Generation Next The Lost Chapters

High Ho It's Off To Work We go ... (Christmas Again part 2)

They continued the drive, arrived with enough time to park, and get inside to clock in. They all bid each other goodbye and separated to head off to their separate jobs.

***

“Thank you ma’am, you have a magical day!” A’Cadia managed not to grimace as she said the words.

The woman smiled as she took the bag, turned, and gathered her three kids, and then shoved them toward the door. A’Cadia sighed, rounded the counter, and fixed the display the three little angels had destroyed. She hurried back to the register when another customer came up to stand before the counter.

“Hello, did you find everything all right?” she asked.

“Oh yes thank you!” the woman replied.

Her little girl reached out and tugged on the hem of her shirt. “Mommy, I want the Rapunzel doll!”

“Christmas is almost here sweetie, maybe Santa will get it for you. You can ask him for it when we go see him after this.”

“But I want it now!” the little girl whined sulkily.

A’Cadia grinned. The little girl reminded her a bit of Mellissa, although her hair was dark brown instead of reddish. She leaned on the counter, folding her arms and smiling at the girl. “Your mom is right, Christmas is almost here. Santa is paying real close attention to who is being naughty and who is being nice. You know what?”

The little girl looked up at her shyly. “What?”

“Santa is a real good friend of mine and if you’re extra good while your mommy checks out, I’ll let him know.”

The girl’s eyes went wide. “You will?”

A’Cadia winked at her. “I sure will.”

The girl smiled. “I promise I’ll be reaaaalll good.” She clamped her lips shut while A’Cadia checked her mother out and packed up the purchases. She reached for a roll of stickers they used to seal tissue paper when wrapping fragile purchases, quickly scrawled her name on the sticker and walked around the counter to come down on her knees in front of the girl.

“Okay, you wear this sticker and when you go see Santa you tell him you met his friend A’Cadia and she said you were a very good girl while shopping here. And you make certain to be a really good girl for the rest of the time till Christmas, all right?” She stuck the sticker to the little girl’s shirt.

The girl petted the sticker and smiled widely before throwing herself at A’Cadia and hugging her tightly. “Wow! Thanks! I promise I’ll be extra good so Santa will know how awesome I was for you!”

A’Cadia stood and patted her shoulder. “You do that. Have a Merry Christmas!” The girl skipped toward the front of the store to show her grandma, who was waiting for them, her sticker.

Her mom turned to go, stopped, and turned back to A’Cadia. “Thanks very much for that. You’re very good with kids; you’re going to be a wonderful mom someday.”

A’Cadia felt her cheeks heat with a blush at her words. “Um, thanks it was nothing really. Have a Merry Christmas.”

The woman smiled, wished her a Merry Christmas and left. A’Cadia watched her go with a shake of her head. She really hadn’t ever wanted kids, not after the childhood she’d had. Her mom was, well, not the greatest. And having never known Logan growing up had been hard. She’d never wanted to get married; her mother hadn’t been the best example of marital bliss. She’d been married more times, than A’Cadia could count. Her mom tended to rather flighty about staying married.