not a lot of people around

 

Melvin couldn't help but look at Tori a little strangely. He asked Megan if she didn't want to go with them, but she told him she needed to be with Cori, who was going through his own little meltdown. Melvin hated to ask what that was about. And Tori asked him if he was ready.

"Sure, where do you want to go? The mall?" Melvin stood at the door with his hands shoved in his black hoodie.

"Nope." She was in a pout and he guessed he wouldn't ask too many questions. 

"We'll just go driving then," he shrugged as if he had the rest of the day to do this. The pizzeria was closed even if he knew it went against his old uncle's business rule who always took advantage of any holiday to make money.

Once they got settled in the car in the sun and the snow, someone took a nap immediately. Melvin looked over and noticed the drool. He winced hard. Tori definitely didn't go out of her way to impress him. He wondered if she'd slept in those pajamas the last few days. But he drove around about twenty more minutes until they got close to the mall.

"Where do you want to go, Tori?" He gave her a nudge and her eyes opened wide but winced more when she noticed the sun.

"I don't have much money," she told him.

"Well, there's a thrift store nearby and Dollar Tree," he offered.

She nodded. He suggested the thrift store first. No telling what kind of treasures they might find. Besides, he wasn't so sure Tori was presentable enough at the mall. People might think she escaped the hospital.

Thankfully, she found the hats and shades and it cheered her up immediately. She found a fedora and put it on his head and smiled. "I like it," her smile was open.

He couldn't help but smile back.

"It's your Christmas present, from me," she told him.

"Aren't you going to wrap it?" he asked.

She shook her head, no with a yawn. She told him she didn't have any wrapping paper. Of course, she looked sad again when she told him how the crochet hats didn't happen this year. "I thought I could have so much done by now. I would have Christmas in the bag."

"It's just Christmas," he told her he hadn't really celebrated it in a while. "I mean, I try for my employees, but I don't have a tree or anything. I watch Christmas movies if that counts."

"Christmas movies," she nodded with a smile. "My favorite is Just Friends, but it never makes the Christmas movie list."

"Mine too," he nodded back with a smile. She hurried off to the sweaters and came back with a couple.

"Who's that for?" Melvin wondered.

"For me," she told him she would use the yarn to make new sweaters.

"Well, at least you haven't given up completely on crocheting," Melvin sighed with an even smile. Suddenly she was on a roll. She found some jeans for Cori and an ugly sweater for Megan along with some socks and a cool teeshirt with LEMMY on it for Dylan.

"What about Caitlin?" She looked at him as if he needed to find something special. "Did you get her anything?"

"Um, not yet," Melvin shook his head, no. She motioned for him to come over to the jewelry. 

"There's some good stuff in here," Tori pointed to the small gold heart on a little gold chain.

"You like that one?" He asked.

She nodded.

Melvin asked for the case to be unlocked. They got out the necklace. "Let's put it on you. "

She looked at him a little puzzled. She told him she didn't think it was cheap.

"Don't worry about it," he told her. Funny, he'd never thought of her this way before. But she was so pure and didn't hide a thing from him. Suddenly, it felt like Christmas in his heart. "It looks perfect on you."