"Carly?" Jack says, nudging the younger girl. Carly pointed to one of the trees, Jack seeing the look in her eyes. "No, there's not enough room on the roof of the car for that one!" He says, guessing the tree to be about 7ft tall.
"No, the one behind it!" Carly says, grabbing Jack's hand and leading him to a tree that looked like the little one from A Charlie Brown Christmas.
"You're a bit strange when it comes to Christmas shopping." Jack says, shaking his head as The Christmas Song by Mel Thorne played from the radio nearby, the clerk dressed in an elf outfit talked to a married couple and their two children, a redheaded boy about 9 and a little girl about 5 with light brown hair.
'They look like little kid versions of Jimmy and Carly.' Jack thought, watching the kids, who were amazed by the Christmas trees and lights. Carly was about to grab the little Charlie Brown Christmas tree when a boy no older than 7 kicked her left leg, making her fall.
"My tree! Get your own, lady!" The boy shouted, Jack helping Carly stand up and brush the fake snow off of her grey and dark red cable knit sweater.
"You okay?" Jack says, Carly nodding before Jack turned to the little boy. "It's not nice to go kicking people! I think that you need to apologize to-" He says, the boy kicking Jack now, Jack falling and rubbing his right leg.
"Ow! What was that for?! You're being a little grinch!" Jack says, Carly crouching down next to him and helping him sit up.
The two didn't expect the boy to burst into tears and start screaming, his mom running over to him.
"James, what's wrong?!" The blonde woman says, crouching down and putting her hands on his shoulders.
"They're trying to take my tree and he called me-!" James says, sobbing violently.
"I'm gonna use-" Jack says lowly, Carly putting her hand on his mouth.
"Let me handle this." Carly says, standing up, the woman noticing how exactly she's standing.
"James, did you kick this nice lady?" The woman says, James nodding reluctantly.
"I... i wasn't trying to... hurt her but..." James manages to say, still crying and shaking.
"I'm sorry, miss. It's his first Christmas just after his uncle died and he's..." The woman says.
"It's okay." Carly says before turning to James, crouching down next to him as the woman helped Jack up. "It's not easy when you lose someone you love, kiddo." She says, James sniffling as Carly reaches over, brushing the little boy's tears away.
"I... i just miss... him so much." James says, green eyes red from crying.
"I... sort of know what you're feeling... when i was about your age... i lost my uncle Trevor and at the time... i thought i'd never see him again." Carly says, tears in her eyes.
The memory of her first Christmas without Trevor around hurt her sometimes.
"He... he came back?" James says.
"Not until a few months ago. He thought that... me and my family were gone too." Carly says, James nodding.
"I'm sorry i... hurt you and your friend." James says.
"It's okay James. I'm sorry about your uncle but he'll always be watching over you and he wouldn't want you to be sad. You'll get to see him again one day." Carly says.
"In heaven?" James asks.
"Yes. All our loved ones who are watching over us... we'll all get to see them again one day." Carly says, Jack and the woman walking over to them.
"Are you okay, kiddo?" Jack says.
"I'll be okay." James says, Carly standing up before the four walk to the tree that James wanted. "Are you sure?" He says, Carly nodding.
"Every family needs that perfect tree for Christmas." Carly says, James wrapping his arms around her and Carly returning the hug before they let go, Jack helping James pick the tree up and over to the elf behind the register.
"That was really nice of you to do that, miss. I haven't seen my son smile in so long." The woman says.
"It's no problem. The holidays are a time of happiness and showing your family how special they are to you." Carly says.
"You are absolutely right, miss..." The woman says.
"Carly." Carly says, extending her hand.
"Melissa." The woman says, shaking Carly's hand as James and Jack walk back with the tree, the four walking over to Melissa's grey Cheval Fugitive and Jack and Carly putting the tree in the back, Carly closing the door as James hugged her again.
"Have a merry Christmas, Carly and Jack." James says before they let go.
"You have a merry Christmas too, James." Carly says before James gets in the car, closing the passenger door and buckling up as Melissa started the car, driving away.
"That was a really good thing you did, little one." Jack says.
"I remember my first Christmas without Trevor around... it didn't feel the same, Jack. I'm glad he's back... even though he drives me crazy sometimes." Carly says, Jack resting a hand on her right shoulder while gently brushing her tears away with the other.
"Trevor loves you like you're his own child, Carly. Yeah, he might not like you being friends with Johnny but he still cares about you... if he was around while you were growing up, things might be different." Jack says before they hug.
It was a few minutes before they let go, both walking back to the trees and seeing the tall one they saw earlier.
"Hey-" The man in the elf costume says, Carly and Jack walking over to him. "-it's the last one on the lot. If you kids want it, it's yours." He says, Jack and Carly looking at each other before nodding.
Jack reached for his wallet but the man stopped him.
"No need to pay me after how you and your friend helped that kid and his mom out earlier. I'll help you tie it to the car." The man says before the three of them walk over to the tree.
Trevor and Johnny were the first to see Jack and Carly pull up in the De Santa driveway, the tree tied to the roof, both walking out and over to them as Jack and Carly get out of the car, Carly and Johnny hugging.
"Trevor, help me with thing, it's heavy!" Jack says, him and Trevor untying the tree and lifting it off the grey Kumura, taking it into the house, Michael looking at them in surprise when he sees the tree before helping them take it into the living room.
"You alright?" Johnny says as he and Carly sit down at the bottom of the staircase.
"Yeah... i'm alright. First Christmas with Trevor back in my life." Carly says.
"As long as he doesn't punch me like he did on Thanksgiving..." Johnny says, Carly trying not to laugh.
"He had too much to drink, i'm surprised he's not drunk now-" Carly says, Johnny pulling her into his lap and tickling her. "Johnny! Quit it!" She says in between laughter, Johnny stopping as both of them notice mistletoe above them and look up, Jack holding the mistletoe in his right hand.
"Oh, come on! Christmas tradition and Trevor's not paying any attention!" Jack says.
"Jack, we could use some help with the decorations!" Michael says.
"No, we've got it under control, Mike!" Trevor says, Jack walking into the living room as Tracey playfully throws some silver garland at Trevor, the older man throwing it back at the blonde.
"Uncle Trevor! Stop!" Tracey says between laughter as she and Trevor continue throwing garland at each other.
"Yep... just like it used to be." Carly says, her and Johnny standing up and walking into the living room, Jack throwing red garland at Carly and laughing wildly. "Oh, you're gonna get it, mister!" She says, picking up some blue garland and throwing it at Jack.
After the tree was completely decorated, Jack drank some eggnog, Trevor snickering.
"Alright, Trevor! What's the deal with you today?" Carly says, Trevor leaning in and whispering something into her ear. "Yeah, he's gonna be hungover tomorrow." She says, her and Trevor laughing as Johnny pulls Jack away, taking him into the living room.
"Bu... but i'm not drunk, Johnny... i just have a speech impediment-" Jack says before passing out on the couch.
Carly did something that took Trevor by surprise, pulling him into a hug.
"What's this for?" Trevor says, wrapping his arms around Carly.
"I love you, Uncle T. I missed you so much." Carly says, Trevor lightly stroking her hair.
"I love you too, babydoll. I'm sorry about how i've been acting... it's just... i missed you so much." Trevor says.