Ezra was trying not to be hopeless. Yes, he showed up at the Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving that Frankie hosted for the tenants. He was happy to know someone like her, and Fiona's Matty was pretty sensible too. They were there for him. And he guessed Nav was, too, but Ezra was going solo these days especially around his best friend Han and Delia.
Yes, he knew he could have been with Delia so easily. But even now, he scoffed at the idea. Those two belonged together, evidently. It was like the tables were turned. It was so goddamn annoying. Ezra couldn't help but scowl at the thought of those two together doing nerdy things, no doubt.
And here he was all alone in his little apartment. It felt so cold, and he dreaded the thought of Christmas. But then one day, when he got home from work, he found this large box in front of his apartment door. His name was on it. But still?
It baffled him. He thought something like this would be at the office, but it wasn't. Just a big box addressed to him. He couldn't imagine who the giver might be, but he scooted the box in quick enough, thinking what if. What if someone stole it?
Of course, he wouldn't know about it. He put on his kettle for some peppermint tea and toasted a bagel while he scrambled himself some eggs and ate them right out of the pan. It wasn't exactly gourmet, but efficient. He knew something was missing. He looked in the fridge and found the cheese. He'd have to shred it, and he didn't have a shredder, which would mean going to Fiona's, and he was too tired for that.
He looked back at the box as he ate scoops of soupy eggs (just the way he liked them) and finished his toast. Ezra stared back at the box. He couldn't imagine it being very important, as it stood there. His luck, some antiques his grandmother left him.
He yawned as he got to his mint tea. It was still not quite the peppermint he was expecting, so after one more look at the box, he went to take a shower.
Finally, he felt refreshed and pulled on his favorite sweat pants and hoodie and finally got back to his tea. He sat for a while, hoping he would doze off. He almost did. It was true, this was hibernating weather. And there was snow. Even strangers. But he'd managed to get back on his e-bike. The streets weren't bad, and he wore goggles and a helmet to keep out of the cold. Yes, it would pass, but it felt like that would be next year.
He really did feel like nodding off on this very short day, but he looked up to stare at the box and sighed.
"Let's see what's in this thing." He went to get a little knife from the kitchen drawer. Of course, he had to turn the box where he sliced through the taped opening. This led to a crazy amount of bubble wrap, and underneath something in plastic looked to be trapped, as if under a lake of plastic.
He thought he could make out hands. Ezra snarled a grimace. "What the fuck?"
Ezra tilted his head to one side, then the other. It gave him a shiver. What if it were a body? Somebody had sent him a body.
Immediately, he got up and went to find his phone on the kitchen counter. He thought of calling 911, but they might ask him questions he didn't even want to think about. After all, it was in a box. It came to him in a box.
He licked his dry upper lip and went back to the plastic and edged the knife down the sides, hoping not to cut anything important. When he pulled back the tight plastic, whatever it was pranced out like a wobbly little Bambi.
Ezra took in a deep breath as if he might scream, but he didn't. His heartbeat sped up a notch as he stared at this thing, but there was something magical, too. He cracked up in laughter.
It was a life-size doll with two blue braids and possibly an anime face, but not entirely. Of course, she was giving him a "What's so funny look."
Still, a part of him was a little frightened and entirely wide awake now.
