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“Wait, Daddy! I’m almost done.” Dean said as he continued to scribble in the blank spots of the fill in letter. He folded it in half and jumped up from his desk, running it to the nice lady who had handed out the letters, then grabbed John’s hand and exited the classroom. Dean looked back over his shoulder to watch the lady slip the letter into Santa’s mailbox with the others, and sighed.
Maybe since he actually wrote the letter this time it would work.
John pulled into the motel parking lot and grabbed Sammy out of his car seat. Dean followed on his heels inside and jumped up on the bed he slept on. After placing Sammy down on the bed with Dean, John flipped the babysitter on to cartoons and opened a bottle. A couple hours in and he was passed out across his bed and Dean was making a PB&J for him and Sammy to share for dinner.
They left the small town the next morning.
A week later the lady, who ran a local toy run the letters were used for came by to ask about Dean Winchester. The teacher informed her he no longer went to the school, and the woman disappointedly left with the gift she had specifically chosen for him.
She walked back to her car, sat behind the wheel, and pulled the folded note out of her pocket.
Dear Santa
My name is Dean Winchester
I am 6 years old.
For Christmas this year I want my mom to be alive again. Please?
She silently read it one last time before folding it back up and sliding it down in the bag containing the now pointless gift.
~✶~
“Do we really have to do this?” Dean groaned as they stood in the volunteer line for a local toy run.
“We promised Jack and Sam we would participate with them. So yes.” Cas reminded him.
“Yeah, yeah… I know.” The hunter rolled his eyes and shifted his weight to the other foot as they waited for their turn to add their names to the papers. When they finally got to the table he quickly scribbled his name on the paper, handed it to the older lady, who smiled kindly at him, and quickly turned to leave.
“Dean Winchester…?” he heard her say softly, and turned to look back at her. She met his eyes and laughed. “Could it really be….” She reached down into her purse and pulled out a small wrapped box and folded letter, handing the latter to him. “Are you the same Dean Winchester who wrote this?”
He opened the letter and gasped.
“All the years I have done this and I never forgot that letter.” She smiled at him. “Well I guess I can finally give you your gift.”
Still a little shocked from seeing the first and last letter he ever wrote to Santa, Dean took the small wrapped gift with a note attached.
This is a very special gift,
That you can never see.
The reason it’s so special is,
It’s just to you from me.
Whenever you are lonely,
Or even feeling blue.
You only have to hold this gift,
And know that I’m with you.
You never can unwrap it,
Please leave the ribbon tied.
Just hold the gift close to your heart,
It’s filled with my love inside.
-Mom