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The Life Day Market of Capital City was the biggest in Lothal. The whole plaza at the foot of the central tower was taken over by lights, wooden chalets and all the Life Day decorations the place could handle, green and red and gold everywhere the eye stopped. People lined up for warm drinks and hot treats. Vendors displayed jewelry and paintings and socks, the perfect gift for your family on Life Day. And Sabine had had the terrible idea of letting Hera sign her up as a volunteer, again.
All the streets leading into the plaza had been closed off except two, the entrance and the exit. A banner hung above the entrance, welcoming everyone into the market. If it wasn’t enough, however, Sabine was the extra welcome. She sat in a tiny wooden box at the corner of the entrance, too cramped up to move. She was supposed to give additional information to the people, but she wasn’t even sure what information she could give them. There was no map to the market, it was made up of two concentric circles of cabins and impossible to get lost in. The time the market opened and closed? They had a big sign near every entrance for that. People walked by her without sparing her a glance, probably as confused by her presence as she was annoyed by it. She scrolled on her phone, draining the battery to keep boredom at bay. She’d brought a pad and pencil to draw but she barely had the space to move her arms.
At least she had avoided the role of one of the droids in the Santa Clause factory like the year before, she thought as Ezra brushed his way back to her, dressed in a poor man’s droid’s costume.
“Why did I have to be a droid?” he complained as he leaned over the small counter of Sabine’s booth.
“I don’t know what’s more cramped. This box or your droid costume.”
“It’s the costume, trust me.”
He tugged on the sleeves yet they continued to hike up past his wrists.
“Anyway, Hera is asking if you want a snack.”
Sabine sighed. The only privilege of working for the market was that they didn’t have to cue twenty minutes for a crepe. Still, with her legs cramping up and her elbows rubbing against wood all day, it didn’t feel worth it. And if the PA system behind her played that stupid Life Day song again, she was going to take it down herself.
Ezra stared at her, waiting for an answer. Her gaze migrated away from her brother to the familiar blonde who had just squeezed through the crowd at the entrance. A big smile appeared on Sabine’s lips as she spotted Shin. She waved at her. Shin gave her a small smile and brushed past the crowd to get to her.
“Hey. What are you doing here?”
Shin shrugged.
“Just looking for a gift for Baylan.”
Sabine frowned.
“I thought you had ordered it already.”
Shin gave another shrug.
“Doesn’t hurt to look around here. Maybe I’ll get him a pair of socks or something.”
Sabine was unconvinced. She hoped Shin wasn’t trying to break their no gift promise. She didn’t want her girlfriend spending money on her. While Sabine had a gift for her, it was a painting she had made, nothing expensive. If Shin spent to much as a credit on her, she would feel guilty. She was about to remind her of it when Ezra cleared his throat.
“So, that crepe?”
“Er… yeah, sure. Shin, do you want a crepe?”
“I…”
Ezra grabbed her by the wrist.
“Come on, nobody can say no to a free crepe.”
He dragged her away before Shin could fight him off. She glanced back at Sabine for help but Sabine was just stuck in her box and could only chuckle. They disappeared deeper into the crowd and Sabine lost sight of them. She sighed and sank into her seat, turning back to her phone.
Ezra let go of Shin as soon as they were too far for Sabine to see them.
“You were supposed to distract her,” Shin groaned at him.
“I offered her crepes! I can’t help it if she likes you better than free food. Maybe you should have put on a hat or something. I’m pretty sure she spotted the hair from a mile away.”
She glared at the teenager.
“What are you supposed to be anyway?”
“Santa Clause factory droid. It makes me want to invent droids just so that I don’t have to wear this costume ever again.”
“Good luck with that.”
“I have to go back anyway. Hera is at the gift-wrapping station. Good luck.”
He headed off at a light jog, back to Santa Clause’s factory where a long line of kids awaited to meet their hero. Shin snaked her way through the market, keeping three feet away from the cabins so she could see what they sold without having to speak with the vendors. None of the jewelry she saw screamed Sabine. She barely glanced at the decorative paintings and other trinkets. She stopped at one of the wool shops and seriously considered buying a pair of socks. Nothing screamed romance like a pair of socks, she thought bitterly.
Near the exit to the market, she found the gift-wrapping station, where a small line had formed. Still, as soon as Hera spotted her, she waved her over. Shin approached and Hera opened the side door of the cabin to let her in. Still, the inside of the cabin was such a mess that she didn’t dare get past the threshold. Three people, including Hera, were wrapping gifts at the speed of light, leaving the shedding of wrapping papers to fall on the floor, where Jacen had been collecting them all and making a creation of his own, a monster of patterned paper and tape.
“Hello, Shin. How are you?”
“I’m okay…”
“Did you see Sabine at the entrance?”
“Yup. She wants a crepe.”
Hera glanced at her watch so fast Shin wondered how her brain had even processed the time on it.
“A bit early. I’ll have Ezra bring her one later. Are you hunting for gifts?”
“If you have any idea for Sabine, I’ll take it.”
Hera hummed as she finished a package. She handed it to the man behind the counter who dropped a credit in the charity box then moved away. The woman behind him set down five scarfs.
“Can you wrap them all individually? Thank you.”
Hera gave the lightest of sigh then set out to work again, bringing the scarfs to the wrapping table.
“I’m sure she’ll like whatever you give her,” Hera said without looking up to Shin. “Even if it’s a pair of socks. And anyway, I thought Sabine told me you were making your own gifts.”
Shin frowned.
“She told me we shouldn’t give each other gifts this year. Is she making me something?”
Hera’s lips turned into a thin line.
“I was probably wrong. Good luck, Shin.”
Shin was about to leave when she felt a tug on the leg of her pants. She looked down at Jacen. He held out one of his paper and tape construction.
“Do you like my Wookie?”
“It’s really nice,” she told him, then left the cabin, feeling even more at a loss than before.
Twice did Shin walk around the market, looking at everything from rings and bracelets to soaps to candies to the dreaded socks. Nothing seemed like it would please her girlfriend. She wore rings often but despite the variety Shin couldn’t find one she thought Sabine would wear. She didn’t want her girlfriend to wear a piece of jewelry she didn’t like just to please her. She found a cabin where someone was selling crochet plushies. She almost bought a cute little cat that looked like Murley but then she second-guessed herself and walked away.
She came across Ezra on his break again. He was getting crepes from the food cabin. He waved her over.
“Did you find anything for Sabine?”
Shin shook her head.
“I think you’re thinking too hard about this. Just buy her something you think looks cool or cute and she’ll love it.”
“What did you get her?”
“The new album from Illuminati Hotties.”
Shin sighed. It was a great idea. What hadn’t she thought about it earlier? Sabine loved listening to music when she worked.
“Here, can you carry these for me?”
Ezra handed her two cardboard trays, each containing a very hot crepe. He carried another two. She followed him without a word. The moist heat of the crepes was seeping into her gloves, making her sweat.
“Just get her a pair of socks.”
Shin rolled her eyes.
“Do you have any other ideas that scream even less girlfriends?”
Ezra shrugged.
“Hera offered a bagful of socks to Kanan a few years ago, I don’t remember him complaining.”
“Yeah, well, they’ve been married a while. This is our first Life Day.”
Ezra gave her a side look.
“I didn’t know you cared about her that much.”
She glared back at him.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Nothing. Just, get her a pair of socks.”
They walked up to the gift-wrapping cabin and Ezra knocked on the side door. Jacen pushed the door open. His eyes lit up like stars when he saw the crepes.
“Crepe!”
Ezra handed one to his little brother, who took a bite out of it so fast he bit off into the thin cardboard tray too. Hera kneeled and helped him pull his crepe forward so he could take another bite without it falling off the tray. Then Ezra handed her crepe to her.
“Thank you. Kanan should be on his way to replace Sabine soon. You two can head home afterward.”
She looked down at Jacen.
“Do you want to head home?”
“Can I play Zelda?”
“Sure.”
Jacen took another bite of his crepe as he nodded eagerly.
“Alright. Come pick up your brother before leaving then.”
Hera had to juggle her crepe and the customers. Ezra turned to Shin and picked up his crepe, then looked at the final one in her hand.
“Guess we’re missing one.”
“It’s fine. I’ll just bring this one to Sabine.”
She walked away before Ezra could advise her to buy Sabine a pair of socks again.
Sabine was leaned against the small counter of the booth, looking the most bored she’d ever looked. If anyone ever thought about stopping to ask a question, the look on her face changed their mind quickly. Her expression only seemed to brighten when she spotted Shin arriving. She straightened up a bit and smiled at her girlfriend.
“Hey! What happened?”
“A very long line at the crepe store. We had to come back later.”
She handed Sabine her crepe through the hole then had to shift away so the people coming in wouldn’t knock into her. Sabine noticed.
“Come here.”
She opened the back door of the tiny wooden box. Tentatively, Shin stepped inside. To close the door, they had to stand pressed against one another. Sabine took big bites out of her crepe, so close to Shin that she could smell the sweetness of the treat. Her stomach betrayed her, grumbling just loud enough that Sabine heard it.
“Did you get yours?”
Shin shook her head.
“We didn’t have enough hands to carry them all.”
“Here.”
Before Shin could refuse, Sabine tore a piece of the crepe and handed it to Shin. Shin took off her gloves and accepted the treat. It tasted just as it smelled, the sugar trapped within the dough melted and sipping into the crepe. It was just hot enough to be enjoyable, but it had cooled enough not to burn her mouth. She hummed as she chewed and Sabine watched her with a smile. She tore off another piece to give it to her.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked.
Shin nodded but waited until she had swallowed to answer, padding the front of her jacket where she knew the inner pocket to be.
“Yep. I bought him a pair of socks.”
“You didn’t buy anything else?”
“What else would I need to buy? You said we shouldn’t spend money on a gift.”
Sabine finished her crepe and set the empty tray on the counter.
“I don’t know. I just thought you came by to buy me a gift.”
“Not everything is about you,” Shin replied.
After a second, however, she asked:
“But do you want me to?”
“I want you to not spend a fortune on a gift for me. That’s it.”
Shin pondered her possibilities. It didn’t help her choice by much. She looked perplexed. Sabine wrapped one arm over her shoulder then said, in a low, conspiratorial tone:
“Do you want to see something neat?”
Shin shrugged. Sabine reached for a small handle at the top of the box and pulled down. A thin wooden curtain fell over the hole in the box, hiding them from the world and plunging them into near darkness. It took a moment for Shin’s eyes to adjust to the darkness. Both of Sabine’s arm now rested over the shoulders, fingers playing with the edge of her woolen hat.
“Do you seduce girls in your box often?” Shin asked.
“Only the handsome ones.”
Sabine pulled her into a sweet kiss, made all the sweeter by the taste of sugar still on their tongues. Shin grabbed her by the hips and kept her flushed against her. In the darkness of their little box, the whole world fell away. No more worries about a gift to find. No more crowds of people coming in and out of the market. Just the two of them, drowning in the other.
Sabine pushed Shin’s hat off her head so she could thread her fingers through her hair. Shin pushed her against one side of the box, making the temporary structure rattle. Sabine laughed away from her lips. Before she could warn her girlfriend to be careful, Shin kissed her again. Hands roamed over clothes, wondering how far they would reach in the cold December afternoon.
A sharp knock on the door forced them apart. Sabine licked her lips then asked, her voice almost steady:
“What?”
“Sabine?” Kanan’s voice came through. “It’s time to shift.”
After a pause, he asked:
“Is everything okay?”
“Give us a sec’.”
Sabine reopened the curtain, the bright outside lights blinding Shin. She blinked the sudden light out of her eyes as Sabine picked up her hat and the cardboard tray. Shin placed the hat back over her head. She hoped they didn’t look too disheveled. Shin opened the back door. Kanan was standing there, waiting for Sabine to give up her spot.
“Hi, Mister Jarrus.”
“Hello, Shin,” he replied with a certain humor, as if he should have expected such a development.
“All yours,” Sabine replied as she stepped out.
“Hera said you were taking your brothers home. We should be back with dinner so don’t eat too much chocolate while we’re out.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sabine grabbed Shin by the hand and pulled her away. Though she had no idea where they were going, Shin let herself be pulled away. They walked to the Santa Clause factory where Ezra was taking off his droid costume.
“Hey,” Sabine called to garner his attention.
“Ready to go home?” he asked.
“Change of plan.”
She pulled the house keys from her pocket and handed them to Ezra.
“You take Jacen home. Shin and I are going to the art store. We’ll head home after.”
“Okay…”
Since she didn’t need his permission, Sabine turned around and walked away, still holding onto Shin’s hand.
“Why are we going to the art store?” Shin asked as they zigzagged through the crowd toward the exit of the market.
“Because you are going to buy something to make me a gift. I’ll help you, obviously.”
“And what if it’s really ugly?”
Sabine smiled at her.
“Then I don’t care. You’re the one who made it, that’s all that matters to me.”
After a second, Shin smiled back. She would rise up to the challenge and do her best, because she wanted to make the best gift she could for Sabine. Hand in hand they left the market, leaving behind the obnoxious music and flashy lights.