By the evening of the Great Reveal, the entire town had gathered. Elio stood with a remote control in his hand, looking, as the locals said, conciato per le feste —he was wearing a suit made of green velvet with actual bells sewn into the seams. He looked like a Christmas tree that had gained sentience and a mortgage. "Watch this, Sergio," Elio hissed, pressing the red button.
In the sudden, heavy silence, the only sound was the motorized cough of Sergio’s inflatable Santa, which had its own dedicated battery pack. It swayed back and forth in the darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow of the moon. Conciati per le feste
The village of Montechiaro was usually silent by seven, but tonight the air smelled of burnt sugar and cheap wine. At the center of it all was Elio, a man who took the Christmas lighting competition far too seriously. He wasn't just competing with his neighbor, a retired dentist named Sergio; he was competing with the stars themselves. By the evening of the Great Reveal, the
