And so this is Christmas.
Last year, Alice hadn't really bought into the whole Christmas Spirit deal. She generally didn't. Good cheer just wasn't her thing. But someone had left out a bottle of sherry in the kitchen that morning and she'd helped herself to a glass because Hell, it was Christmas, wasn't it?
She actually managed a few smiles for people she didn't know, and those she did know were going to get...something...if she found them. Eden was probably with Babe, though, and Alice felt a twinge of something that might have been bittersweet jealousy. Eden seemed happy, and that was good. Alice was happy for her. Really.
But it said something about her that Eden could snag a man in a place like this and Alice couldn't. Not that she'd actively been trying.
After breakfast, edging on towards lunch, things were getting busy. People were cooking what looked like a traditional Christmas meal - overkill, after the one yesterday, if you asked her - and by that time Alice just couldn't handle it anymore. She decided that braving the cold was better than sticking around for fucking carols in candlelight. Plus the jukebox was playing Christmas songs way too loud and didn't show any sign of stopping.
So, pulling on her coat, she got up from where she'd been sitting in the rec room and headed out. That was when she almost collided with someone coming in.
"Jesus Christ!" she laughed, steadying herself on his shoulders. "Johnny! Where did you come from?" She'd blame the 'Johnny' thing on the sherry. That shit was strong.
She actually managed a few smiles for people she didn't know, and those she did know were going to get...something...if she found them. Eden was probably with Babe, though, and Alice felt a twinge of something that might have been bittersweet jealousy. Eden seemed happy, and that was good. Alice was happy for her. Really.
But it said something about her that Eden could snag a man in a place like this and Alice couldn't. Not that she'd actively been trying.
After breakfast, edging on towards lunch, things were getting busy. People were cooking what looked like a traditional Christmas meal - overkill, after the one yesterday, if you asked her - and by that time Alice just couldn't handle it anymore. She decided that braving the cold was better than sticking around for fucking carols in candlelight. Plus the jukebox was playing Christmas songs way too loud and didn't show any sign of stopping.
So, pulling on her coat, she got up from where she'd been sitting in the rec room and headed out. That was when she almost collided with someone coming in.
"Jesus Christ!" she laughed, steadying herself on his shoulders. "Johnny! Where did you come from?" She'd blame the 'Johnny' thing on the sherry. That shit was strong.