They entered a warm coloured kitchen that smelt sweet, like cookies.
"Noll! Oh my dear how are you?!"
A woman with greying hair and very pointed ears threw herself onto Noll and hugged him tight.
"Hello Mother."
"Noll, my boy, how did it go?"
Mai watched as Noll turned to shake the hand of a short, chubby man.
"Fine, no major issues."
"Except Lin's accident."
"Yes, speaking of Lin's accident—" Noll turned to Mai, "— this is Mai. Mai, this is my mother, Luella, and my father, Martin."
"It's lovely to meet you dear," Luella said. She reached a hand out for Mai to shake, while Mai made to bow, before realising Luella's intention and taking her hand.
"Where did Noll find you then?"
"Streets of Tokyo, hypothermia," Noll said.
"Oh my poor dear, I'll cook you up something. You must be starving!" Luella pulled Mai deeper into the kitchen. "How about some soup? Yes?"
"Okay," Mai mumbled. She looked back at Noll, who had been engaged in conversation with Martin.
"So what happened to your parents?"
Mai spun around and smiled awkwardly at Luella.
"They died."
"I know that, dear," Luella said kindly. "We have only taken in those with nowhere else to go."
"Oh, I see. I don't remember my Dad really. He died in a car accident when I was young. Mum died from overwork a few years ago."
"And you've been homeless ever since?"
Luella had begun cutting up vegetables and throwing them in a pan to cook.
"Not quite… But close enough."
"So I'm guessing you don't have the best opinion of Christmas?"
"Well…" Mai felt guilty about being honest now that she was surrounded by it all. "No."
"It's okay dear. You're not the first that feels that way."
"It's hard to believe in something when you're alone," Mai said, trying to justify herself. "Before my parents died, Christmas was just a bit of fun. But it brought us all together. Afterwards… Everyone always had their own families. Not everyone celebrates it in Japan, but…"
"Go on," Luella coaxed as she stirred the vegetables.
"I didn't have anyone." Mai bit her lip. "Until Noll saved me, I'd forgotten it was even Christmas Eve… I'd stopped caring about it all so long ago."
She paused again, watching Luella cook.
"But being here, it makes me glad that so many people do enjoy it. That there are people for whom Christmas is a fun thing."
"You're a good girl," Luella mused. "Just let me just blitz this up."
Five minutes later and Mai and Noll were both tucking in to a bowl of freshly made soup with crusty bread.
"This bread is lovely!" Mai said through a mouthful.
"Homemade, dear."
"Really?" Mai gulped down the food.
"Oh yes, I run the kitchens! With Martin's help of course," Luella said. "Though he mainly tastes things!"
"That's so cool!"
"If you like cooking you are welcome to join us here."
"I haven't cooked anything in years," Mai admitted. "Kind of hard without an oven."
"Have you finished dear?"
"Yes."
"Would you like some more?"
"Oh no, I'm full," Mai said, shaking her hand. "It was delicious though!"
"Too full for cake?"
Mai's eyes lit up.
Luella smiled knowingly.
"What flavour would you like? We've run out of coffee cake, but I've got some yule log left and I think a bit of the carrot cake."
"Can I have some of the yule log?"
"Of course you can. Noll, would you like some?"
Noll looked ready to refuse, but at a look from his father, he replied in the affirmative.
"Just a small piece of carrot cake."
Luella beamed. She busied around the kitchen looking for plates and cutting pieces of cake.
Mai tucked into the most wonderful piece of cake she had ever eaten in her entire life.
"This is amazing."
"I can teach you how to make one if you like? If Noll can spare you from other areas," Luella said. "What do you have planned for Mai?"
"She can do what she likes," Noll replied as he cut his cake with the side of his fork.
"Oh Noll—"
"Can I try a few things? Before I decide?"
"Obviously."
Luella cleared up the empty plates.
"Well you'll always be welcome in my kitchen," she said. "You too Noll, any time you feel like getting out of that office of yours. It isn't healthy to spend so much time holed up like that."
"Mother, we live in a place that is permanently dark for four months of the year," Noll deadpanned. "You can hardly call that healthy."
"And if I had my way we'd all be living somewhere nicer, but logistics has placed us here," Luella said. "But you should be getting off to sleep soon. Or you'll ruin Christmas for everyone here by being grumpy."
"Yes, yes, we've just got a few more things to see then I'll escort Mai to her room."
"Good. We'll see you later then," Luella said. She gave Mai a quick hug and ushered them from the kitchens.
"She seems like a nice girl," Martin said, finishing his cake.
"She does, I'm glad Noll picked her up. We don't have many people here that are the boy's age."
"Please, give them at least a few months before you start planning the wedding."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course you don't dear," Martin said, amused. "I saw how you looked at her."
"Oh but she would be perfect for Noll, wouldn't she? She's so kind hearted, like Noll, don't you agree?"
Martin sighed.
"Yes, dear, she is."
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