Charlotte glanced in the storefront window, sparkling with a beautiful Christmas tree full of reds, golds and twinkling lights. The smell of peppermint and pine wafted out the door, creating an inviting aroma, and the golden glow from inside beckoned her in. She rushed into the store amid other shoppers, all smiling and laughing. Charlotte glanced at the happy couple wandering around the Christmas displays, and was reminded of her goal; find Andrew the perfect present. One that showed how much she loved him.
She looked around at all the glittering bustle and how the light reflected off the items in multicoloured refractions. Charlotte walked down each aisle and wandered all the display tables, but still came up short. There was nothing that stood out to her, a present for Andrew as perfect as they were for each other. She was looking at a chess set for him when suddenly one of the employees came around the corner. “Excuse me, can I help you?” she asked kindly. Her cherry red work uniform was covered in little snowflakes, and the twinkle light halo glimmering around her head cast a soft glow on her features, almost like an angel.
"Oh, no I’m good,” Charlotte replied, smiling at her. “Thank you though!” The employee smiled back and continued walking the aisles, helping other customers in need. Charlotte turned back to the chess set she had been eyeing before. What if she learned to play? Andrew loved chess, and this set was stunning, with charcoal black pawns and white marble knights. This was perfect. Andrew was always saying he loved when they spent time together, just the two of them. What better way to show him she loved him than showing how well she knew him? Charlotte picked up the smooth box and made her way to the till.
It was finally Christmas. There was wrapping paper all over the ground, making a kaleidoscope of colours and patterns. Charlotte’s mom’s Christmas tree was in the corner, twinkling softly. And Charlotte was next to Andrew, watching his hands softly rip into the paper. He slid it off, and it hit the ground to join the rest. She watched his eyes light up with excitement at the present she'd gotten and took a sip of her hot cocoa happily, the rich chocolatey taste coating her tongue. Andrew turned to look at her, giving her a peck on the cheek. “Thank you, Charlotte. It’s perfect.”