Alexa pulled at the hem of her elf skirt and debated exactly how much she needed this part-time job at the mall. The costume was itchy and always riding up, making her nearly indecent to all of the little kids running around at her feet.
"You love books. A job at the bookstore would be perfect," her sister's voice echoed in her head. Sure, she did adore the books she was surrounded by, but she never had any time to even look at them.
Instead, she was a glorified child-wrangler dressed like a Christmassy clown.
She looked out of the tall windows at the front of the store to where snow fell on the mall's parking lot. Families bustled about with their packages, Christmas presents in waiting. Being here wasn't all bad, she decided. At least it felt hopeful. And she knew that in the end, the look on her niece and nephew's face when they had a real Christmas this year would be worth it. Every penny that didn't go in her sister's gas tank would go to Xbox games and Barbie dolls, and she didn't want it any other way.
No one in the family had seen a real Christmas since her mom died, with both her dad and sister's paychecks barely covering the essentials and Alexa's college tuition chipping away at the little extra they did bring home. But even still they hung the old stockings with care and pulled out the broken, dusty, plastic tree every year. They would never run short on decorations. Her mother made sure of that before she passed. Boxes of glass baubles, tangled lights, and silver tinsel filled their attic. Leftovers from their mother's Christmas obsession and a stern reminder that she wasn't there to celebrate anymore.
"My mommy said you shouldn't be wearing that," a little girl said as Alexa attempted to pick the crayons up off the floor of the coloring area for the thousandth time that day.
"That's nice, sweetie," she replied, trying not to let the jab bother her. She knew she was overweight. She knew the costume didn't quite fit like it should. But it wasn't really anyone else's place to tell her that she shouldn't wear it.
"Is it because your tummy is so big?" There was no malice to the little girl's voice, just curiosity.
Alexa took a deep breath before replying.
"Probably." It was about the only response she could give to this small human who didn't seem to have ever been taught any better.
"That's okay. Sometimes my mommy's pants don't fit right 'cause her butts so big," the little girl said as she started to giggle into her hand.
Alexa looked up from the crayon littered floor at the little girl pestering her for the first time. Every once in a while life gives you moments in which you can help shape people's lives. Sound bytes of advice they keep with them forever. Alexa thought that maybe now was one of those moments.
"Isn't it magical how people come in all different shapes and sizes," she said in a whimsical voice. "No one on earth is exactly alike. We're all special in our own ways."
The little girl was silent for a moment.
Yes! Alexa thought to herself. Teaching moment completely successful.
Then the girl's eyes widened. "But what about twins?"
Alexa closed her eyes and turned to walk away. Obviously, this was not going to be the lesson she was hoping for.
"Why don't twins get to be special? And you said earth. Does that mean that there might be aliens that look like us?" the little girl continued as she trailed behind Alexa.
A woman, clearly the girl's mother, came to collect her for her Santa picture and eyed the bottom of Alexa's skirt with distaste.
Alexa just smiled in response. She couldn't make everyone around her be decent to each other but she could at least control her own actions.
Outside of the windows, the snow began falling in sheets. She worried that her sister wasn't going to be able to drive to pick her up in this mess.
She pulled out her cell to see if Sarah had texted at all. She didn't want her to have to get Chloe and Xander out in this if she didn't have to. She was about to text her and say she would find another way home as her boss rounded the corner to the children's area and shot a decisive look at the phone in her hand.
He made his way past the plastic gate, kicking crayons to the side as he walked. "Ashley, we have a strict no cell phones policy while team members are on the sales floor."
"Mr. Parrish, I was just trying to," Alexa managed to get out before he put up his hand for him to stop. She wasn't even going to correct him about her name.
For an assistant manager at a mall bookstore, Mr. Parrish had quite the authority complex.
"I understand social media may be the most important thing to you right now. But I promise it can wait." He held out his hand to confiscate the device. "This will be in my office when your shift ends."
Alexa begrudgingly handed over her phone. She needed this job too badly to argue.
"That's a good girl," he said patronizingly as he grabbed it and walked off.
The whole interaction left Alexa fuming and on the verge of tears. She focused her attention back on picking up the crayons from the floor so no one would see how upset she was.
An hour later the crowd in the store started to thin out. A couple of late-night stragglers browsed the shelves leisurely as if closing time meant nothing to them.
Alexa wiped the top of the coloring tables with disinfectant wipes and vacuumed the area around Santa's makeshift throne. When she was satisfied that the whole area was as clean as it was going to get, she migrated to the entrance to mop the tile floor in front of it.
Movement in the dark parking lot outside caught her eye. Huge, graceful Clydesdale horses were being loaded into their trailer to go back to their stables. Their manes were braided with red and gold ribbon and bells hung from their harnesses.
Another trailer was being loaded with the sleigh the horses had been pulling in circles around the parking lot all day. The sleigh was modified with small wheels under the runners in case the snow wasn't thick enough for it to glide along the pavement and it seemed to aid in the transport of it as well.
One of the guys loading the horses looked up at her, his golden brown eyes catching the glow of the street lamps. She recognized him from her classes at the community college, but there was no way he knew her. Corbin Bailey was one of the richest boys in town, constantly surrounded by admirers and friends. He lived in his own bubble of lusciousness, disconnected from the middle-class majority of Vantage Hills.
Alexa looked away quickly. She couldn't be caught staring. She didn't even want to know what kind of taunts could come from that. However, it was possible that she spent just a little bit more time on the entryway than needed so she could watch him out of the corner of her eye.
Not able to delay the inevitable any longer, she walked back toward the manager's office to clock out and retrieve her phone. Mr. Parrish sat in an office chair, his feet propped up on the desk and his cell in his hands.
"Have you seen this cat video?" He turned it around to show her. A cat dressed in a dog costume looked miserable on the screen as a voiceover played behind it. Mr. Parrish laughed uncontrollably. "The cat is pretending to be a dog!"
Alexa smiled, her cheeks burning from the effort and artificiality of it. "I'm sure it is hilarious, Mr. Parrish," she said in the most chipper voice she could manage. "Would you mind if I clock out and get my phone back from you now?"
He looked down at the clock on his computer screen. "Wow, I didn't realize it was that time. I guess I should probably do the closing announcements."
Alexa closed her eyes to keep from rolling them as she walked over to punch out for the day.
When she turned around Mr. Parrish held her cell in his hands.
"Now, I don't ever want to see this out on the sales floor again," he said, handing it back to her.
Alexa turned to walk out of the office, unlocking her phone to see how many missed texts from Sarah she would undoubtedly have.
"Oh, by the way," Mr. Parrish continued, now looking back at his cat videos, "I need you to open in the morning. Tiffany called out."
"Mr. Parrish, I told you I can't work during the day on weekends. I have to watch my niece and nephew while my sister works," Alexa said in utter shock. This was not the first time they had this conversation.
"Being a good team member means being flexible, Alex. I trust you will figure something out."
Alexa dropped the conversation and left the office. Her eyes stung as she walked out of the glass front doors and into the blistering cold outside. She couldn't tell if it was from rage or the wind. Not a single text from Sarah either. Hopefully, that meant that she was outside waiting like they planned, with no complications. But Alexa knew better. More likely it meant that she had forgotten she was even supposed to pick her up altogether. They couldn't afford another car, but with Sarah's busy life, Alexa found herself at the bottom of the priority list more often than not.
She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand as she continued to walk through the parking lot, hoping, but not expecting, to find Sarah's warm car waiting for her. Her head was down, typing out a message to her sister and she didn't even notice the figure in front of her until she ran smack dab into his chest.