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Early Morning, December 25th. Christmas.
In the dim light of the living room, the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree cast a soft glow, creating a cozy, almost magical atmosphere. John, dressed in a Santa costume, carefully adjusted a box with a bright bow under the branches. Beside him, Gale, in a warm blue pajama set with snowflakes, tucked another box deeper into the tree’s base. The corners of his mouth twitched in barely restrained laughter—he could already imagine the kids shrieking with delight in just a few hours. Beneath the tree, a few smaller boxes and packages rested, clearly presents the children had hidden for their parents beforehand.
“Lili is going to flip when she sees the Hot Wheels track,” John chuckled softly, casting a glance at Gale.
“She sure will,” Gale replied with a smile. “And Jack’s been asking for a kids' microscope for ages. I hope this one makes him happy.”
“Oh, it will. They’re good kids. Why not spoil them a little? We’re so lucky to have them.”
“We’re lucky in general,” Gale said, looking at John with love in his eyes.
John, pleased with their work, stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Gale’s waist, pulling him in.
“I still can’t believe we’ve pulled all this off,” John said, his voice full of wonder.
“What? Managed to get them exactly what they wanted this year?” Gale teased.
“No, I mean... all of this,” John said, gesturing broadly around the room.
Gale chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around John’s neck. Their eyes met, and for a moment, everything else faded away. The world seemed to pause, narrowing to the warmth and closeness between them. Their lips met in a tender kiss, filled with the kind of love and silent gratitude words could never express.
Neither of them noticed the small figure watching from the shadows of the hallway. Lili, small and quiet, had crept down the stairs, hoping to be the first to find the present Santa had brought her. Barefoot and wearing her pink pajamas, she froze at the sight before her, her wide eyes taking in the scene. Santa Claus was kissing her Papa!
Rage bubbled up inside her. This was wrong. She was only four, but even she knew Santa wasn’t supposed to do something like that. This was... wrong. Horrible. She couldn’t let it happen.
With a loud cry, she burst into the living room like a whirlwind.
“No! Stop it! Get away! Don’t touch him!” she shouted, throwing herself at John and furiously hitting his legs with her small fists. Her cheeks were flushed with emotion, and her voice quivered with tears.
John stared down at her, blinking in confusion, while Gale froze in place, completely stunned.
“Hey, hey! Baby, calm down,” John said soothingly, bending down to pick her up. But Lili only hit his chest harder with her little fists, her eyes shining with angry tears.
“No! You’re a bad Santa!” she screamed. “I don’t want your presents! You’re awful! Don’t touch my Papa — we already have a Daddy!”
John exchanged a panicked glance with Gale. Their eyes met, both of them understanding that they needed to say something, but neither quite knowing what. Revealing the truth about Santa seemed cruel, but letting her believe Santa kissing her Papa was even worse.
Gale stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly as he tried to remain calm.
“Lili, sweetie, it’s not what you think,” he said gently, reaching out to her. “I was just... just…”
But Lili didn’t let him finish. She turned to him with an expression so serious and accusatory it seemed far too mature for her young face.
“Papa, how could you?” she said, her voice breaking into a hurt whisper.
Gale froze. He could handle tantrums, scraped knees, and even late-night fevers, but this look? It unraveled him completely. He turned to John, silently begging for help.
John took a deep breath.
“Hey, baby girl, let’s take a deep breath,” he said, holding her gently while she still fumed. “It’s me, okay? Daddy. Look.”
Slowly, he pulled off the white beard and then the red hat, revealing his tousled black hair.
“See? It’s me. Don’t be scared,” he said, smiling softly.
Lili froze, her small lips parting in shock. For a few seconds, she simply stared at John as if trying to process what she was seeing.
“See? Papa wasn’t doing anything bad,” John reassured her.
Her lower lip began to tremble, and tears welled up in her eyes. She threw her little arms around John’s neck, clinging to him tightly.
“You scared me, Daddy,” she murmured through her sobs, burying her face in his shoulder. “Both of you.”
Gale stepped closer, gently rubbing her back.
“We’re sorry, sweetheart,” he said softly, kissing the back of her head. He wrapped his arms around both her and John, resting his chin on her tiny shoulder and meeting John’s gaze. John offered a small, apologetic smile, silently mouthing, “Sorry, I didn’t know what to do.”
From the doorway, Jack, who had been silently observing the entire scene, smirked.
“Good thing you weren’t in a reindeer costume, Dad,” he quipped. “The therapy bills would’ve bankrupted you.”
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The children sat on the floor in the middle of the room, surrounded by wrapping paper, ribbons, and scattered boxes. Jack was deeply engrossed in adjusting his new microscope, while Lili eagerly raced her toy cars around the Hot Wheels track, animatedly narrating their speed and daring stunts.
“Wow, look at that! So fast!” she exclaimed, sending a car flying over a loop. “Daddy, did you see that? It almost flew off!”
John and Gale, now dressed in their usual clothes, sat together on the couch, watching their kids with fond smiles. On the armrest, the Santa costume lay crumpled, a quiet reminder of the earlier chaos. John reached over to set it aside, but Lili suddenly paused her game and turned to them.
“So… does that mean Santa isn’t real?” she asked, her big eyes fixed on them.
Gale froze, glancing at John, who responded with a warm smile.
“Of course Santa is real,” John said gently.
Lili frowned, clearly puzzled. Jack, already long in on the secret, quietly chuckled but kept working on his microscope, letting his parents handle it.
“You see, Lili,” John continued, choosing his words carefully, “Santa is very real. But he’s also very busy. Think about it—how could he deliver presents to every kid in the world in just one night? That’s why he has helpers. Sometimes he asks loving moms and dads to help him out. Without them, he’d never be able to do it.”
Lili furrowed her brow, considering this explanation. She looked at John, then at Gale, and slowly nodded, as if piecing it all together.
“That makes sense,” she said seriously, tilting her head. “Santa’s not a superhero.”
Jack couldn’t hold back a laugh. He looked up and grinned.
“Thanks for the present, Santas,” he said, addressing both his parents with a knowing smile.
Lili squinted, as if recalling something important. She turned back to John and said firmly, “Daddy, if you’re going to be Santa, act like Santa, not like Daddy. Okay?”
John barely managed to suppress his laughter. Placing a hand dramatically over his heart, he nodded solemnly.
“Of course, princess. I promise,” he said with mock seriousness.
Gale chuckled, shaking his head as he watched the exchange. He gave John a knowing smile, to which John shrugged and whispered playfully, “Well, if that’s what she wants…”
Lili, satisfied with his promise, returned to her track.
The magic of Christmas, it seemed, had been saved.