Christmas Carol was playing on the air. The mall was designed in red and gold trimmings. Outside the snow has slightly fallen.
"It's snowing," Alex said smiling as she raised her hand palm up on the air. Some bit of snow has fallen into her hand.
"Yeah, it is." Daniel agreed watching her. "Come along now. We have a list to buy."
They entered the mall. Winter Wonderland was played. Other customers rushed in inside, walked fast or strolled leisurely as if they have all the time in the world.
"What will you get your parents for Christmas?" asked Daniel as they passed along shops. Alex peering through the glasses.
She spotted a beautiful lamp displayed by the glass window. Alex stopped and dragged him inside.
"I'm buying mom that lamp," said Alex pointing to the lamp in yellow roof and golden stand.
"That's spontaneous of you."
She looked at him and smiled.
"Yeah, but it really caught my eyes. It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Daniel rubbed his chin.
"Guess, it's to your liking."
A woman in dark navy blue uniform walked towards them.
"Merry Christmas!" she greeted. "How can I help you?"
"I'd like to purchase that lamp over there."
Alex replied looking at the lamp.
The woman turned around to look at it.
"Ah, that one. It goes with two colors. White and gold. Which would you like to buy?"
"Hmmm…I'll go for the gold lamp."
Alex replied after thinking for a while.
"Perfect. Let me get it for you." She said with a radiant smile. "Feel free to look around."
"We will."
Alex said and the woman went to the back room to get her lamp.
"What should I get for dad?" she asked herself thinking as they looked around the shop.
They looked at a hanging portrait at the back of the shop. It was framed in simple gold. The scenery was sunflowers under the bright summer sun.
"What does he like?" Daniel asked as he observed the colors of the summer sun.
"Hmmm…he likes to read."
Alex replied as she studied the mix of colors of the sunflowers.
"Then, buy him a book," he suggested.
They moved and walked along the rows of shelves.
"Boring. I bought him a book last year."
The woman came back bringing the lamp in a box. She removed the lamp from the box and showed it to them at the counter. She also tested the light.
"Alright," Alex said excited. "I'm taking it."
"Great." The woman said. "Would you like to wrap it in Christmas wrappings?"
Alex nodded.
"Okay. Give me just a second and let me wrap this for you."
Once she was done, Alex paid her and they left the shop.
"What will you get for them?" she asked.
"I'll buy them books." Daniel said as they walked on. "Any ideas?"
"Dad's current favorite is James Peterson and mom likes Nora Roberts."
Alex replied as they walked passed shops.
"So, your dad is a thriller reader and your mom is a romantic," said Daniel as they stopped by in front of a bookshop where a familiar woman dressed in maroon sweaters, jeans and high brown boots in ponytail was holding a book by the entrance.
"Reina!" Alex greeted as they entered the shop.
Reina was reading the back cover of the book when she noticed them.
"Alex, Daniel," she said looking at them from the cover.
Alex peered down and saw the book she was holding.
"Is that James Peterson?"
Reina looked at the book cover and nodded.
"Yeah, it's his latest work."
"Can I see it?" Daniel butted in.
Reina handed him the book. He took it.
"The story looks great," he said as he read the summary. He gave it back to her and walked forward to grab a copy.
"You're reading James Peterson, too?" Reina asked in a surprised and delighted voice.
Daniel turned to her and smiled.
"When I like the plot of his book," he answered as he took a copy from the shelf. "But I'm buying this one for Alex' dad."
Daniel perused through the shelf further looking for an N.R. book for Mrs. Diaz.
Reina looked at Alex.
"Then, I'm heading out first while you two look for more books," she said observing Daniel from the inner aisle.
"He's looking for a book for mom," Alex explained.
Reina smiled.
"I see. Well, see you around," she said before heading to the cashier. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, too!"
Alex replied with a wide smile.
She and Daniel found the books, paid for them and continued their shopping.
While they were walking along the men's aisle, Alex spotted a dark navy sports cap.
"Maybe I should buy dad a cap," she said thoughtfully. "He plays golf under the sun."
"Great idea," Daniel agreed.
They went to the hats and cap section of the male area and Alex picked a cap for his dad.
As they were paying the cap in the cashier section, Alex saw a model of a black cat with white around his neck and white socks on his paws covered with a red Santa hat and wrapped with a red scarf around its neck.
"It's cute, isn't it?" she asked looking at a poster.
"Which are you talking about?" Daniel asked looking around.
Alex pointed a Santa poster with black white tabby raised its paws playing with Santa.
"Ah, that one," Daniel said looking at it. "It looks cute on the cat."
He agreed.
"Let's buy scarves, too. For Stratus and Nimbus," said Alex immediately delighted at the idea. "They're my Christmas presents for them."
The cashier handed her back the card. Alex put it in her wallet and she linked her arm with Daniel.
"Alright. Let's go to the pet store."
He replied.
They walked to the pet store and as they entered the shop, the saw Reina holding a red Santa hat on her hand.
"It's you two again," she said smiling widely at them.
"And I think we are thinking the same, Reina," Alex said agreeing with her.
She walked towards her while Daniel followed from her back.
"Though I'm buying the scarves for my cats," Alex said picking two scarves, a red one with green Christmas tree designs and a green one with a reindeer design.
"Can I invite you to have Christmas dinner with us, Reina?" Alex asked as she looked at the scarves. She turned to look at Reina.
"Wouldn't that be intrusive?" Regina asked hesitantly.
"Are you alone this Christmas?" she further asked.
Regina shook her head.
"David and Myron are joining me for Christmas tonight."
"How bout your mom and dad?" she asked.
"Mom and Dad will arrive tomorrow from San Francisco," Reina answered her.
"I hope it won't be intrusive to ask you and your brothers to join us for dinner tonight," Alex said looking expectantly at Reina. "Your mom and dad will be here tomorrow, so, please join me, Dan, my parents and my sister, Ava and her fianceé later tonight."
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, Alex," Reina replied looking at her. "I'll gladly accept your invitation."
"Great!" Alex said smiling happily at her. "We'll expect you at eight tonight."
"Okay, then," she said back. Then, started to walk to the cashier.
"Reina!" Alex called her.
Regina turned her back to her.
"Bring Snow, too. Let's have a party for the cats, too."
Reina smiled her sweetest.
"I'll definitely will. See you later."
Daniel looked at Alex with a surprised face.
"Really?" he asked, unexpectedly. "We're having a party with the cats, too?"
He was looking at her as if she had lost her mind.
Alex turned her head up at him.
"Dan, even pets get their parties, too. It's Christmas. Everyone should be merry."
"Whatever you say, Alex."
He said baring his grin at her.
He picked another green scarf from the shelf. Alex looked questioningly at him.
"For Pecko."
He said simply.
Alex smiled slyly at him.
"Says him who even buys a scarf for Sarah's parrot."
"You said it's a party, so, I'm picking one for Pecko, too."
He replied shrugging.
Alex took a red Santa hat from the container.
Daniel looked at her with asking eyes.
"You pair the scarf with a hat for Pecko," she said simply.
"Now, we agree."
He said with amused tones.
"Let's go pay them."
"Mom, we're back."
Alex announced herself and Daniel as they entered the front door and walked to the kitchen.
The loud voice of Ava could be heard laughing and talking from the hallway.
"Phillip was so funny at the kids while we were walking back. He was making clown faces to cheer up the kid because he cried when he saw him."
Ava said while laughing.
Alex and Daniel entered the kitchen and found Ava and Phillip seated by the kitchen counter while their mom was cutting vegetables by the sink. Her dad was reading newspaper by the table.
"Why are you so loud and laughing, sister?"
Alex asked in a surprise voice.
She and Daniel took seats with her dad. Mrs. Diaz stopped cutting veggies and went to the fridge and took out a cold orange pitcher and a glass container of cake.
"You too must be hungry from shopping," she said putting the food on the table. Then, she turned back to get glasses from the counter. Ava got up to get them plates.
"Thanks, mom, Ava."
Alex said looking at them gratefully.
"We were walking back from shopping when a kid suddenly cried as I and Phillip passed them," Ava said as she resumed her seat from the counter. "Phillip stopped which made me stopped, too. Then, he started making funny faces to make the baby stop from crying."
"Did the kid stopped crying?" Daniel asked in curiosity.
Phillip grinned at him.
Ava answered for Phillip.
"Of course, he did. He kept laughing after seeing his funny faces. He was squealing with joy as we left them."
"Didn't know you are good with kids, Phil," commented Daniel looking at his cousin.
"All my friends from London are having their kids so when I come to visit them or when they invite our friends over their houses, their kids are also with us so I'm much used to having them around."
"Is that the reason why you suddenly asked me to marry you?" Ava said turning to look at her fiancé.
Phillip finished drinking his orange juice first before replying to her. He nodded.
"Sure, that's one of the reasons, Av. But who would be crazy enough to let you go once I met you, huh?" he said sweetly to her.
Ava melted at his words and touched his hands.
"You too are obviously crazy in love with each other," Alex dropped her comment observing her sister and Phillip caressing each other's hand like the rest of them weren't around.
Ava turned her head looking at her.
"As you are to Dan," she said quickly.
"I'm not," Alex denied immediately.
"You can always deny it, Alex," Daniel said snarkly.
She only looked at him passively and continued eating.
"Well, it's about time for you lot to settle down and have kids, too," Mrs. Diaz said while cutting meat from the sink.
Both Ava and Alex looked at their mom almost groaning.
"That's just about time, kids," Mr. Diaz said from where he was sitting. He folded the newspaper and put them down. "I can't wait to be a granddad."
"You can ask Ava first I do that request."
Alex said finishing her cake. She turned back to her mom.
"Mom, I invited Reina to join us for Christmas dinner to tonight."
Mrs. Diaz looked up from her chopping board.
"Is that the new girl in the opposite street?'
Alex nodded.
"I always see her watering the flowers in her yard every morning. That's too dutiful of her."
"She's coming with her brothers later."
"Why did you ask her to join us for Christmas dinner?" Ava asked gazing at her sister. "Aren't her parents coming to celebrate with them?"
"Their parents are arriving tomorrow so she's joining us," Alex answered. She picked the orange glass and took a sip. "Nimbus and Stratus—"
"Plus Pecko—" Daniel added.
"Right, plus Pecko are also having their Christmas party later."
"Okay," Ava replied. "Maybe I should have also brought Pierre here."
She said nibbling on a cake.
Pierre is the new Promerian that Phillip brought to her last month.
Ava and Phillip returned to Ava's apartment to get the dog.