Chapter Text
Grace looked at the piece of paper in front of her, chewing on her bottom lip, and trying desperately not to cry. When the twins had come home from school a few days ago, they’d been more excited than she’d seen them in months, and they had proudly informed her that Missus Kane’olela had let them write letters to Santa in school that day. They had even gotten to mail them directly to the big guy himself! And then, when she picked up the mail today, there had been a letter from Mister K, who was still the Kumu at the school Grace had graduated from, and had included both Malia and Nick’s letters to Santa.
“Dear Santa,
My name is Malia Williams Robustelli, and I live in Hawaii. I have a twin brother named Nick, and he will write you a letter of his own too, and I think we will both ask for the same thing for Christmas this year.
Our Daddy, Dominic Robustelli the Third, had to go away for doing something that the police said was bad. Mama said that he’ll be home after the police let him go, but me and Nick were hoping that you could send him home early. See, Mama gets sad without Daddy around, and even though Danno and Pops are always here it's not the same, and sometimes we can hear Mama crying at night. I don’t want Mama to be sad anymore so can you please, for Christmas, send our Daddy home?
Thank you very much,
Mahalo,
Malia Williams Robustelli”
Grace’s heart stopped in her chest, and she had to pause to take a breath before opening Nick’s letter. Unsurprisingly, it was almost identical.
“Santa,
Im Dominic Robustelli the Fourth and I want my Daddy to come home for Christmas, so my Mama will stop being so sad, and he can help her in the garage. Daddy didn’t do anything wrong, and he was just protecting our home so can you please send him home? I know you are usually only here on Christmas Eve, but I was hoping you could send Daddy home early so he can help us to decorate the tree.
Mele Kalikimaka
Nick Robustelli”