hopes to close out the sound of happiness when her heart was breaking all over again.
As she watched the television, her heart ached. For the child she had lost two years ago and now for Nicholas. A knock on her back door brought her up off her pillows, and she swiped the tears that had formed in her eyes. She jumped out of bed and walked though her home. Sadness had given away to fury, and she swore that if it was another drunken tourist on her doorstep, she would bean whoever it was on the head. Instead, she opened the door to Nicholas’s smiling face and slammed it closed again.
“Neeva, my love, open the door!”
“Why, for you to lie to me just a little more?” she called through the barrier that kept him out and her inside.
“I didn’t lie. I told you I’d be back!” Nicholas called out to her.
Neeva opened the door. “One, you said Christmas morning, not Christmas night! And two, I went to the hotel. They had no record of you, and your hotel room was being renovated. How in the hell did you get all that furniture in there anyway! Ugh, I don’t care. Just go away, liar!” She closed the door in his face again.
“I went home, Neeva, did my job, and then my father cornered me at the feast, and I had to stay a few hours.”
“Uh-huh, your Santa Claus job, right? And who is your father, the Easter bunny?” Neeva called out to him.
“Actually my father is Odin, and my mother is Joko.” Nicholas’s voice came from behind her. “We can’t have a decent conversation through a closed door.”
Neeva whirled around to face him in shock. “How in the hell did you get in here?”
“Magic.” He smiled and cupped her cheek.
“Did I leave the front door unlocked? All the while I was talking to you, you came through my front door?” She rushed to check only to find her lock secure.
He was behind her in an instant. “Honey, I told you magic.”
Neeva stared up at him in shock. “You want me to believe that you are Santa Claus and that you went home to the North Pole and you were late because of a family dinner?”
“Basically, yes.”
“Holy hell, I think I do believe you,” she whispered. How could she not, the way he had no trace at the hotel, how he found the child’s mother with such ease, and now how he got into her home with all the doors locked. How could he do it if it wasn’t magic?
Without a word, Nicholas held out one of his hands for her to see. In the center formed a perfect snowflake made of ice. When she slowly reached out to touch it, the cold made her pull her hand back in shock.
“H-how did you do that?” Neeva reached out and ran her finger along the ice as it turned centimeters above his palm.
“I told you the truth from the very beginning. I would never lie to you.” Nicholas’s eyes burned into hers. “I have always told you who I am. The hotel was just another piece of magic. They saw me come in when I was there, and when I left the island the magic left with me.”
“You’re Santa Claus,” Neeva said. She still couldn’t believe it, but here it was right before her eyes.
“Just my job, Neeva. I’m Nicholas Kringle and the man who will love you for all eternity. I’m immortal, and soon you will be too, if you’ll have me. We will share this love forever.”
“How? I mean do I have to drink a potion or get bitten or something?” Neeva whispered. She couldn’t help but wonder how one became immortal.
Nicholas laughed. “No, my love, from the time you travel to my home, you will never grow old, and we can come to the island anytime you like.” He lifted her and strode to her bedroom. “You can think on it while we kiss, make up, and do other things.”
Neeva felt joy fill her heart, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t believe I’ll be doing much thinking, but okay.”
“I love you, Neeva,” Nicholas said, his voice husky with
As she watched the television, her heart ached. For the child she had lost two years ago and now for Nicholas. A knock on her back door brought her up off her pillows, and she swiped the tears that had formed in her eyes. She jumped out of bed and walked though her home. Sadness had given away to fury, and she swore that if it was another drunken tourist on her doorstep, she would bean whoever it was on the head. Instead, she opened the door to Nicholas’s smiling face and slammed it closed again.
“Neeva, my love, open the door!”
“Why, for you to lie to me just a little more?” she called through the barrier that kept him out and her inside.
“I didn’t lie. I told you I’d be back!” Nicholas called out to her.
Neeva opened the door. “One, you said Christmas morning, not Christmas night! And two, I went to the hotel. They had no record of you, and your hotel room was being renovated. How in the hell did you get all that furniture in there anyway! Ugh, I don’t care. Just go away, liar!” She closed the door in his face again.
“I went home, Neeva, did my job, and then my father cornered me at the feast, and I had to stay a few hours.”
“Uh-huh, your Santa Claus job, right? And who is your father, the Easter bunny?” Neeva called out to him.
“Actually my father is Odin, and my mother is Joko.” Nicholas’s voice came from behind her. “We can’t have a decent conversation through a closed door.”
Neeva whirled around to face him in shock. “How in the hell did you get in here?”
“Magic.” He smiled and cupped her cheek.
“Did I leave the front door unlocked? All the while I was talking to you, you came through my front door?” She rushed to check only to find her lock secure.
He was behind her in an instant. “Honey, I told you magic.”
Neeva stared up at him in shock. “You want me to believe that you are Santa Claus and that you went home to the North Pole and you were late because of a family dinner?”
“Basically, yes.”
“Holy hell, I think I do believe you,” she whispered. How could she not, the way he had no trace at the hotel, how he found the child’s mother with such ease, and now how he got into her home with all the doors locked. How could he do it if it wasn’t magic?
Without a word, Nicholas held out one of his hands for her to see. In the center formed a perfect snowflake made of ice. When she slowly reached out to touch it, the cold made her pull her hand back in shock.
“H-how did you do that?” Neeva reached out and ran her finger along the ice as it turned centimeters above his palm.
“I told you the truth from the very beginning. I would never lie to you.” Nicholas’s eyes burned into hers. “I have always told you who I am. The hotel was just another piece of magic. They saw me come in when I was there, and when I left the island the magic left with me.”
“You’re Santa Claus,” Neeva said. She still couldn’t believe it, but here it was right before her eyes.
“Just my job, Neeva. I’m Nicholas Kringle and the man who will love you for all eternity. I’m immortal, and soon you will be too, if you’ll have me. We will share this love forever.”
“How? I mean do I have to drink a potion or get bitten or something?” Neeva whispered. She couldn’t help but wonder how one became immortal.
Nicholas laughed. “No, my love, from the time you travel to my home, you will never grow old, and we can come to the island anytime you like.” He lifted her and strode to her bedroom. “You can think on it while we kiss, make up, and do other things.”
Neeva felt joy fill her heart, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t believe I’ll be doing much thinking, but okay.”
“I love you, Neeva,” Nicholas said, his voice husky with
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