Generally Willemina tried to avoid going into the city. It was probably a perfectly fine place from a certain point of view, and she knew some wonderful people who lived in it, but she really, truly couldn't stand the place. Under normal circumstances she would only go in an emergency, and admittedly this couldn't really be classed as one. But it was still important, and as far as she could tell it required making this trip, so here she was.
Willemina herself was not terribly invested in Christmas, and was rather annoyed at the enormous fuss made about it this time of year, though she did her best not to let that show. But Russell cared about Christmas, she knew, and last year he'd tried to act unbothered by her disinterest, but it hadn't convinced her. So this year she was going to do it right.