Archive of Our Own

~*~

Haul out the holly
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now

For we need a little Christmas, right this very minute
Candles in the window, carols at the spinet
Yes, we need a little Christmas, right this very minute
Hasn't snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we're in a hurry

~*~

December, 2008. Washington, D.C.

Aaron Hotchner stared at his phone, trying to figure out what had happened within the last fifteen minutes he had talked to his ex-wife. A call from Haley in the morning was far from unusual, especially during school breaks, when she wanted to know if he was available to take Jack for the afternoon or the weekends. This call, however, had been something else entirely. When she had started with the “We need to talk” that had always accompanied all the hard talks they had during their marriage, he knew something was off. That whatever she would tell him, he wouldn’t like it. In the end, he had been right about it, even though he had hoped that he hadn’t. Slowly her words sank in; Haley would take Jack to Williamsburg to celebrate Christmas at her cousin’s place, together with her sister and her father. Or rather, she had already taken him on the two and a half hour drive, and no, he was not invited to spend Christmas with them. She had said something about making it easier for Jack, if he had the distraction of her cousin’s kids, as this would be the first Christmas since their divorce. Maybe she was right, but she should’ve definitely told him beforehand, then he wouldn’t have left work as early as possible but would’ve stayed and worked through paperwork, or taken Rossi’s invitation to join his Christmas party at the mansion. 

A deep sigh left his lips as he took his phone from the table and put it in the pocket of his jeans. Maybe a short walk would clear his thoughts a little, give him a little peace of mind and help him figure out what to do with the days off he took over the holidays to spend some more time with his son. Now all the plans he had made for Jack and himself had been ruined and that little bit he had of a Christmas spirit was gone as well. At least the flat was not decorated, so there was no urge to tear down the lights, and the Christmas Tree was still unadorned, the Christmas baubles still waiting for Jack to find the perfect spots. 

He closed the door behind himself, stepping out into the empty hallway. There were small Christmas wreaths adorning some of the doors, and a few people had set up small Christmas Trees or snowmen right beside their doors. With all this decoration around, his door might as well belong to a Grinch. Jack enjoyed that story way too much lately, up to the point where he asked Santa for a Grinch plush. He and Haley had decided to grant him the wish and he hated the thought that he would not be there to see how the little boy opened the present. 

As soon as he left the house, cold air and snow greeted him. It was already dark outside, the streetlamps and Christmas lights illuminating the sidewalk. Even in winter, Washington D.C. did not get any more silent, cars driving past the street turning the snow into greyish mud. This however didn’t stop the thick snowflakes from falling, trying to cover at least the sides of the road and the sidewalks. 

A woman sat on the stairs leading up to the building he lived in, her blonde hair wet from snow, a duffel bag to her feet. She didn’t even flinch as he walked past her, just clutching her phone tight, her hands almost blue from the cold. 

“Ma’am?,” he asked as he crouched down in front of her, “Are you alright?” Only now did she look up, a faint smile on her lips, eyes tired from exhaustion. 

“Yes,” she blinked a few times, “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to bother anyone.” 

“You didn’t. I was just worried.” He found himself smiling at her, even though he didn’t feel much like smiling. Still she seemed like she really needed a friendly face right now. She returned his smile, a little brighter this time. 

“That’s kind of you, but I just needed to sit down for a moment. It’s been a long day today.” He looked at her bag, most likely packed for a long trip. Was she here to visit friends or family over the holidays and got lost in an unknown city? Or was it something else that made her sit down in the cold? 

“How long have you been sitting here?” He had already noticed the bluish colour of her nails and fingertips before, taking the state of her hair and clothes in account, she could practically freeze to death out here. Probably without noticing, if she was as tired as she looked. The fact that she had to look on her watch to answer his question only added up to his worry. 

“Fifteen minutes, I guess… maybe it was a longer moment then I realised.” Only now did he notice how she possessed an accent he couldn’t quite pinpoint the origin of. He reached out to help her get up. Her fingers were freezing cold inside his hand, making himself almost shiver. 

“Would you like to warm yourself up a little inside?” He didn’t even know why he asked that, the words slipped his lips before he even could think twice about it. Her smile turned unsure for a moment, then she shook her head. 

“No, thank you. I really don’t want to bother you, if you have somewhere important to go right now.” She mustered him a little, before taking her bag into one hand and putting the other into her jacket pocket. “Also, I don’t even know who you are. You could easily be a serial killer… although that wouldn’t make this day any worse.” Her tone was mocking, the last bit of her sentence said with some kind of irony, he didn’t fully understand yet. 

“I’m Aaron Hotchner,” he introduced himself, “and I can assure you, I don’t have anywhere important to be, nor am I a serial killer.” 

“That’s exactly what a serial killer would say,” she replied, shaking some snow from her jacket, “but, well… I guess I will take the risk, Mister Hotchner. I’m Georgia Lynch.” 

“Then, Miss Lynch, please follow me.” 

Georgia Lynch trailed after him as he led her to his apartment. He had taken her luggage for her, her cold hands barely able to grip the hilt tight and long enough to carry it up the first few stairs to the front door. She looked around, taking in the Christmas decoration of his neighbours, but saying nothing about the lack of decoration on his own door. Looking at it now, with her earlier comment still fresh in mind, it really could be the door leading inside the home of a serial killer. Or a first time killer. He better not think about it too much.

“Thank you for letting me warm up a little,” she said as they entered the small hallway. He took her coat from her, hanging it on the hall-stand to dry a little. She took off her winter boots, putting them aside neatly. She wore thick woollen socks inside them, so at least her toes didn’t freeze off in the cold. 

“I’ll get you a towel,” he said with a look at her wet hair, “please make yourself comfortable.” He led her to the living room before going straight to the bathroom. When he returned, Georgia Lynch still stood next to his couch where he had left her, looking around the room. There was not much to see, if he was being honest, just a bookshelf filled without a real order, some photographs of Jack, none of Haley, to not remind him of their happy times all too often, and a painting which once had hung in the living room of their shared home, a heirloom from his grandmother, one of the only sentimental things he had kept from his family. He almost huffed a laugh as she stared at the unadorned Christmas tree standing in a corner. 

“Here, your towel,” he snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to face him. The smile had returned to her lips, her cheeks were rosy from the warmth and her brown eyes shone in the light of his ceiling lamp. 

“Thank you.” Their hands touched again as she took the towel, her fingers already warmer than before, though still cold. “And I really don’t keep you from anything? It looks like you are in the middle of some last Christmas preparations.” She looked at the tree again, then at the box right next to it, that contained the lights and Christmas balls. 

“I wanted to decorate the tree with my son,” he told her, “but my ex-wife just told me she took him to see her family. So it is just as I said. You aren’t keeping me from anything.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” her sympathy sounded genuine, not as if she just said it because it sounded good to say. 

“Where were you heading to?,” he asked, so he didn’t have to talk about his failed plans any more, but also to not let the conversation die down. Because if it did, he’d have to think about what had driven him to offer a complete stranger to stay at his home. Even if it was just for a few minutes to warm up and get dry again. 

“Home, actually,” she answered, “it seems like not only your plans were compromised. I wanted to fly to my family over the holidays, but my flight got cancelled due to the weather, then the train first got delayed and then stopped long before my final destination and I had to walk the rest.” She let out a deep sigh but then smiled again. “At least it is only another half an hour. Would be less if I could get a cab, but really, try to get one today. It’s more likely to win the lottery.” Another deep sigh followed that statement, as she began to dry her long hair. 

“Where does your family live?”

“Alaska, half an hour outside of Anchorage.” If he wasn’t mistaken the flight to Alaska took between 9 to 10 hours. He didn’t even want to know how long she had to wait at the airport until they had decided to cancel the flight. “Have you ever been to Alaska, Mister Hotchner?” 

“Not yet,” he answered, and he probably never would, if it wasn’t for work. And every state he didn’t have to travel to to catch a criminal was a good one. “And please, call me Aaron.” Mister Hotchner had a strange taste to it, it sounded way too much like his father. He hadn’t liked it in school, university, nor his time as an attorney. But letting her call him Hotch was way too familiar. Her smile grew even wider as she looked up at him. 

“I’m Georgia, then,” she told him. Smiling at him like that, she looked quite young, it made him wonder how old she was. She barely reached his shoulder without her winter boots, yet the makeup and clothes made it hard to measure her exact age. She could be anywhere between her mid-twenties to her mid-thirties. 

“Would you care for some tea, Georgia?” A warm beverage would help to warm her up from inside and it would also warm her hands. He was not a tea person, but out of habit he had bought Haley's favourite winter tea, some fruit tea she only bought during holiday season. 

“Tea sounds lovely. Thank you.” She followed him into the small kitchen, probably not wanting to be alone in this unfamiliar apartment. 

“May I ask what brings a woman from Alaska down to Virginia?” Most of the time, people wanted to leave their home states for Alaska and the thrill or peace they hoped to find there. He barely heard from someone who would choose Virginia over Alaska. 

“I moved here for love,” she explained, “I worked at a hotel in Anchorage when I met a guy from Washington D.C. Back then, I thought it would be that one in a lifetime kind of love, so two years ago, when a friend told me about a free position in the hotel she worked in, I applied for the job and moved here. Love’s gone, I’m still here.” She supressed a yawn as she leaned against the kitchen counter, looking around in the small room. His home didn’t have much to offer, there was not much decoration a man alone could buy in one year, if he mostly lived in his office and always went to different cities and states. It looked quite impersonal, if he was being honest with himself. Nothing like the home he shared with Haley and Jack. 

“From your son?,” she asked, pointing at a picture on the fridge with a nod. It was one of Jack’s newest drawings from daycare, showing himself with the dog he now wanted. The breed was unrecognisable, but from its height it could be all from a Chihuahua to a Wiener Dog, the name Cooper was written above the four legged creature and his own name above the person holding the leash. For a three year old, the intent of the drawing was really straight forward. “Himself and his dog?” 

“The dog he’d like to have.” She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. “I have yet to figure out what breed he actually wants.” 

“Dog,” she replied, “the breed is dog. I don’t think he cares much for anything else. How old is he?” 

“He’s three now.” His third birthday was the last time they had spent together with Haley’s family. He hadn’t seen her sister or father ever since. He wasn’t too sad about not seeing Roy Brooks but he had always liked her sister Jessica and there was no bad blood between them. But naturally she had to take her sister’s side in their divorce. 

“Lovely age,” Georgia said, a small smile on her lips, “I have two nieces around the same age. I haven’t seen them in what feels like forever. The flights to Washington are too long for them and I can barely take off more than three days. If it wasn’t Christmas, I probably wouldn’t even have bothered with trying to catch a flight home.” Another deep sigh, her frustration visible on her face as she shook herhead. “And now it was all for nothing. As much as I love Alaska, sometimes its weather, and Kanada’s, drives me mad. I bet what they call a storm at the airport would count as a light breeze at home.” She was mostly exaggerating, but this time he couldn’t contain his laugh, prompting her to smile again. 

“You said it has already been a long day for you. May I ask how long?” 

“I won’t do the maths on that,” she began, wrinkling her forehead as she thought about the right answer, “I worked the night shift today, so I could get an early flight… so my day began yesterday evening around ten?” The last part of her sentence sounded too much like a question to him, but even he couldn’t remember when exactly his day had begun this morning and less hours had passed since that. 

“And you have been awake since then?” He poured water over the tea bag in her mug, handing the steaming mug over to her. 

“I have slept the five hours they kept me waiting at the airport.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head one more time, before inhaling the scent of the tea. “It really was an odyssey and I don’t know if the tea will make it worth it.” At least she was able to joke the experience away. 

They walked back into the living room and Georgia carefully sat down on the couch, trying to not spill any tea. Tension slowly left her body, as she leaned against the backrest, both hands clutching the cup. It was the first time he had a guest in his apartment, not even his team had visited yet, so it was somehow bizarre to see a total stranger so relaxed in his living room. 

He sat down next to her, the couch barely leaving enough space between them to not touch. Hotch had to admit he wasn’t used to being close to someone he didn’t know, normally keeping his distance as much as possible. But there was something about her that made him relax and that made talking to her easier as he was used to. She took a sip of her tea, a relieved sigh leaving her lips. 

“Okay, it probably was worth the tea,” she said with a content smile on her face. 

“That’s the cold speaking,” he replied, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips. 

“I’m from Alaska, Aaron. What you call cold, is barbeque weather where I come from.” There was something special in hearing her say his name, almost no one called him by his first name these days. Even Haley had only referred to him as Hotch the last times they had talked, just as if she couldn’t handle his first name anymore. 

“I’ll take your word on that.” When was the last time he had joked with someone like that? Everyone around him always expected a serious expression from him, his team sometimes looking at him as if he was about to have a stroke just because he smiled. 

“You’ll have no other choice,” she said before taking another sip, “say… how come there is no decoration around here? Besides the not decorated Christmas tree?” She looked around a little more, eying the bookshelf once more before turning her attention towards him. 

“I don’t have much time to decorate.” Also, he was not used to decorating for any occasions, but he didn’t say that out loud. For the past 15 years, Haley had always taken over the decoration and coordination of the holidays, he had just followed her rather precise plans. He still, after all those months, had yet to settle into his new life after being married for so long. “Work often gets in the way.” It was as close to the truth as he was comfortable to get. He didn’t have to tell her about his divorce and how lost he sometimes felt in day to day life without Haley to navigate through it with him. 

“I can understand that. Still, I’d just get depressed without at least a little light… especially after listening to Céline Dion killing O Holy Night for hours at work. Don’t get me wrong I love Céline and normally she can’t do anything wrong, but that’s just a church song and nothing you want to hear in a hotel lobby on repeat.” He had to swallow a laugh, as she rolled her eyes on the last comment. 

“With my job, it is actually rather hard to get into some kind of Christmas spirit. No matter if Céline Dion sings O Holy Night or not.” She tilted her head, brows furrowed as if she couldn’t quite believe that there really was a job that was able to take away all joy for the holidays. Normally he wasn’t like that, but all alone in this apartment… maybe he should’ve taken at least a few minutes every day to decorate a little. Let in a little more light. 

“What are you doing for a living?” 

“I work in law enforcement.” Again this was the closest he would get to the truth and she looked at him as if the answer was too vague to her, but she didn’t pry any further. They knew each other for only a few minutes, maybe an hour by now, and yet it felt somehow familiar. “Sometimes you just want to shut the world out after the things you see.” He almost never told anyone, only his team would ever really understand what it felt like, and they had their own demons to battle, they didn’t need his as well. Haley, there had been a time where she had asked about his day and cases, but the cold, hard truth of his work had become too much for her after the first few years. She had always asked him to find another position, one where he wouldn’t bring the horrors of his job back home. She hadn’t understood that he couldn’t do this, that his team counted on him and that he loved his job, as gruesome as it was. 

Georgia put her mug down, scanning the room once more before turning towards him. 

“Do you have any decorations here? Any lights?,” she asked, waiting for him to answer. To say he was taken aback by the question would be an understatement, and for a few heartbeats he just looked at her.

“Why do you ask?” 

“I’ll decorate for you,” she only said, “see it as my thanks for letting me warm up and get dry. I cannot have you come back home from work into a dark flat, that’s really not good.” He didn’t know what to say, and he really didn’t like the feeling of it. 

“Are you being serious right now?,” he asked. She probably was joking, there was no other explanation for this offer out of the blue. Again Georgia tilted her head, then she nodded. 

“I am. Also, I bet your son would like it, and this Christmas tree of yours should be decorated before Christmas, not after… you really cannot do that to this poor thing.” 

He didn’t know why he agreed in the end, it was probably the fact that she was right and Jack would welcome it much more if he visited him the next time and there was at least some decoration. Although it wouldn’t look like their old home, it would at least give him some sense of familiarity. Just like watching Georgia going through a few boxes of decorations and lights had given to him. 

He helped her find a good spot for the Christmas Tree, slightly feeling like a guest in his own house, but still caught himself smiling at her when she declared their search successful. In their old home the tree had had his one spot in the living room from the day they had moved in, never changing locations through the years, even when there would have been ten different spots where it would have been less in the way and probably better in sight. Together they wrapped the tree in lights, the radio playing Christmas music, with Georgia cringing as she had to listen to Céline Dion yet again. He couldn’t quite say that she actually killed it, as he found himself enjoying her version, but he didn’t have to listen to it all day. The woman’s frown was somehow adorable and the relief on her face when the song was finally over was something he had to bite back a laugh about. She still caught his reaction, sticking out her tongue as if they had known each other for years now. If he were a bit more superstitious, he would probably believe that they must have met in another life. It was the only explanation he had for the familiarity he felt with her. 

“Would it be alright with you if I made myself another cup of tea?,” she asked him after they finished the lights. 

“Sure, make yourself at home.”  She smiled at him and as she left for the kitchen, he wondered how a moment to warm up had turned into almost one and a half hours of spending time with a stranger. “Aaron! I think I’m taking back the Barbeque Weather part!” Instead of looking at her, he found himself looking outside the window, where the snow no longer fell in lazy, thick flakes but swirled around inside a storm. How did he miss the change of weather? On the other side, storms could form in just the blink of an eye and he had been rather distracted by Georgie the last few minutes. The songs stopped, the radio host’s voice filling his apartment, telling them about the obvious snowstorm that surprisingly had hit all of Virginia. A phone rang, Georgia hurried to her bag to answer the call. He found himself dialling Haley’s number, waiting for her to pick up. Georgia was talking to her mother, he only picked up a few words, before Haley finally answered his call. 

“Hello, Hotch,” she greeted him, the noise in the background telling him that she was safe with her family, “did you get hit by the storm, too?” 

“Yes, I just wanted to know if everything is alright at your cousin’s house.” 

“Everything’s fine, but the storm’s pretty bad here. The kids enjoy watching it, I think it is the first time they witness a snowstorm.” He could almost see Jack pressing his nose against the window. “Would you like to talk to Jack?” 

“Yes, I’d like that.” His throat tightened at the thought of hearing his son’s voice with no way of getting to him, but it was better than nothing at all. 

“Daddy?,” Jack asked after a few moments of silence. 

“Merry Christmas, Jack.” A smile formed on his face. “I’ve heard there’s a snowstorm at your auntie’s place.” 

“Yes, it snows really much,” his son replied, the awe audible in his voice, but there was also a hint of concern. “Daddy, do you think Santa will still come? Mommy said it is too much snow to go outside.” 

“Of course Santa will make it,” he promised, “that’s what he got Rudolph for.” Jack giggled at the mention of the red nosed reindeer. They had watched the movie the last weekend Jack had spent with him, his elderly neighbour had lent it to him when she had seen him and Jack in the hallway telling him how her own grandchildren had loved the movie when they were his age. 

“You’re right Daddy,” Jack said, all concern vanished. In the background the other kids invited him to play again, and just like this his son handed the phone back to Haley and was gone. He was probably so used to not having him around that a Christmas without him didn’t affect him much as long as Santa would make it in time for presents. 

“Seems like you could calm his fear a little,” Haley said smiling, he could still see her face, how she smiled as she watched their son play. “Are you still at work?” 

“No, I am home.” Why did she ask all of a sudden? Was she afraid he had to sleep in his office? 

“Then who is it I am hearing in the background?” He had not realised Haley could hear Georgia in the background just as much as he heard her family. The woman leaned in the doorframe to the kitchen still talking to family while sipping on her fresh tea. 

“Just a neighbour who dropped by.” The lie came over his lips before he could even think twice about it. Even if he told her the truth, she’d barely believe the story, he tried to justify the lie to himself. Georgia looked at him briefly, tilting her head, just to roll her eyes about something her relatives said to her, before nodding along as if they could see her. He bit back a laugh as she greeted an uncle with a deep sigh and a look on her face as if she’d rather hit herself unconscious by slamming her head against the doorframe than having to talk to him. 

Haley didn’t ask any further questions, and if she suspected him of lying she didn’t say anything. When did it become so easy for them to lie to each other and to keep secrets? They didn’t talk for long afterwards, Haley being called away by her sister, probably happy about no longer having to talk to him. Georgia talked for a few minutes longer, laughing and rolling her eyes most of the time until she finally hung up and sat down on the couch right next to him. 

“Greetings from my mother,” she just told him, taking another sip from her tea, “and a big thank you for not letting me freeze to death or be blown away in this storm.”  

“You’re welcome,” he smiled at her, “how is your family?”

“They are fine, weather is better in Alaska, but they heard about the snowstorm and mom’s pretty easy to worry. Phoebe told her I’d call her if something had happened, but apparently my sister cannot be trusted and she had to hear it from me.” She shook her head laughing about them. “I have to admit mom did not get any calmer when I told her I somehow crashed at a complete stranger’s home, but I reminded her that anything’s better than freezing to death and that she and dad need to stop watching all those true crime shows, that’s bad for their imagination.” He bit back a laugh, just letting her chatter about her family. Mostly about her parents, sister, nieces and the uncle she had rolled her eyes about. It sounded like a pretty lively family, nothing like his own. 

“How’s your son?,” she asked after finishing her story about her nieces, who had been forced to at least wish her a Merry Christmas before they were allowed to play in peace again. 

“He was afraid Santa wouldn’t make it in time during the storm.” 

“That’s sweet. I hope you told him that such a little storm is just a breeze for Santa and his sleigh.” 

“I did, he went back to playing with his cousins afterwards.” In this case Jack was rather similar to her nieces Amy and Mila. Playing and having fun was their first priority, everything else was second. 

“To be a child once more,” Georgia said, taking another sip of her tea, “well, honestly I don’t miss watching my uncle getting drunk or grandma making me reevaluate my life choices with every third sentence… so maybe this whole situation is not too bad.” 

“What do you miss?” He pretty much knew the only real thing he missed was Jack right now and probably Jessica’s christmas cookies. 

“Besides the whole rest of my family? Mostly watching Hallmark movies the whole day, that became some kind of tradition for me and Phoebe when we were teenagers. The cheesier the better.” 

“It’s not like we have much more to do right now.” There could be worse things than watching bad Christmas movies and if it made Georgia happy and kept both of them entertained, he could probably live with it. 

“Are you serious?” She tilted her head again, her whole face lighting up. 

“I am.”

It didn’t take long for them to find a movie Georgia didn’t know yet and they had not missed too much of. Not that one needed too much knowledge about the plot, most of the movies following a rather generic formula. He didn’t even miss much when he left for the kitchen to make them pizza. It was not the best Christmas dinner, but he was actually happy to still have something edible in his apartment, if he was being honest. And Georgia didn’t seem to mind, as they could just perfectly eat on the couch without having to leave The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year behind. 

He pretty soon found himself enjoying the movies and Georgia’s commentary on them, providing a never ending stream of laughter for both of them. She looked away from him every time she teared up, pressing her face into a pillow, as his fingers stroked gently over her legs spread over his. At some point he held her in his arms, pressing her against him as one movie took a dramatic turn that didn’t feel real but made her cry nonetheless. 

He didn’t know when they fell asleep, only that he woke up with a thin blanket draped over them, Georgia’s head on his shoulder and the younger woman soundlessly asleep. The TV was still running, repeating one of the movies they had watched earlier. Light fell into his apartment, the snowstorm had ended hours ago. Georgia blinked at him when she woke up, their necks and shoulders stiff, but both laughing about the whole situation. 

“I think I have occupied your time long enough now, I really should head home,” she said and something inside him wanted to tell her to stay. Yet he kept quiet, only proposing a cup of coffee before she left. Something she agreed to, probably not wanting to leave just now. She stayed behind in the living room as he made them coffee they drank on the couch where they had slept, stretching their time together for a few moments longer. He would return to the office later, busy himself with some more paperwork, but not before he called Jack and asked him if Santa had made it in time. 

Georgia hugged him before she left, only a small gesture that put a smile on his face. 

“Merry Christmas, Aaron,” she said, “and thank you for everything.” 

“Merry Christmas, Georgia,” he replied smiling, “be careful on your way home.” 

“I will, I promise… and if I am ever looking for stairs to have a mental breakdown on, I will for sure remember yours.” 

“Maybe come straight to the door the next time.” She laughed and her laughter filled the whole hallway 

“I will keep that in mind.” He hoped she did. 

He returned to his apartment when she vanished down the hallway, taking in the view of his home for a moment. The lights and tiny decorations, the ornamented tree, traces of how Georgia Lynch’s life had touched his own for a few hours, when his day couldn’t have gotten any worse. She had brought a little bit of light, well she had brought a lot of it actually, into his first Christmas alone. 

He looked at the tree, hoped Jack would like it, as two small presents beneath it caught his attention. He didn’t know the wrapping paper, but he smiled as he saw the name tags on it. Mila and Amy were written on either of them in what must be Georgia’s handwriting, her nieces’ names were crossed out, instead Jack’s was written on them. He’d have to replace the tags, so Jack would believe in Santa a little longer. On one of the presents lay a postcard from Washington D.C.

Dear Aaron,

Thank you for spending your Christmas Eve with me. You rescued me from a really dark place, I have never felt so alone in this city before. 

I bought these presents for my nieces. I bought them at the airport when I still thought I’d make it home for Christmas. One of them is a picture book, the other is a stuffed teddy bear in Santa Claus costume. I really hope Jack will enjoy them as much as Amy and Mila would. But I cannot send them to Phoebe without raising questions why Santa forgot those two… so you better just tell Jack Santa left two presents with his Dad so you could open them together. 

Love,

Georgia

P.S. If you'd like to stay in touch, I’ll leave my phone number and address here. Maybe you can call and tell me if Jack liked the presents. 

Merry Christmas! 

~*~

For I've grown a little leaner, grown a little colder

Grown a little sadder, grown a little older

And I need a little angel sitting on my shoulder

Need a little Christmas now

For we need a little music, need a little laughter

Need a little singing ringing through the rafter

And we need a little snappy, happy ever after

We need a little Christmas now

~*~