There Will Be Freedom

34. Black Christmas

Justin's POV

Maddie and I walked, her arm threaded through mine, along the brightly lit city streets as the sun set over the tall buildings. It wasn't too cold outside, but the snow was falling lightly, creating the perfect Chicago Christmas season. I could take a picture and put it on a postcard.

The store windows held precious merchandise that they pushed on costumers who didn't have enough money to pay for anything. No wonder this country was in debt.

It wasn't that I hated Christmas, but I hated all the pageantry. It was overwhelming and tedious. Why couldn't we just wake up and have a nice family breakfast while opening a few gifts? Instead, it turned into the season of parties, carolers, expensive obligations, and a fake icon used to guilt kids into being good for the entire year. I hadn't believed in Santa Claus since I was five. It was a ridiculous notion, and I didn't know how parents could let their kids grow up fantasizing about a fat man in a red suit. Maddie called me Scrooge. I liked to call it realism.

"Justin, what do you think we should get Olivia?" Maddie asked, window shopping from afar.

"She likes clothes."

"I know, but we can be more inventive than that."

"Um, expensive clothes."

"I'll think of something."

"Maddie, are you done yet? We still have to get home and prepare for the party tomorrow."

"Not yet, Justin. I still have to get something for my mother."

"But we've been out in these streets for five hours already."

"You act like I'm trying to kill you."

"You basically are."

"We get one afternoon away from the babies, and you can't even handle it."

"I'm sorry that I prefer my warm house to this congestion." Yet another person bumped into me on the street. It took all I had not to kill him.

"You just don't like to be happy."

"Three things make me happy. You, Roman, and Sophia. I can live without all of this extra stuff." I held up the bags in my hands.

"We'll go in a second."

Maddie and I rounded the corner and saw a Santa ringing a bell, begging for money. Being the charitable woman that she was, Maddie pulled out her purse and dropped a rather large wad of cash into his red pale.

I suppressed the groan and words that threatened to erupt from my mouth.

We passed a few vendors selling various things, but I didn't pay any attention to them. This year, I was determined to just go as simple as possible with my gifts. Hell, my brothers were getting fucking pens. That was it. Granted, they were expensive fountain pens that cost more than most people's mortgage payments, but still pens nonetheless.

"What's that?" Maddie pointed across the street to a man holding up a sign.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Can we go?"

"Wait." She let go of my arm and ran through the standing traffic.

"Maddie!" I shouted after her.

By the time I got to her she was cooing over a small puppy that she had picked up from a box. There were about six and they were hanging on each other, trying to paw their way up the sides.

"Look, Justin. They're so cute." She wrapped one in her fur coat.

"They're for sale," the man said.