✨Otherwise✨

He silently watched the falling snow. Christmas eve. Small people outside the window, like insects, run here and there, steam is coming from the chimneys of neighboring buildings, apparently, a delicious kutya is being prepared somewhere...

He did not feel whether time was passing quickly or not. Only silence embraced him in a soothing, drowsy embrace, and nothing distracted from the slow flow of thoughts...

Suddenly he felt a light touch on his shoulder. So unexpected that the body involuntarily shuddered from the injection of adrenaline.

"Hi, you must be new?" - asked a melodious female voice.
"I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm Lexi. And what's your name?"

There was no answer. He strained to remember his name, but he couldn't. Emptiness.

The girl shrugged her shoulders, resolutely walked around the cart from the other side and held out her hand to him.
"I'm Lexi! You can not get up" - a note of sarcasm was heard in the voice.
"So do you have a name or not?"

Lexi paused demonstratively, emphasizing the importance of her question. But in response she only caught a serious look from green eyes and a quiet “Nni… I don't have a name. Maybe, but I don't remember him, no matter how hard I tried to remember..."...

"Understood" - as if it was normal, Lexi drawled.
- And how long have you been sitting here alone? - she asked.
- It seems, several days... - answered the young man quietly.

For Lexi's eyes, the boy's graceful features did not go unnoticed, and the height also caused a question! On her two, Lexi was not much taller than the sitting boy. Interest took its toll!🤔
“So who are you? And what happened to you?" - asked Lexi persistently, casting an eye on the cart.

"I've lived here for quite a long time, I know many people, but I've never seen people like you in the House," said the girl again, not waiting for an answer and pulling the chair closer.

The young man swallowed convulsively, realizing that this trailer would no longer leave him alone with all his questions. And if we still have to talk, the sooner we start, the sooner we'll finish.

"I remember that when I got out of the mailbox, I could no longer stand on my feet... there was some basic disease of the feet inherent in my species. She progressed during my journey to this House, so the feet simply fell off," said the young man, carefully removing his boots, revealing to the girl's gaze something that he would not wish on anyone else.

"Now I'm like this," the boy finished putting on his shoes again.
"I don't want to think about it, but that's probably why I was sent away from my previous home. Even for the best, that I don't remember anything about my past, there will be nothing to regret. After all, now I am nameless, motionless and forever alone."

Lexi listened intently.
And then, smiling sadly, she slowly answered:
"Well, I'm also far from perfect... And I'm always alone, too. But I'm happy here, even though my kind shun me, because I'm not pretty enough for them, Mattelovians have their own parties, and I don't even want to talk about arrogant actions..."
"And you are not sour!" - she suddenly turned cheerfully to the young man again.
"Our Guardian will not leave you like this, she will do everything so that you can run on your two feet again, you'll see!"
Sitting funny on a chair, the fragile brown-haired girl began to talk about the House, its residents, customs and orders. There was a lot of interesting things in that story.

The young man listened to the girl's melodious voice and caught himself thinking that his soul was getting so warm and cozy, either from the hope of walking again, or from female attention, or, in general, from the support that he had not had for so long. The New Home was beginning to be colored by new involuntary impressions for the boy. Somewhere there was the aroma of fresh coffee, somewhere else children's laughter could be heard... And the girl opposite somehow strangely and surprisingly quickly became the one you wouldn't want to lose...
“I don't know what's wrong with you, but I don't care. In my opinion, you are cool. Scout's word!" - the young man smiled.

"Thank you..." Lexi blushed in response and looked away.

"But I have unruly hair that sticks out all the time, I don't have long, beautiful eyelashes, I have an athletic body instead of a slim one, and there's a healthy black spot on my chin that can't be removed!" - said the upset girl.

And the boy no longer saw any specks or sticks in his hair.
He saw bottomless blue eyes, a kind heart and a lonely doll soul just like his.

The boy suddenly really wanted to somehow encourage Lexi in his turn.
"I have an offer!" - the young man began jokingly.

"Give here both hands as a sign that you and I are now representatives of a completely separate puppet species! "OTHERS" - no matter what happens, we will be a wall for each other, together against everyone! What do you think?"

Lexie's eyes flashed with surprise for a moment, and instead of reaching out to the boy, she jumped out of her chair and hugged him tightly!

"Oh, I understand, I will still have to get used to this emotional swing," laughed the slightly shocked boy.
An unintelligible sniff came from his shoulder.
"I guess that means 'I agree'?" - he said and his big warm arms hugged Lexi in return.

So they sat, hugging each other, maybe an hour, maybe more, who's watching? They were whispering about something else, but I had other things to do, so I wasn't around.
Later, stepping back a little and taking the young man's hands, Lexi said:
"I know what YOUR name is"...
The boy could barely sit in the cart from impatience.
Lexie gave the boy her kindest smile and said,
"I will call you Christmas. Because you are my Friend. A Friend is a Miracle. You are my Christmas Miracle!"✨
Their eyes met and they had something in common - they glowed with happiness!🌟
Christmas pulled Lexi close again, buried his nose in her scented, naughty hair, and mentally spoke to someone he'd never seen but always sensed,
"THANK YOU!" 💫

Christmas and Lexi wish everyone a real Christmas Miracle! ☺️✨🎄✨