Status: One shot about a christmas miracle
The Only Present
The Only Present
Anne's eyes reflected the sparkling Christmas ornaments on the department store Christmas Tree. There were only seven more kids in front of her that needed to see Santa Clause, and then it was her turn!
She messed with the reindeer antlers her mom had put on her head.
They look cute on you! They're very festive. Her mom had assured her before ushering her into the line to see Santa, then sitting on a bench to wait.
Mom! I can see Santa by my SELF! He needs to take my wish seriously! Anne had stated, wriggling from her mom's grasp.
Okay, hunny. I'll be sitting on this bench right here. Come back as soon as you've told Santa what you want for Christmas. Her mom said, gently nudging her towards the line. Her mom had a large smile across her face when she had said that, making Anne curious.
Okay, only five more kids then it'll be my turn. She thought to herself. She looked up at Santa, with his classic red suit and white facial hair. She pulled the itchy antlers off, and stuck one end into the elastic waistband of her skirt. She didn't want Santa to think she was too childish for her wish.
Oh, come on! Tell me what you're going to ask Santa for. Her mom had urged her during the car ride to the store.
No! She had shrieked. I NEED Santa to get me this. I can't take any chances! As she had informed her mom of this, tears had sprung into her eyes. Anne needed this for Christmas.
"Only four more and then I'll get to go." She whispered to herself. To pass the time, she began counting the lights on the tree.
One...two....three.... She counted out in her head. When she got to one-hundred she stopped; the line had moved up and she didn't have a clear view of the tree anymore.
There were only three more kids in line, holding their parent's and grandparent's hands. She held her mom's hand last year while waiting to see Santa. But this year, her wish was too mature to be connected with such a dependent act.
Anne twiddled her thumbs, tapped her foot, and swayed side-to-side, trying to make the line go faster.
Finally, a little girl from the front of the line went up, leaving Anne with butterflies in her stomach. There was only one more person standing between herself and the man who could make her Christmas wish come true.
She took a deep, shaky breath, and let it out very slowly. She heard the little girl tell Santa her name, and that she wanted a Barbie Playhouse for Christmas.
That's something I would've asked for last year. She scoffed in her head. As the little girl hopped off Santa's lap, a little blonde boy in front of her climbed the red, plastic stairs, crossed a green carpet, and let Santa help him onto his lap.
Her mind was spinning faster then it had for months. Next was her turn.
So close.... Anne silently urged.
Finally, the little boy jumped off Santa's lap. A women dressed as an elf opened the cottony snow-covered gate to let Anne up.
She slowly, but surely, climbed the steps and crossed the green carpet. Because of her height, Santa had to help her onto his lap.
She quickly leaned in and whispered her name. Then, leaning ever so closer, she said, "I want my Daddy to come home from Iraq for Christmas."
She pulled back and looked into Santa's face. Her heart stopped.
She looked closer at Santa's face... his eyes were so familiar...
"Daddy?" She whispered, her body going numb.
Santa took off his beard and hat, and looked little Anne in the eyes. Her dad's eyes looked into hers, smiling.
"It's me baby doll."
Anne threw her arms around her father's neck, and pulled him close.
"Daddy is Santa, mommy!!!" She cried down to the bench where her mother was sitting. But when she looked up, her mom was climbing the stairs that she had climbed.
Anne smiled into her dad's chest and whispered, "Thank you, Santa. Thank you so much."
She messed with the reindeer antlers her mom had put on her head.
They look cute on you! They're very festive. Her mom had assured her before ushering her into the line to see Santa, then sitting on a bench to wait.
Mom! I can see Santa by my SELF! He needs to take my wish seriously! Anne had stated, wriggling from her mom's grasp.
Okay, hunny. I'll be sitting on this bench right here. Come back as soon as you've told Santa what you want for Christmas. Her mom said, gently nudging her towards the line. Her mom had a large smile across her face when she had said that, making Anne curious.
Okay, only five more kids then it'll be my turn. She thought to herself. She looked up at Santa, with his classic red suit and white facial hair. She pulled the itchy antlers off, and stuck one end into the elastic waistband of her skirt. She didn't want Santa to think she was too childish for her wish.
Oh, come on! Tell me what you're going to ask Santa for. Her mom had urged her during the car ride to the store.
No! She had shrieked. I NEED Santa to get me this. I can't take any chances! As she had informed her mom of this, tears had sprung into her eyes. Anne needed this for Christmas.
"Only four more and then I'll get to go." She whispered to herself. To pass the time, she began counting the lights on the tree.
One...two....three.... She counted out in her head. When she got to one-hundred she stopped; the line had moved up and she didn't have a clear view of the tree anymore.
There were only three more kids in line, holding their parent's and grandparent's hands. She held her mom's hand last year while waiting to see Santa. But this year, her wish was too mature to be connected with such a dependent act.
Anne twiddled her thumbs, tapped her foot, and swayed side-to-side, trying to make the line go faster.
Finally, a little girl from the front of the line went up, leaving Anne with butterflies in her stomach. There was only one more person standing between herself and the man who could make her Christmas wish come true.
She took a deep, shaky breath, and let it out very slowly. She heard the little girl tell Santa her name, and that she wanted a Barbie Playhouse for Christmas.
That's something I would've asked for last year. She scoffed in her head. As the little girl hopped off Santa's lap, a little blonde boy in front of her climbed the red, plastic stairs, crossed a green carpet, and let Santa help him onto his lap.
Her mind was spinning faster then it had for months. Next was her turn.
So close.... Anne silently urged.
Finally, the little boy jumped off Santa's lap. A women dressed as an elf opened the cottony snow-covered gate to let Anne up.
She slowly, but surely, climbed the steps and crossed the green carpet. Because of her height, Santa had to help her onto his lap.
She quickly leaned in and whispered her name. Then, leaning ever so closer, she said, "I want my Daddy to come home from Iraq for Christmas."
She pulled back and looked into Santa's face. Her heart stopped.
She looked closer at Santa's face... his eyes were so familiar...
"Daddy?" She whispered, her body going numb.
Santa took off his beard and hat, and looked little Anne in the eyes. Her dad's eyes looked into hers, smiling.
"It's me baby doll."
Anne threw her arms around her father's neck, and pulled him close.
"Daddy is Santa, mommy!!!" She cried down to the bench where her mother was sitting. But when she looked up, her mom was climbing the stairs that she had climbed.
Anne smiled into her dad's chest and whispered, "Thank you, Santa. Thank you so much."
♠ ♠ ♠
There are thousands of families in America spending Christmas without a loved one who has been deployed, or passed over-seas within these past few years. My brother, Travis, was deployed over-seas my sixth Christmas, and I remember asking Santa to bring him home. Though sometimes Santa can't do that, we can. By speaking out against the war, and packing boxes of small comforts such as blankets, candles, non-perishable food items, notebooks, pens and clothes, we can make a difference to the brave men and women fighting for our country. Make a difference this Christmas.