December 24th, 2001

Randy had wasted the whole day, basically. And it felt fantastic. Christmas Eve was a day where he felt nobody should have to work, but that wasn't the real world. He knew that especially well, because his mom was working. She'd been in the office in his grandmother's apartment for a little bit in the morning, claimed there was a crisis, then had run away to the bigger office somewhere in Paris that was somewhere Randy had never been.

He'd heard a little bit of that conversation, though. Now that the Christmas show season was done, her team had immediately started for the summer tour. No days off for them. Apparently they'd been searching the world for dancers already, but weren't finding anyone up to par with the feeling of the new album that was going to be recorded just after the new year. It had a more hip hop vibe, and the woman on the speaker phone with his mom was using some very uncool and dated slang to describe this.

"We need someone funky fresh," she'd said in a heavy French accent. "Someone hip. Someone wild. Someone..." she'd continued in French.

No wonder they couldn't find anybody.

Something else he'd discovered today was a door that was locked. It was next to the pantry in the kitchen, and he'd discovered this by accidentally trying to go in there by mistake. He'd been thinking about the different variants of the Nutcracker and how strange they were to him, because he was used to just the one he'd always been exposed to at Reiha's school. He'd tried this door, and found it oddly locked. It was little more than a closet, usually used for extra pantry space. But, it was locked. A sign on the door read, "do not open this door."

Well, good luck. Not like he could anyway. But, it did make him really curious. The light was on in there, he could see it from under the door. He didn't stick around, though. He'd wanted to go into the pantry for some forbidden snacks.

These snacks were for midnight. It was a French tradition, where you give each other presents. Usually they got pajama sets that they were ordered to wear for Christmas morning. Not very fun. Among mandarins and various kinds of nuts, there were also very fancy chocolates that Randy's grandmother was partial to. No doubt these were in the pantry.

He had to grab them now, because his grandparents would becoming home in the evening, and would share a rushed Christmas Eve dinner with them so they could get some naps in before the real celebration at midnight. His grandmother would even lead them in midnight mass. He didn't see the point, because neither he or his sister were baptized and he'd certainly never done any of the traditional activities of a Catholic child.

Still, he was respectful. Except for his tradition of stealing the Christmas Eve chocolates no matter where they were staying. But nobody had to know about that.

A little heavier with pockets stuffed full of chocolates, he exited the pantry. Upon leaving, he heard one fall out of his pocket. He turned and saw it rolling toward that locked door. It hit the door and rested there near the gap.

"Oh, oops," he said, crouching down to get it.

As soon as he did, he heard a shuffling snuffling noise. And as his hand hovered over the chocolate resting against the door, he heard something incredible.

A questioning, pathetic sounding whimper came from beyond the door. The light under it was blocked partially.

"What?" he asked, still frozen.

The whimper came again, along with the sound of something hitting the door heavily. He jumped. Just at that moment, Sam mercifully came into the kitchen. He winked at Randy, knowing exactly what he was up to. He usually got to enjoy the spoils of the annual chocolate raid.

"What's inside that closet?" Randy asked, picking up the chocolate. "Sounds like a dog-"

"Hey, you want to go to Disneyland Paris?"

A likely response. Now Randy was extremely perturbed.

"It's a dog. Did Maya get mom a dog? That's not very clever to hide the dog in the closet. Anybody could guess."

"Yeah, that must be what happened," Sam said quickly. "You got chocolate?"

Randy huffed. "Of course I got it. What kind of dog is it?"

"Hey, let's go to Disneyland Paris and see the Christmas parade. Last chance to see it this year."

That was true. He wouldn't get a chance to tomorrow. He shrugged.

"Yeah, okay. Sounds good, I guess."

"Okay. We'll eat chocolate in the car. Get your blood sugar up for all that walking around. Go get your diabetes supplies from the fridge."

"Yeah. Hey, but... Will that puppy be okay in the closet? Doesn't it need to go to the bathroom or something?" Randy wasn't moving from the closet door.

"I'm sure Nancy knows about it. She'll let it out." Sam stood awkwardly, trying not to look at him.

"Okay. Maya can be so irresponsible. I bet she'd leave it in there until tomorrow. I hope Nancy knows."

Randy finally started moving, and Sam silently sighed a little in relief. "You should go change your clothes, too. You can't enjoy Disney in a short skirt."

Randy nodded as he got his supplies. "I'll put on some bicycle shorts underneath. Good thinking."

"Nah, go put on some jeans. This is Paris. It's freezing."

"Ew."

"It's better than pilling your tights."

"Yeah..."

He left the kitchen without another complaint. Sam's sigh of relief got bigger. He looked toward the closet door and took out his cellphone. Time to call Nancy. They'd been found out.

What followed had been a magical day at Disney. Randy had bought a maroon colored capelet like Belle wore in the sequel to Beauty and the Beast. He'd worn it over his clothes for half the day and found it pleasantly warm. They'd caught the three o'clock parade and had a great time. They'd gotten a quick bite to eat while they walked out of the park, and by four they were in the car again.

"Your sister is going to hate that capelet," Sam remarked. Going to Disney had seemed like the distraction Randy had needed to forget about that puppy.

"Pfft. I don't care what she thinks about it. Half the things she buys are atrocious." Randy was in the middle of eating a Mickey pretzel. He tore off some and offered it to Sam. He took it happily.

"This is a secret, but I think so, too."

"See? I knew I wasn't the only one. Newest isn't always the best. My mom is nothing but praise for her fashion. It's half the reason why she thinks my sister should be a model. But, models don't get to choose what they wear."

Sam couldn't argue with that. He mulled it over as he chewed his pretzel and steered the car.

By 5pm, dinner was ready to be on the table. Randy was in the sitting room off the living room, eating cheese and crackers with Maya. Maya was boring him about the things she'd bought for Christmas.

"I went to Valentino? There was this red dress, the same one that Charlize Theron wore on the red carpet? I wanted it, but the sales lady said my breasts would be too big for it! Can you believe it?! Right there on the floor. Well, I said if Pam Anderson can wear Valentino then so can I. She had the audacity to argue with me that Pam Anderson had never worn Valentino! Well excuse me, but I think I know a little more about Valentino than her-"

"Did you buy mom a puppy? Where'd it come from?" Randy asked, his cracker hovering near his mouth.

Maya's face screwed up in a confused look. Nancy gave Sam a look and he cleared his throat.

"Who wants to watch Frosty?" he asked.

"What am I, five?" Maya asked. "What's this about a pup-"

"Frosty sounds amazing," Nancy said, getting up.

"They used to watch Frosty every Christmas. All three of the kids. They'd sit on the floor in the living room..."

"Really? Well, I missed that. I'd love to watch Frosty with everyone," Nancy was saying, going out of the room and gesturing for them to follow.

It was so hollow. They'd almost been found out. The betrayal of Randy finding out that puppy was for him would devastate his mom.

"Do we have Frosty here?" Maya asked, following all of them. She even sounded a little excited.

"Well, let's see what your grandmother has," Sam said, assuringly.

"Okay."

Things were getting close. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

Anais had been trying so hard. Randy had refused to give her a Christmas list, so they'd pieced one together based on his interests. His grandmother was giving him a fancy necklace, but unfortunately Randy didn't like to wear much jewelry. He liked simple pearls, but nothing could convince his grandmother not to do it. It was honestly a relief to Sam. The way she was supportive of Randy was the most heartwarming thing.

What followed had been a scrambling around Paris to find gifts. They'd even found a French edition of Final Fantasy X, though Sam wondered if that would just upset Randy more. It might remind him of his situation. Still, it was better than nothing. He could even switch the language over to English like nothing was the matter. Except, in France, he didn't have a PS2. Sam had realized that yesterday and in a panic had run back to the game store just before they'd closed.

When he'd returned to the apartment, sweaty and out of breath, his wife had met him at the door.

"Don't freak out," she'd said, letting him in. "Oh, did you get the game console? That's great!"

"Freak out about what?" Sam had asked as his wife took his coat and purchases.

That's when he'd heard the barking from the living room. His wife had winced.

"Randy's Christmas present. Came from the same breeder as Anais's dog. Isn't that great? They're going to gently sedate her and put her in the closet in the kitchen. Hopefully she'll sleep all day tomorrow."

"Seems a little harsh. Can't we keep her in our hotel room?" He was so curious now, and really wanted to play with the dog. It was a brilliant plan.

"Nope. No pets allowed. It's the Ritz in Paris!"

Darn it. And that's how they'd arrived to their current situation. Apparently the sedative had worn off hours and hours ahead of schedule. They'd only been successful yesterday, because Randy had been at ballet practice all day with his new coach.

They brought the snacks to the living room, and Sam was so nervous since the kitchen and living room were an open floor plan. Would the movie they'd chosen make the dog bark?

But just at that moment, the door burst open to the apartment and all was forgotten.

"Nonsense, nonsense. Let's go explore Paris. It's snowing! Let's go to a restaurant. No reservations needed! Let's all enjoy! Kids! Where's the kids?! Where's Anais?! Kiiiids. Kiiiids. I have presents. Who wants?!"

Randy's grandfather always had the best presents and stories. If he wanted to go out for a night on the town, then that was the best distraction they could ask for.

They all rushed to the long hallway that led from the small atrium with the elevator to the penthouse they were currently in. As promised, he was holding out two small presents wrapped in shiny red paper. He patted them both on the back as they took them, eagerly watching as they unwrapped.

"You're both getting so big," he said warmly. Sam noticed there was some snow on his fedora. He wasn't lying about it snowing. "Go get your coats. Let us go out. That's right. Where is your mother?"

"She's doing office work," Randy said, finally getting the wrapping off. Sam didn't get to see what the gift was. Randy ran away too fast. "Thank you, grandpa!" he called over this shoulder, smiling. It didn't look like a real smile to Sam. He looked over at Maya's present in her hands.

It was a watch. It was a nice thought, and no doubt Randy had a matching one.

"We will go out just with our grandkids, then," his grandmother said. "We will call her to join us. Do you have your cellphone?"

"I threw it in the Seine. No need."

"You did not."

"I did!"

This was the kind of banter Sam liked. There was no way he'd thrown it in the river. It was just talk, a metaphor for how much he hated modernity. People were always throwing things in the Seine. It was like the Boston Tea Party in the US. He turned to go help Randy. He really didn't want him to get too close to that closet.

In the van going toward a nice place to eat that apparently knew Randy's grandparents as the respected celebrities they are, Sam had a brilliant idea.

"That puppy is for your mother," he'd blurted out. Nancy's eyes had bugged so hard at him. "Nobody mention it for the rest of the evening! You don't want to spoil the surprise, do you?"

"Oh cool," Randy said from the very back row of seats. He sounded very impressed. That was a good sign, but...

"That's mentioning it!" Sam warned. "For every mention, I will throw one of your stocking gifts into the fire with the yule log. Is that clear?" He saw in the mirror that Maya made the zipping motion on her lips at Nancy, smiling at the same time. That was an even better sign.

"Who bought a puppy for Anais?" Randy's grandfather sounded very impressed. "I hope it is a cavalier. We have only had cavaliers in the family. It is our family dog."

"I'm not sure," Nancy said. "This is the first I've heard of it."

"Ah. Of course. Well, I will obey not mentioning it," he said, smiling back at the rest of the car. "Very exciting, however."

"I feel a dog is just what she needs after..." Randy's grandmother continued. But, she wisely kept her mouth shut after that. The last thing any of them needed was a reminder of their situation. That's what Sam had been trying to avoid all day and he'd almost succeeded. Hopefully this would blow over quickly.

They enjoyed a nice Christmas Eve dinner together. Anais had run in halfway through, excusing herself profusely and apologizing. They'd secured a private room and were enjoying chicken fricasse, which was a traditional thing to eat in the Christmas season and appropriate for the caliber of restaurant they were in. But, nothing but the best for Randy's grandfather. The staff had almost pissed themselves collectively when he'd walked through the very fancy doors.

Sam was thoroughly enjoying himself. His wife had been invited and she was next to him, politely eating and enjoying the ambience. Nancy's husband was also there, delicately eating. He was a native Parisian, and it was the first time he'd met Randy's grandfather. His grandfather had been so interested in him, and he'd practically told his whole life story. He was a blue collar worker, working as an electrician for various venues in the area. That's how Anais had come to know him, and subsequently Nancy as well.

"Well, we'll have to hire you in the future when we get our yearly results back from accounting. We'll go over our budget for the next year," he was saying. "How very useful. An electrician on staff. We'll never have another problem. I bet you'll save us money. No more dealing with different people to set up our lights and electronics."

"It would be my honor, sir." Nancy's husband looked like he might cry into his soup.

"It would be my pleasure. You know, I never understood these new gadgets. I can hardly get my cellphone to work."

Well, that explained why he didn't want to use his cellphone. What followed was the family mostly listening to him talk and go into old stories, and to Sam that was such a relief and nice to hear.

After dinner, they'd taken a stroll to Notre Dame. They'd stood before it, and it was definitely a religious experience for Randy's grandmother. She'd held her daughter's hand as they looked at it together. It was a lovely evening, with fresh snow on the ground. Just dusting. Randy had been looking at it as well, and Sam was wondering what he was thinking.

Randy was making a wish. Staring at those old golden lights, wondering at it. He didn't believe in praying, but the stars were above them, hidden by lights. He did believe in making wishes on stars. That's what Pinocchio had done, after all. And Disney movies were strictly nonreligious. He liked that.

He'd already gotten lucky this evening. Maya hadn't dared to make fun of his capelet even once. His grandmother had thought it looked nice on him, and there was no way she could go against what their grandmother had said. So, in turn he got to be toasty warm all evening. It was so nice. So, maybe this wish would work, too. Besides, he was still so full of that Disney magic from earlier. Maybe some of that fairy dust would last.

So, he stared at those familiar lights and made a wish.

He wanted a companion. A friend. That's it. But, finding a friend was so hard when he was the person he was, for so many reasons. It wasn't just who his family was. It was also the kind of person Randy was. He didn't miss the teasing he'd endured throughout his schooling, that's for sure.

It felt pointless and selfish to wish. He had everything he wanted. There were so many kids out there tonight who didn't. So many of them wouldn't even be able to celebrate Christmas, because there'd be no presents.

But, this went far beyond a present. This Christmas wish.

So, as he wished, gently above snow began to form. And tomorrow they'd see the whitest Christmas Paris had ever seen. But Randy didn't know that yet. Instead, he stood still in the chilly air. Wishing for a precious friend.