Then his eyes lit up as he caught sight of the jewelry counter out of the corner of his vision. He remembered when Isabel and Maria had dragged him through the store a few weeks earlier when they were doing Christmas shopping of their own.

*A few weeks earlier*

They had been out all day shopping and Michael just wanted to go home, but Isabel had insisted upon stopping.

“Can we please just leave?” Michael had practically whined at the two girls. “We’ve been out all day and I’m tired. I *knew* I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this, Izzy. God, I *hate* Christmas shopping.”

“You’re such a grinch, Michael,” Maria had told him. “Don’t you ever stop to even think about what Christmas is all about?”

“Yeah, people singing and stuffing themselves with food and buying a bunch of dumb presents that usually get returned anyway,” Michael snapped back crankily.

Isabel just shook her head at him. “Michael, shut up and get in the holiday spirit,” she told him sternly. Michael just shook his head stubbornly, thinking to himself that the Christmas Nazi was right on time this year.

They stood at the jewelry counter waiting for the sales clerk to finish up with another customer so Isabel could ask her to take the bracelet she was buying her mother out of the glass case. While they were waiting Maria and Isabel started looking at some of the other items underneath the glass counter.

“Oh look at that necklace,” Isabel said to Maria. “It’s so pretty.”

Maria looked to where Isabel was pointing. “Oh my gosh,” she breathed. A thin gold chain rested on a bed of red velvet. A small heart charm with a hollow center slid along the middle of it and on the part of the heart that dipped down near the top was a small green stone.

“I know, isn’t it beautiful?” Isabel said. “Look, Michael.”

Michael glanced over quickly. “It’s nice,” he said shortly.

Maria shook her head. “It’s not that. I used to have a necklace like that when I was little,” she explained. “My mom told me my dad gave it to me before he left. I used to wear it all the time, but in fifth grade I lost it when I was at the beach with the Parkers. Wow, Lizzie and I must have dug up that entire beach looking,” she mused, shaking her head as she smiled sadly to herself. “We never did find it, though. I cried the whole way home and I think for a week straight after it happened.”

Just then the sales clerk came over. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long,” she apologized. “How can I help you?”

“I’d like this bracelet right here,” Isabel said, pointing down to the bracelet.

The clerk nodded and took out the bracelet for Isabel to look at. While Isabel was closely examining the bracelet for any miniscule imperfections she might be able to find Maria couldn’t resist asking the clerk to take the necklace out of the case for her.

“Oh Maria, it looks so perfect on you,” Isabel said as Maria held it up to her neck. “You should get it.”

Maria checked the price tag and her face fell. “Nope. No way can I afford this and get anyone more than a pack of gum for Christmas,” she said. She handed it back to the clerk and looked wistfully at it for a moment before tearing her eyes away. “Okay, where to next?” she asked.

*Back in the present*

Michael grinned to himself. It was perfect. That necklace meant something to Maria and it would show that he was paying attention to her, that he really did care for her. All those things that he for some reason had such a hard time saying himself.

Michael reached the counter and asked the clerk if he could take the necklace out of the case. The clerk took it out and placed it in Michael’s hands. The necklace gleamed brightly in his hands, and Michael could already imagine seeing a similar light in Maria’s eyes when he gave it to her. He looked at the price tag on the chain and whistled silently to himself. Maria had been right, it was expensive. Mentally he ran through how much money he had with him and then breathed a sigh of relief. He would have just enough to pay for it. But it would also be totally worth it to see how happy she would be when he gave it to her.

He thanked the clerk and then walked off to the register to pay for it. He rolled his eyes when he saw that only three registers were open and that there were lines at each one. He got in line behind a small boy and prepared himself for a long wait, repeatedly telling himself that it was all for Maria and therefore all worth it.

As Michael waited he became aware of the little boy in front of him. The boy couldn’t have been more than seven or eight and he was pretty raggedy looking. In fact, he reminded Michael a little of himself at that age. The boy was rocking back and forth on his heels, looking about as anxious to make his purchase and get out of the store as Michael felt. He was clutching something in his hands, and as Michael looked closer he was surprised to see a pair of black, very dressy, very expensive looking women’s shoes in the boy’s hands.

Finally the line moved up to the point where it was the little boy’s turn to make his purchase. Michael watched curiously as the little boy put the pair of shoes on the counter and looked up at the clerk with a pair of the biggest, saddest looking brown eyes Michael had ever seen. “Are you here all alone, buddy?” the clerk asked the little boy, glancing over at Michael questioningly. Michael shook his head to let the clerk know the boy wasn’t with him. The little boy nodded solemnly. “Buying a Christmas present?” the clerk asked as he began to ring up the shoes.

“They’re for my mommy,” the boy said. “I picked them out just for her and they’re her size and everything. But I have to hurry,” he continued in his serious, childish voice. “My daddy says there’s not much time left to buy mommy presents.”

“How come?” the clerk asked. He liked this little kid – he was a heck of a lot nicer than the other rude, grumbling holiday shoppers that he saw all the time were. “You mean because it’s almost Christmas?”

The little boy shook his head. “It’s ‘cause Mommy’s really sick,” he told the clerk. “She has to spend Christmas in the hospital. She gets medicine to make her feel better, but it makes her hair fall out and she’s really sad. She tries not to let me see her cry, but I know she’s sad. These shoes will make her happy again. Daddy told me Mommy’s going to see Jesus soon and she might have to go before Christmas, but I know these shoes will make her look all pretty for Jesus.”

Michael felt an aching in his heart as he listened to the little boy in front of him tell the clerk the story. It wasn’t fair! It was like that whole thing with Brody’s daughter, Sydney, all over again. This was why Michael tried to keep people out. If you let them in you always ended up hurt one way or another. Now this little boy who reminded him so much of himself was going to lose his mother. Then he would be even more like Michael – alone in this world and wishing so hard for a full happy family of his own. This poor kid’s mom was going to die, and Michael couldn’t do anything to help. He still didn’t have the ability to focus his powers on healing anything much bigger than a cut or a sprained ankle. And Max was still without his powers after his mini rescue mission at the hospital. This poor little boy was going to lose his mother and there was nothing Michael could do to help.

The clerk, looking down at the little boy sadly, totaled up the pair of shoes. The little boy began pulling handfuls of change from the huge pockets in his ratty coat. He started counting them out on the counter and Michael heard the guy behind him start grumbling about stupid kids who waste everybody’s time. Michael slowly turned around and looked the man straight in the eye. “If you don’t want to wait, then maybe you need to go find another line,” Michael said in a deadly quiet voice. The look on Michael’s face was enough to convince the man and he fled to another line without a word.

Finally the boy’s pockets were empty and he looked up at the clerk expectantly. The clerk finished counting the change and then, with a sad look on his face, counted the money again. Finally, he looked down at the little boy. “I’m sorry, buddy,” he said gently, the expression on his face genuinely sympathetic. “But there’s not enough here for the shoes. I’d cover it if I could, but I don’t have $25.00 right now.”

“That’s okay,” the little boy told the clerk. “I understand. It’s not your fault. Maybe I can earn more money to buy them before Mommy goes to meet Jesus.”

The little boy tried to put on a brave face, but Michael could see how important this was to him. He looked down at the necklace in his hand and thought about how important this gift was to Maria. Then he looked at the little boy and the sad look on his face as he collected his change. Michael sighed. Maria would understand. Placing the necklace on the counter, Michael pulled $25.00 from his wallet and handed it to the clerk. “Oh, I’ll be right with you,” the clerk said, looking down at the necklace.

Michael shook his head, realizing the clerk had misunderstood. “It’s for the shoes,” he said quietly.

The clerk and the little boy looked up at Michael for a moment, startled. Then the clerk nodded and rang up the shoes. He handed the bag to the little boy. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” the little boy replied. Then he turned to Michael. He regarded him solemnly for a moment, then stepped forward and wrapped his little arms around Michael’s legs. “Thank you, Mr. Nice Stranger,” the boy said, his voice muffled against Michael’s legs.

Michael froze a moment, caught off guard, then reached down and patted the little boy’s back. “You’re welcome. Now you go give your mom those shoes and let her know how much you love her.”

The little boy pulled back and looked up at Michael with a little smile on his face. “I will. She’s gonna look so pretty in her new shoes. Everyone in heaven is gonna like them.”

“I’m sure they will,” Michael said gently, looking down at the boy with a fond smile. “And I’m sure your mommy’s going to look real pretty in those shoes.”

“Merry Christmas,” the little boy said. Then he turned and walked out of the store.

“Merry Christmas,” Michael whispered. He handed the necklace to the clerk. “I decided against it,” he told him simply.

The look in the clerk’s eyes told Michael he understood. “Okay, I’ll put it back for you,” he said, knowing Michael didn’t want him to bring up what had just happened. “Merry Christmas.”

“Yeah, Merry Christmas,” Michael said. He left the store and headed back to his apartment, his mind still on the little boy. He had failed in his mission to get Maria the perfect gift, but he had a feeling she’d understand.

And she did. That night when they exchanged gifts Michael presented Maria with the new bumper for her Jetta. Then he sat her down and explained what had happened earlier that day. Tears were streaming down Maria’s face when Michael finished the story, but she was smiling as she wrapped her arms around him tightly, resting her head against his shoulder. “I’d say you found out was Christmas was really all about after all, Spaceboy.”

“Yeah, I’d say so, too,” Michael said softly, wrapping his own arms around her as he held her close against him. He kissed her forehead gently. “Merry Christmas, Maria.”

“Merry Christmas, Michael.”