Tis the season…
Kaitlyn was miserable and home for winter break. No longer at her campus sanctuary away from her family. There was not much to do in her hometown. But her cousin invited her to the mall to shop and maybe drink, she happily obliged. Her cousin was not her favorite person but she had her own reasons for wanting to get away from the family, and that was enough of an excuse as any to go out. They walked around the mall a little then went to a bar to drink some festive peppermint martinis. Unsurprisingly, her cousin left her alone to hook up with some guy. A guy she knew or else Kaitlyn would have felt bad letting her go off. It would soon be time for the mall to close and Kaitlyn spotted a lonely Santa with no more kids in line. She smiled to herself thinking about the memories of meeting Santa and grabbing a chocolate chip cookie or cinnamon pretzel afterwards. She was more than old enough now to know that he was not really Santa. There might not really be an old man under the suit. And she felt a little giddy from the alcohol and reindeer squishmallow purchase she made earlier that evening. Emotional support stuffed animals were an essential on this trip.