So deck those halls Trim those trees!

 "I don't know," CW practically wailed about the Junie matter when Crystal got home from her Christmas shopping trip. She might as well have been Mrs. Santa Claus. The bags of presents took up most of her couch. "Was I too harsh?"

"Harsh about what?" She was out of breath. While he was talking about the Coffee Shop situation, she was rambling about how a cold front was moving in, and the cold wind almost knocked her. She was surprised she got home with all these presents. CW thought she was being a little scatterbrained, but he wasn't going to mention it. After all, he told her to go ahead and get the shopping done, and he'd mind the shop.

"You weren't even listening," he winced. "Something is going on with Junie."

"Junie? She only works on weekends." Crystal told him with her hands on her hips.

"I know, but lately, she's been coming in right before we close during the week, just to meet some guy." CW looked at her as if it were a little odd.

"I see." She looked at him blankly as if to ask him what he wanted her to do about it. These days, Millie was the weekend supervisor. Crystal had off. 

CW shrugged and plopped almost down on one of the bags.

"Don't you look in there," Crystal snapped. She went to get herself some chilled water in her fridge and poured him a glass too. 

"Will you tell Darry?"

"I want to," CW mentioned. He always thought Darry and Junie were the perfect couple.

"Well, as long as she's not seeing a thief, or something."

"What if she is?"

"I don't think she would," Crystal told him. Junie was smart enough to know better.

"I just feel bad for Darry. I was hoping they were going to have the best Christmas." He couldn't help but be down about it. 

"Christmas can be very defining moments," she looked away as if she was thinking of all her bad Christmases.

"All I think about is all the sweets and casseroles my grandmother used to make," He hugged himself. 

"Food is calories, you know, we don't need a lot of it, by any means." She looked at him then as if she wished he'd stop dwelling on such a feast, and he better not think she wanted candy for a Christmas present.

"I know." he nodded rubbing his left jaw. "My tooth hurts anyway."

"When's the last time you've been to the dentist?" Crystal looked at him with concern.

"I don't go to the dentist." He looked at her blankly.

She tilted her head with a sigh. "I gotta bad feeling about this."

CW winced. Suddenly, this was all about him. She reached for her phone. She said she knew someone at Creighton dental school.