Luca was surrounded by a mess. He had turned his bedroom upside down, searching for the book he had lost but still he couldn't find it.

The gift of the Maji.

It was a short story, small and child-like but it meant everything to him. His mother had read it to him and Betsy when they were much younger—every night before Christmas especially.

And now it was gone, and all that was left was simply the memories it left behind.

But he was determined to find it. He had to, in honour of his mother and because quite simply, it was tearing him apart.

He sat on his bed, letting out a huff and bringing up a nearby blanket to wrap himself into.

Pissed at himself, he let tears trickle down his face—wiping them away with the back of his hand.

"Luca?"

He looked up at the voice, his father entering in view. He was a small man with a scruffy beard and small, circular glasses covering his eyes.

"Are you crying?" he asked, taking a step inside.

His eyes darted around the room in confusion, and it made Luca cry even more.

"I-" Luca sniffled, "I lost it, the book..it was the one mum used to read me and Betsy. It's gone dad, I bloody lost it."

His dad sat down next to him on the bed, a comforting arm reaching out to bring Luca into a warm hug.

"That one about the couple buying each other Christmas presents?" His dad asked, frowning in thought.

Luca nodded as he wept onto his father's shoulder, "Yeah that one. Don't you remember, it was her favorite?"

His dad smiled at this, of course he remembered. He remembered everything about his late wife, how could he forget?

"Well no point in crying about it huh? Come on get up, let's find it together shall we?"

Luca sniffed away his running nose and wiped the last of his tears from his cheeks.

He stood up and together, they searched the room all over again, cleaning up the mess as they did.

But much to Luca's dismay, they didn't find the book.