Dick Casablancas froze in his tracks. Damn! He swore to himself. It's Ghost-girl again!
And sure enough, across the street and with her back to him stood Cindy 'Mac' Mackenzie.
She stared lazily through the shop window. Inside a large and elaborate window display showed a series of small mechanical figurines ice-skating together.
They moved and flowed together in a wonderful symmetry and Mac almost smiled… Until she saw the one solo figure in the corner.
It was a small mechanical loner, ice-skating on plywood and blue-white paint…
It's just like real life… Cindy realized, seeing that the lone skater was the only one in the display who wasn't painted with a smile.
And She turned slowly and walked away.
Dick went to walk away too and found himself face to face with his polar opposite – Eli Navarro.
Eli was heavier and more heavily packed than Dick remembered. "What? Did you bulk up in prison or something?"
Eli smiled wryly. "Actually, yeah."
And Dick swallowed nervously. "Oh."
"But all I really want to know is if you just happened by, or if maybe you were following someone…" And Eli glanced to Mac's now retreating form.
Dick had a flip answer about following a better 'ass' than hers on his best day… But he stopped himself short.
Dick didn't know his pain was tied to hers like it was. The last time they had come face to face he had blurted out that she was nothing more than his brothers 'beard' and that she meant nothing to him.
Only later did he realize how wrong that had sounded and maybe even actually been from her perspective.
In Dick's mind, he had been betrayed far worse and for far longer than she had. At the time he had said it, through a small ocean of vodka, he had actually been angry with her.
He was angry that she had split Beavers attention. He was angry that she bolstered Cassidy's confidence and allowed him to challenge Dick on his level. But mostly, all he felt was confused frustration because the person he was angry at was the person he wanted even now to protect…
Even though he was so long gone…
"I'm just shoppin' dude." Dick dropped his eyes in regret and embarrassment and Eli saw the shame play across his face.
Eli nodded a few times and looked around, breaking the tension between them. "Well, we shouldn't disappoint the elves. They've been workin' hard all year. I suppose you should get shopping." He stepped back, slightly quicker than he'd normally done, as though out of respect for the emotion he'd seen a moment ago.
Dick dropped his eyes and his head and turned quickly away. He shoved his hands in to his pockets as he walked and then, just before Eli looked away, he saw Dick pull his one hand free and wipe at his eyes.
Eli looked down and swore softly to himself. Nothing brought him lower than having to feel bad for some rich boy. But sure enough, here he was, at six o'clock on Christmas-Eve Eve.
He watched Dick slip in to a shop and vanish.
His eyes darted across the street to a liquor store and he frowned slightly before setting off.
A moment later Eli found himself standing just outside the door as Dick exited the shop.
Dick rolled his eyes in exasperation. "What? Is it Piss-On-A-Casablancas Day or something?" He demanded.
Weevil laughed and opened his jacket to reveal a large bottle of Rum. "I thought it might be Get Pissed-With-A-Casablancas Day. But I don't know, you tell me."
"This isn't like an invitation to dinner or something is it?" Dick grinned slightly. "Because you know I don't swing that way."
Weevil turned and began to stalk off. "Sorry I was nice. Merry-Friggin-Christmas…"
But Dick caught him by he arm. "Whoa dude I…" He shrugged. "Sure. Let's crack it open. I've got nowhere to be for…" He looked at his watch. "Sixteen days. I am wide open." What's time to a hog? He wondered to himself.
And Weevil smiled at him although, somewhere at the back of his mind, he wondered if it was true; could Dick Casablancas really have nothing and no one to look forward to until school began again?
Up the road a little way Mac was climbing in to her car.
She stuffed a few small bags in to the passenger seat of her car as she dropped in behind the wheel.
Christmas was what Mac thought of as an inescapable family ritual that for most of her life she mostly enjoyed. But now…
It had been forever since she had felt any real pleasure. She could pinpoint the time, place and date of her last bit of earthly enjoyment.
And then it ended. Because the person who she took the greatest pleasure in had ended it forever.
Mac called herself numb but in reality she was just tired – and constantly feeling everything at once. She hated him and pitied him, loathed him and prayed for him. She doubted and blamed herself in a million ways and still felt the victim… But none of that would sort itself out tonight.
She sat up as she started the car and she saw them…
The minivan was full. The entire family was there.
It was the Sinclair family.
Her 'real' family… Plus Madison.
Mac forced herself to look away as the tears began to flow down her cheeks.
The Sinclair's were laughing. They were happy. Madison just gave it away. No one ever took it.
She put the car in drive and drove off without another look.
But there, just outside the jewelry store, stood one lone man staring out in to the street.
Was that…? Her? He wondered. She looks just like…
"Daddy!" Madison shrieked happily, taking his arm and leading him toward the store. "They have these incredible diamond ear rings with the little sapphires around them! You just have to come and see."
"Sure." He smiled. "Anything for you honey, anything for…" But he choked on the words 'my daughter' and only managed to once again say "You."