parents, I promise."
Jason looked up at him. "Why did you have to be without your parents on Christmas?"
"My parents had died, they had just left me behind and I felt so lost. I had to live with my aunt and uncle and I hated that."
"I'm sorry."
"No need to be. It's been a long time ago. But you know, my grandma was there on Christmas Eve and I remember that I was lying in my bed, crying. And she came and sat with me and told me that my parents would always be with me, in here." He pointed his finger on Jason's left chest. "I would just have to close my eyes and I would see them." He looked up and suddenly saw Max standing in the shadow of the doorway, listening. He smiled at her, slightly embarrassed, but then concentrated on the little boy in his arms again. "And on Christmas they are even closer, because all those angels you can see all around you. That's them."
"Did you believe your grandma?"
"I did." Logan smiled.
Jason considered what he had just heard for a moment, then he smiled. "Okay, I'll try that."
"Great. And now you should get ready for bed."
He watched Max step closer, gently smiling at the boy. "Come on."
"Good night, Logan." He hugged him before carefully climbing down from his lap.
"Good night. See you in the morning."
Max turned around to look at him before disappearing around the corner, a thoughtful expression on her smiling face.