Candles In The Window~ Decemeber 20th . . .
A/N: Inspired by a question posed by Cris, regarding Teddy’s holiday experience with the Kaplans given their difference in traditions. It turned into a little more than that … I present you with a three part holiday series~ 8DD
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Candles In The Window
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December 20th . . .
Holidays were so overrated.
It got super cold, and dark way too early. The music was horrendous. The decorations were obnoxious. People lost their shit.
And everyone liked to rub it in his face all the places they’d be traveling to and all the family they’d be spending it with, while he was always …
“Blessed are you, Lord, our G-d, sovereign of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us-”
The Kaplans, plus one nervous-looking shapeshifter, minus one Mrs. Kaplan busy frying latkes, stood in front of the menorah on the mantle near the window, reciting the last of the First night’s prayers. Tommy for his part, sat curled on the window seat, drawing lazy patterns on the fogged window while the others finished the simple ceremony before the lighting of the menorah.
“-And enabled us to reach this season.”
“Amen,” everyone concluded together.
He didn’t say it; didn’t know the cue. Didn’t know how any of it went. The Shepherds didn’t observe much of anything. The only menorah he ever remembered having was the paper cut-outs he got in elementary school.
His first grade teacher had shown him how to put it together, and told him when to glue the candles on. He got to the fourth night before his father yelled at him for making a mess at the table and threw it all away.
The day after Chanukkah ended, Mrs. Cohen asked him if he remembered to put in all the candles. He’d lied and said yes.
“Alright, who’s lighting the first candle this year?” Mr. Kaplan asked, holding up the shammus candle.
“I will!”
Twin voices echoed each other, before Aaron and Jake faced off with identical glares.
“You lit it last year!” Aaron whined.
“I did not, it was you!” Jake countered.
“Neither of you did, it was me,” Billy knocked their heads together.
“Why don’t we have Tommy light it this year?” Mr. Kaplan suggested, holding the shammus out toward him.
“Saywhat??”
Tommy whipped around from his perch on the windowsill, silver eyebrows arched high on his forehead.
“Errr,” The usually fast talker couldn’t seem to think of an appropriate reply, “No thanks, really- Myfolksneverreallydidthemenorahthingso-”
“Tommy-” Jake asked, his eyes widening into saucers as he looked up at the older boy, “This is your first Chanukkah?”
“Tommy!! You totally have to light it now!!” Aaron puffed up, waving his arms for emphasis.
His face soured in proportion to their enthusiasm. Teddy placed steadying hands on the boy’s flailing arms, silently requesting the return of his lost composure.
“You don’t have to if you really don’t want to, Tommy,” Billy assured; fulfilling his brotherly duty by offering him an out.
“We take turns every night, so that everyone in the family will have lit a candle by the end of the festival,” Mr. Kaplan explained with an encouraging smile, “Tonight’ll can be your night, Tommy- if you’d like that is.”
“It’s your first candle lighting, and your first Chanukkah with us, so the first candle should be yours!” Jake reasoned, “It’s simbiotic!”
“Symbolic,” Billy corrected with a roll of his eyes.
Holidays were definitely overrated.
He hated the cold, and the dark cutting off his afternoon jogs way too early. He was going to have to buy ear plugs to avoid all the music, though their wasn’t much he could do to avoid seeing the decor everywhere unless he jabbed his eyes out with some icicles. And people would loose their shit no matter what he did.
But even though he wasn’t going anywhere beyond the Kaplans Manhattan apartment … And he certainly wasn’t about to call this pack of nuts family-
Aaron just looked like he was going to vibrate through the floor from the immensity of his anticipation; and Jake was wringing his little hands, and looking at him so expectantly.
Tommy pursed his lips, looking utterly bored with the nuisance of taking the shammus from Mr. Kaplan and lighting the lone candle on the menorah.
“Thank you, Tommy,” Mr. Kaplan gave him a weird quiet smile and Tommy flitted back to the window before the old man attempted something crazy like a pat on the back.
Teddy asked Billy something, apparently confounded by the simplicity of the entire ordeal. While Aaron and Jake argued over the turn order of the next few nights and Tommy-
Didn’t know what to make of this strange new experience.
Experience.
Not feeling.
“Boys! Latkes are done. Get ‘em while they’re hot!” Mrs. Kaplan called from the kitchen.
He was the first one at the breakfast bar, the rack of k-cups on the counter twirling in the wake of the velocity at which he took his seat. Mrs. Kaplan gave him a knowing smile as she set down a plate piled extra high.
“I still have batter, so if you would like any more, just let me know.”
“Sure,” he said automatically, and after small pause, “Thanks.”
Her smile grew wider, eyes crinkling, before she turned to warn the twins about jumping on the stools. Billy and Teddy sat on his other side, sandwiching him into the familial madness that was the Kaplans.
And Tommy had a feeling … he was going to be having a lot of experiences before the new year rolled in.
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Next~ December 23rd . . .
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