Satisfied
Once October was over, shops wasted no time stripping away the Halloween decorations , only to replace them with Christmas hats and stocking , Christmas trees were set up, and holiday tunes filled the air, painting the entire street in a festive spirit. Tiny, crisp snowflakes felling from the sky, and parts of the sidewalk had iced over, making people slip every now and then as they walked past.
Watching someone nearly fall down, the boy couldn’t help but let out a soft giggle. Realizing it was bad manners, he quickly pulled his scarf up, burying his nose-which was aching from the cold-and try to hide his smile. Lucky for him, he was still quite a distance away from the person; otherwise, he would have definitely gotten scolded for being rude.
He loved this feeling. The families walking out of the restaurants all looked happy, and the pedestrian zone was alive with street performers. The snow wasn’t heavy today, under the warm glow of the streetlamps, it twinkled beautifully.
“Achoo!” He ended up sneezing anyway. Alain rubbed his nose, silently praying he wouldn’t catch a cold. He hated being sick-it made his head feel heavy and his nose stuffy, and more than anything, it would worry Cassius .
Finally, he reached his destination-an exquisitely decorated gift shop. Soft, amber light poured from the glass windows, and goods were neatly arranged on the shelves. Alain pushed the door open, and the instant wave of warm air immediately soothed his itchy nose.
“Hello there, little guy. Looking for something special?” the clerk behind the counter asked warmly, a bright, welcoming smile stretching across her face.“Hi, miss! Do you have any mugs here?”“We sure do. Just head all the way to the back.”“Thank you, miss!”
It was so hard to choose. Alain stood before the shelves, frowning as he eyed the endless selection of mugs. Since it was Christmas time, almost all the cups were holiday-themed. Some had Christmas trees on them, some had tiny Santas clinging to the handles, and others were literally shaped like Santa or reindeer.
The mug Cassius used most often had broken a few days ago-the handle had snapped off, and the cup itself had shattered into a million pieces on the floor. Since he had used it for years, he had looked quite bothered about it. It was the perfect opportunity, especially since Alain had rack his brain over what to get him this year.
A red mug with white reindeer and mistletoe immediately caught his eyes. Alain lifted it to check out the design, feeling like it looked a bit bigger than the cups at home. But since the Doctor loved coffee so much, a larger size didn’t seem like a bad thing after all. Without much hesitation, he quickly chose the mug as his gift.
Turning it over, he saw a small label stuck to the center of the bottom that read “28 Vondes.” Alain patted the tiny wallet in his pocket, estimating that the money he brought out today should be enough. He had secretly saved up some allowance behind Cassius’ back; if the man found out, he would definitely get another nagging about:“Why didn’t you just ask me for more?”But it wasn’t like he needed that much money anyway-eating a cheaper breakfast once in a while was no big deal. The man always says“You can skimp on other meals, but breakfast is important. You can’t skip it, and it’s best to eat more,”yet the Doctor himself was the one who skipped breakfast the most.
Remembering how he had saved money to buy a gift before only to get lectured for it, Alain pouted and let out a huff.
“Excuse me, miss, I’d like this one, please.” Carefully carrying the mug over to the counter, Alain let out a sigh of relief as the clerk took the heavy cup from his hands.Glancing at the price tag on the bottom, the clerk blinked in surprise. “Sweetie, this one is a bit pricey.”Alain shook his head steadfastly. “That’s okay. It’s a gift for my dad, and I brought enough money.”“I see,” the clerk said with a soft smile. “Let me wrap it up for you then.”
As he walked out of the gift shop, a brown paper bag printed with festive Christmas patterns was now clutched in his hand. He was so looking forward to Christmas Eve; Cassius had promised they would go out for a delicious meal together, and the very next day, he’d get to visit his grandparents’ house. Skipped happily down the street, he headed back toward home.
*
I’m not happy, but I’m not allowed to get angry. If I get angry now, it’ll just cause trouble for everyone else. I can’t cry either-everyone says boys shouldn’t cry. But I am just so angry...
Alain pouted whan sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his eyes welling up with tears.
When your parent is a surgeon, a single phone call from the hospital can completely ruin your plans. Even though you understand that their work is important and being a surgeon is amazing, the feeling of letdown still really hurts.
The Doctor was called away just after noon; it sounded like a major emergency. Since there were no adults at home, the Doctor had no choice but to drop Alain off with the downstairs neighbors.“Alain, let’s go for a walk.” A hand ruffled his hair . A gray-haired boy, already weared warmly with the winter clothes, sat down beside him holding the younger boy’s beanie and scarf. Alain leaned forward, burying his face against the older boy’s chest. He let out a muffled “Mm.”“Remember to come back for dinner!” a beautiful woman called out, poking her head from the kitchen.The older boy patted Alain on the back, helped him put on his beanie and scarf, and then slipped his jacket on.“Alright, let’s go. Didn’t you say you wanted to see the performance in the Square?”
*
As the sky grew darker, the massive Christmas tree standing in the center of the Square lit up in brilliant colors, and snow began to fall once again. The orchestra set up their music stands and arranged their chairs in front of the tree, strings and wind instruments taking the stage one after another as the music began.
Many families gathered in the Square upon hearing about the performance. Alain held tightly to Vain’s hand, leaning against his side. Other children, bursting with excitement, kept squeezing their way to the front, completely oblivious when they bumped into people. Their parents could only offer apologies while laughingly scolding their kids not to rush so fast.“Vain...” Alain found himself gently pulled in front of the older boy, who placed both hands on Alain’s shoulders.“It wouldn’t be good if you got knocked over, Alain,” Vain said.
God rest ye merry gentlemenLet nothing you dismayRemember Christ our SaviorWas born on Christmas DayTo save us all from Satan’s pow’rWhen we were gone astrayOh tidings of comfort and joyComfort and joyOh tidings of comfort and joy
When the familiar intro began to play, Alain subconsciously held his breath. This was his favorite song- in his memory, it always echoed around Christmas time. He had heard that the lyrics were about God, and though his family didn’t go to church like their neighbors did, the Doctor always said that whether a song sounds beautiful has nothing to do with it’s religious.
Although there was a choir performing up front, it was the lovely singing voice coming from right above his head that caught his attention. Alain looked up, and Vain looked down to meet his eyes, curling his lips into a warm smile.
From God our heavenly fatherA blessed angel came
Vain crouched down to meet Alain at eye level. No matter what, he never wanted to see sadness in those sun-orange eyes. He knew Alain loved this song, and if it could bring him any happiness, he would gladly sing it over and over again.
And unto certain shepherdsBrought tidings of the sameHow that in Bethlehem was bornThe son of God by nameO, tidings of comfort and joyComfort and joyO, tidings of comfort and joy
The boy gave the older boy a big hug. “Let’s go home.”
*
Aunt Viola’s dinner was as delicious as always.
Although he didn’t have a mother, he had Aunt Viola. His big brother, Vain, treated him like a real younger brother, always speaking to him gently and even singing to him.This place truly felt like a second home.
Alain sat on the sofa, swinging his feet, watching a movie on TV while eating the cupcakes Aunt Viola had specially made for him. When she mentioned she was going to bake cookies, Vain immediately offered to help. Alain had wanted to join them too, but Viola handed him the cupcakes and told him to wait in the living room.
Having played all day and missed his usual nap, the little boy couldn’t fight off the oncoming wave of sleep. He curled up on the sofa and drifted off to sleep.
Someone gently shook his shoulder. Alain slowly opened his eyes and found a soft blanket draped over him. Seeing that he was awake, Viola gently brushed his bangs behind his ear.“Would you like to stay over at our place tonight? Dr.Han probably won’t be back until the early hours of the morning.”Alain rubbed his eyes and let out another yawn. “Mmm... it’s okay... I want to go home.”As if expecting this answer, Viola didn’t press further. She simply asked Vain to fetch something from the kitchen.When Vain returned to the living room, he held a bag of gingerbread cookies decorated with various patterns of icing. Viola pulled a ring of keys from her pocket, which had a green charm dangling from it-Alain recognized it as the set usually kept in his own bag.
“Vain, please walk Alain upstairs.”
After returning home and saying goodbye to Vain, Alain locked the door. He glanced at the clock on the living room wall; it was already eleven o’clock. Normally, he would probably be asleep by this time.
He went to the kitchen, found a plate, and poured a few gingerbread cookies onto it, then grabbed a glass of milk from the refrigerator. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was doing this, but Vain had told him that these were for Santa Claus, and leaving them out would bring an unexpected gift.
Alain went back to his room. The mug he had prepared as a gift for the Doctor was still sitting on his desk.He had originally wanted to give the Doctor a surprise.The mere thought of it made Alain feel a wave of frustration and sadness wash over him again. Earlier today at the Square, so many children were with their moms and dads, looking so happy.
He envied them so much.
His vision blurred as tears slipped from the corners of his eyes, dripping onto the bedsheets. Alain pulled the blanket entirely over himself, locking his muffled sobs inside.
But everyone always said the Doctor was an incredible doctor, and without him, many families would be spending this should-be-joyful holiday in deep sorrow.But... but he wanted to spend Christmas with the Doctor too! The Doctor was already so busy on regular days, so why did he still have to work during the holidays?After an unknown amount of time, the bundled-up quilt began to rise and fall rhythmically with his steady, even breathing.
*
When Dr.Han returned to the apartment, he found the lamp in the living room still on, with cookies and a glass of milk placed on the coffee table.
He had received a phone call before coming back, letting him know that the child had ultimately chosen to go home. This plate was clearly something the downstairs neighbor had taught his son to do. The boy had probably known for a long time that Santa Claus wasn’t real; he remembered that when the child first found out, he had been upset for quite a while.
After finishing the milk and cookies and taking a quick bath, Cassius gently opened the door to the child’s room. He deliberately turned the handle before closing it to minimize the noise.
There was a noticeable lump on the oversized single bed.
He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the blanket down. A face, flushed bright red from the trapped heat, was revealed, with blue-green hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks.
Startled awake by the sudden change in temperature, the boy blinked open his eyes in a daze.
“Ah, Doc’s gift...” Still half-asleep, the boy turned to face the person beside the bed and closed his eyes again.
“As for the Christmas gift, I’ve already received it.” The Doctor simply slipped under the blanket himself and embraced the boy into his arms.
He had failed to keep his promise and felt sorry for the child, yet the boy hadn’t complained at all, unlike other children who would throw tantrums.
But he must have cried secretly, didn’t he? The Doctor stroked the child’s cheek with his fingertips. Remembering what Viola had told him today about the boy’s frustrated expression, he knew that this was just how the child was-unless he truly felt wronged and could no longer hold it in, he would never cry out loud.
He knew there was a paper bag on the boy’s desk; he had probably saved up his pocket money to buy something again.None of those things really mattered.
Having you here is enough.
