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"I swear, if the next one doesn't take you off the lot, I'll take you home myself, you can spend Christmas with the family this year."
I lowered my eyes.
"You know it doesn't work that way," I replied softly.  "But thank you anyway."
"I just don't understand it," the man went on in his low and grumbling voice.  "You're wonderful looking…"
"It doesn't matter…" I interrupted him.  "It's December 23rd.  No one has a need for me this late."
"You can't know that."
"Yes I do," I chided him.  "Every year it's the same."
"I got a good feeling about this year…look…here comes a car now."
I couldn't help rolling my eyes, but peering through the pine needles anyway.  It was so close to Christmas, there couldn't eve anyone that wanted a tree this close.
But still…a small gasp escaped my chapped lips as the car pulled up to the lot.
It was a bright red Volkswagen golf…
"Like a Christmas sleigh," I whispered and the man looked at me with a cool smile.
"I told you it wasn't too late," he muttered hopefully and I leaned against the tree I was hiding in.
"Probably some old fart trying to please his grandkids."
"Don't be so sure about that…look…he's an alright looking kid."
And he was.
He couldn't have been more than twenty-five and stepping out of his bright red car, he really did remind me of Christmas with his Ivory pea coat and hunter green scarf wrapped around his neck and matching hat hovering around his eyebrows.
His eyes were green as well, which was an odd contrast to the seeming pitch black hair that was poking out of his hat and the pale iridescent skin that was like snow on a memorable Christmas morning.
"That's the one," I breathed as he strode to where I was hidden.  I looked at the tree vendor.  "That's him," I said quietly and quickly hid amongst the needles.
"You got it kid, leave it to me," he replied and walked up to the beautiful teenager.
"What's a young kid like you looking for at this time of day?" he boomed in his overly loud but pleasant voice.  I clutched my ears until he was a little farther away.  The boy looked slightly lonely but pleasant to find someone talking to him.  "Shouldn't you be at home with your family this year young one?"
His dark green emeralds fell to the white blanket of snow at his feet.
"There was a change of plans this year," he began.  "I'm spending Christmas alone."
"Not with the right tree you're not," the vendor said and dropped a heavy hand on the boy's shoulders, causing him to rock from the touch.  He smiled though and looked around the lot.
"Not much left I guess this close to the holidays," he noted and his eyes passed right past me to some of the larger and more gaze worthy trees.  I felt my heart quicken but I knew the vendor wasn't going to let this moment pass me by.  The boy sniffed the air, "It smells wonderful here though."
The vendor joined in and inhaled the air around him sharply.
"That it does, it's the smell of Evergreen Spirit," he said with a smile and I almost lost my breath.  How could he say my name so openly?
"What's Evergreen Spirit?" the boy asked hesitantly as he allowed the vendor to guide him to the tree I was hiding in.  I felt my stomach fall to my feet as their loud steps crunched through the hardened snow and backed away from their imposing bodies.
"This," the vendor declared and held out a meaty hand towards my tree.  "This is Evergreen Spirit."
The boy's eyes narrowed briefly as he took in the tree.  I felt so much like he was judging me, but I knew I was too well hidden and instead took in his features.
"I don't know…it's a little small don't you think?"
"Small?" the vendor boomed, causing me to grasp my small ears again.  "What will you be needing a big tree for?  You having a Christmas party?"
"Well no…" the boy said slowly and adjusted his cap and began to reach towards the tree with his bare fingers.  I suppressed a small gasp as the digits came close, way too close for me considering that he hadn't taken me home yet.  I saw the vendors hand move him away.
"What do you say?" he pressed on.  "Why don't you give this lovely tree a home?"
The boy smiled.  "You mean the Evergreen Spirit?  Tell me sir, do you name all of your trees?"
"Only the ones that matter.  And it would mean the world to me and this tree if you would take it home for Christmas this year."
"Maybe…" the boy said slowly and began to look around the lot again.  My heart felt like it was breaking in two but the vendor saved me once again.
"Tell me boy, is this your first Christmas alone?" he asked good-naturedly.
"Well yes…as a matter of fact it is."
"Family troubles?"
"Nothing so crazy…I just…it doesn't even matter,"
"Than you should take this tree."
"You really want me to get this specific tree don't you?  What's up with it?"
"Let's just say it's the perfect tree for someone who is spending their first Christmas without their loved ones."
I blushed as the boy looked at the tree and for a moment it seemed as if his eyes had locked on mine.
"What can I say?  You talked me into it…how much?"
The vendor beamed and grabbed the tree before he could have time to change his mind.  My body jolted and I quickly took hold of the trunk so I wouldn't be cast to the ground in clear view.  It wasn't quite time to show myself yet, just because he had chosen me, didn't mean I was safe.
"Consider it an early Christmas gift,"
The boy pulled out his wallet, shaking his head.
"Now I know there is something wrong with this tree," he mumbled.  "What is it?"
I froze.  So close to being purchased!  So close to having a home this year for Christmas, it was all slipping away.
The vendor's gaze told me to keep calm.
"Twenty dollars?" he tried and the boy smiled again.
"That's more like it," he said and pulled out a twenty and a five, pressing it into the vendor's hand.  "Here," he said and held out his hands, "I can tie it to the top…"
The vendor jerked his arm back with me in it, almost shaking me free from my safety.
"Err…I think this tree is small enough that I can hook in your passenger seat."
The boy crooked up a suspicious black eyebrow.
"Are you kidding?" he asked.
"It's a very special tree," the vendor went on.
I thought I was a goner for sure but the boy smiled again, revealing pearl white teeth that reminded me of ice caps in the North Pole.
"Whatever, I won't argue…load it up," he said and began to walk to his car leaving the vendor and myself only a few steps behind him.
"We did it," he whispered to me as the tree rocked with his steady walking rhythm.
"Let's just hope he doesn't freak out," I said in a worried tone.  "That's the worst…"
"He doesn't strike me as that kind of boy…I think you will be safe."
"I hope…"
"And here we are!" the vendor boomed over me and I listened as the car door opened.  I looked out and there was the boy sitting in the driver's seat.
"Can't say I've ever ridden with a tree before," he chuckled as the vendor set the tree next him.
"You're going to see a lot of things you've never seen before…" the vendor went on, making sure that I was secure.  His eyes misted over, it had been a long time since we didn't spend Christmas together because no one else had taken me home and for the first time I realized that I was going to miss him this year.  How did the other Spirits do it?  Going from home to home, every year?  I gulped nervously and gently waved the vendor away.
"Next year," he said in a low voice.
"What did you say?" the boy asked.
"Nothing!  Have a Merry Christmas…" he paused then waiting for the boy to fill in the name.
"Niven," the boy replied.
"Niven?"
"My parents are both sci-fi nuts," the boy said dismissively.  "Have a Merry Christmas…"
"Christopher,"
"Merry Christmas Christopher," Niven said before the vendor shut the door, enclosing me with my first human in a long time.  I looked up at him again as the car started, feeling the butterflies in my stomach all over again.  He waved once more before Niven pulled the car out of the lot.
I was going to a human's home this year for Christmas.