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"Gil, Alice!"
Oz waved in excitement to his two best friends, a grin adorning his face. His eyes were bright as his gaze traveled across a well-lit town square decorated cheerfully for the holiday season. Everywhere there was to look, there was something new to take in. Be it a stand selling holiday cookies, or wreathes with holly and pinecones to hang on your door. And the smells were just as good, if not better, ginger and chocolate wafting through the air at every turn.
"Oz!" Alice waved back, bounding up to him, her own eyes wide with wonder. In her other hand she clutched a candycane, the stripes on the hook half-disappeared from having been licked, the end sharpened to a point. "There you are! Do you have my present?" She pointed the candycane in his direction, leveling it like a sugary weapon.
"It's right here, Alice." Oz laughed, patting his pocket. "But first let's look around a little! I always love Christmas day festivals!"
"Come on you two." Gilbert laughed as well at the antics of his two younger friends, shaking his head, "You, Alice, are going to get a sugar rush." He warned, holding out a small bag filled to the brim already with holiday treats.
"We may have already stopped at one booth..." Alice admitted, grabbing Oz's hand, "So let's go to more!" She practically dragged him across the square, pointing to a seat nestled right in the middle, a jolly man sitting in it. "Look, it's Santa!"
"Alright, alright, I'm coming, you don't have to drag me." Oz grinned again, but nevertheless allowed himself to be pulled along. " Let's go see Santa."
Alice slowed down as she approached Santa, and whispered, "I've never spoken to Santa..." She hesitated all of two seconds before shrugging and forging on ahead, yelling in the loudest voice possible, "Merry Christmas!"
Gilbert come up behind them both, having taken a more leisurely pace. "Oh Alice..." He muttered as nearly all heads in the square briefly turned in their direction.
Santa, however, did not look fazed in the slightest, merely smiling and holding out his arms as he chuckled loudly, "Ho ho ho! And merry Christmas to yourself, little lady!" Now, why don't you come on over here and tell Santa what you'd like for Christmas? And your friend too!"
Oz nodded and followed along beside Alice, smiling slightly as Alice hopped up onto one side of Santa's lap. He followed suit, and waited for Alice to speak, giving her a chance to go first.
"I want meat!" Alice declared boldly, "Lots of it!"
"Alice, you already get that every day!" Gilbert scolded with a sigh, "Besides, meat would spoil like that."
"Oh...preserved meat?"
Santa laughed again, jolly and hearty, booming from his stomach. "Well now , i f it's what she wants, who am I to deny?" He winked with a twinkle in his eye.
"Yay!" Alice cheered, sticking her tongue out at Gilbert.
"And how about for you, young man? What would you like for Christmas this year?"
Oz thought for a moment. "I don't know." He admitted, "I just...I wish my whole family could be here to enjoy this, ah, but that's...it can't happen right now, so... I guess that's silly to wish for, isn't it? I usually just take things as the y come so I won't be disappointed, so..." He shook his head, looking down. "Sorry, I guess that wasn't quite a very good Christmas wish..."
Santa's hand gently clasped Oz's shoulder, and he spoke in a soft, comforting tone. "That, young man, is an absolutely fine Christmas wish. And I'd just keep an eye out if I were you. You might just find some family where you don't expect it."
Oz nodded, puzzled by Santa's response. Nevertheless, he smiled and whispered, "Thank you Santa."
"Yes, thank you Santa!" Alice echoed, standing back up and taking Oz's hand once again. "Come on, Oz, let's make it all the way around the town!"
"I doubt we'll quite be able to do that." Gilbert commented with a slight poke to Alice's shoulder, "This square would be a good enough start."
"Aww..." Alice whined, pulling puppy dog eyes at Oz and Gilbert.
"Oh Alice...let's see..." Oz turned his head, spotting something that just might be of use. "Hey Alice, Gil! Let's go over here!" This time it was his turn to drag Alice, and he did so with quite a spring to his step, excited to share what he had seen. "Let's go on a sleigh ride! We'll be able to see plenty more of the town this way!"
"That sounds great!" Alice clapped her hands as soon as Oz let go, looking over the large red-painted sleigh, its runners golden and bright against the white new-fallen snow, a horse just as snow-white standing proudly up front waiting to be given directions on where to go. "It's so beautiful." She breathed, once again tugging on Oz's hand. "Well, let's go!"
"Whoa there, I have to pay." Gilbert sighed and pulled out his wallet, handing the sleigh driver the fare, then following behind Oz and Alice.
Alice scooted into the seat, and Oz moved in next to her. "You know, I've never been on a sleigh before!" Alice exclaimed, "Well...not that I remember , anyways...."
"Then this is your first sleigh ride!" Oz decided for her, "They're fun, you'll like it." He scooted over a little farther to allow Gilbert in, and smiled as a blanket was tucked over the three of them. He reveled in the warm, fuzzy material, a bright red color that spoke of Christmas. With a signal from the sleigh driver, the sleigh started off, and Oz turned his attention to the sights of the town, glistening and merry.
"It's so pretty..." Alice watched along with Oz as the town simply lit up more and more as they passed, children laughing and throwing snowballs at each other, couples kissing under the mistletoe, and so much more.
Oz sighed a breath of contentment as Alice slowly leaned her head to lay against his shoulder, her eyes still locked on the streets around them. He reached under the blanket and held both her and Gilbert's hands, realizing that though they were not related by blood, he did truly have family around him for the holidays.
"Merry Christmas everyone."