Claire Nicole Calvin had always preferred Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. She liked the excitement, and the wonder, and eating a big dinner. Then, she and her mom would make cookies for Santa, and she would steal one before they were cooled so it was warm and gooey. Then her mom would bring cocoa, and she would sit by the tree and try to guess what the presents were by the shape of the box alone. Of course when her younger brother Charlie got big enough he joined in her little traditions, but he seemed happier about Santa and the North Pole and the presents on Christmas morning than her quiet rituals. Of course, at 10 (almost 11) years old, she was much too big to believe in Santa anymore. She had discovered a kitchen playset in her parents' closet when she was 6, and then recieved that same playset on Christmas from "Santa". Her parents tried to tell her that Santa had asked them to hold it for him, because it wouldn't fit in the sleigh, but when she would not be dissuaded, and didn't actually seem too dissappointed, they settled for asking her politely to not tell Charlie. To let him believe as long as he could, and she agreed. She wanted to be a good big sister, because she loved Charlie, even if he was a pain sometimes. She kept the secret for 3 years, until this year. It was shaping up to be the worst Christmas Eve ever. A few days ago, some boy in the grade above her had teased and taunted Charlie for believing in Santa Claus, and then told him outright that he wasn't real. Claire had punched the boy right in his fat nose. But the damage was done. Charlie was devastated, and to top it off, when they got home from school, (Claire with a warning note to her mother about not hitting), Neal, their stepfather, had sat Charlie down and told him that Santa wasn't a person, but a feeling. Claire supposed it wasn't the worst thing he could have said, being a psychiatrist and all, but it still made her sad. Now Charlie didn't believe anymore, and sitting in the back seat of Neal's car beside her brother, watching him look for their dad's headlights because he was late for the swap, it felt like all the magic had been sucked out her favorite day of the year. When their dad finally pulled up, full of apologies and excuses, she grabbed her bag and said bye to Neal, skipping the usual kiss on the cheek. She genuinely loved Neal, but she was upset with him at the moment. Walking up the stairs and into the house she heard her dad trying to coax her mom inside for a minute. Sighing she headed straight upstairs to drop her bag on her bed. It wasn't a minute before she heard the tone change in the muffled voices downstairs. They couldn't resist getting into it even on Christmas Eve. She walked back to the stairs and sat on the top step listening. They were arguing over Neal telling Charlie about Santa, and her dad was defending Claire for standing up for her brother. Her mom thought she needed to be grounded first thing after Christmas, which meant she would have to wait a week to play with any presents she got. Fair enough, but her dad seemed proud of her and adamant that they just emphasize the importance of diplomacy over violence in the future. Her mom blamed the wrestling videos her dad let her watch, and then she heard Charlie say, 'Why do you guys always have to fight?'. Which led to more passive aggressive talk until finally, her mom called her down to say goodbye. She hugged her mom tight and then followed her dad into the kitchen, where she could hear Charlie begging to be picked up at sunup. Then their mom left, and their dad was trying to put a last-minute meal on the table. Setting the turkey on fire was the last straw, and they wound up at Denny's with all the other divorced dads who had burned their turkeys. Dinner over with, they went back home, where they both snuggled up in Charlie's bed to listen to their dad read The Night Before Christmas. When it seemed like Charlie was asleep, their dad wound down the story, and Claire snuck out of the bed to go to her own, only to hear Charlie start asking questions about the book. Hearing her dad try to explain how reindeer fly made her giggle. Then he said, 'Sometimes believing in something means you just believe in it', and a tear she had been holding in slipped out. She rolled over, burrowed deeper in her blankets, and cried herself to sleep.
She woke up after what felt like only a few minutes to her dad yelling at Charlie outside. She threw on her bathrobe and snow boots and ran out the front door, looking around for her dad and brother. Her dad yelled again, and she looked up at the roof, not believing her eyes. There were reindeer, and a sleigh, and her dad telling Charlie to 'get down from there'. She quickly scaled the ornate ladder and joined them on the roof, wide-eyed and mouth agape. She walked around the reindeer, petting each one and reading the name tags, before climbing into the sleigh behind her brother. She let out a small gasp and fingered the huge velvet bag in the seat almost reverently. Her dad asked them to get out and she stood up but Charlie started complaining, her dad yelled 'Let's go!', and the sleigh lurched forward, throwing her to the floor and her dad into the seat next to her. Heading off the roof, her dad climbed into the front to take the reins, and she gave a small wave to a delivery truck driver who looked like he had seen a ghost. She was cold and in shock when they landed roughly on the next roof, but Charlie was excited, animatedly telling their dad what he needed to do. After some arguing and Charlie pouting, he reluctantly put on the suit and the boots and tied the belt around him, taking the toy bag in a huff. Then he flew. Or the bag flew, taking him with it down the brick chimney. She couldn't believe her eyes, though she didn't know what she should expect at this point. She decided she must be having a wacky dream. Too much cocoa, mixed with the bedtime story. But it felt real. She was freezing by now but she was strangely happy. She couldn't stop smiling, even though her cheeks hurt from the cold, her eyes were tearing up, and her nose was running. Soon enough, her dad came back out the chimney the same way he went, muttering about a dog and a gun, and the reindeer took off again to the next house. And so it went for the remainder of the night, Claire falling asleep somewhere over Europe, and the next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake by a girl, smaller than herself, with pointed ears, glittery cheeks, and funny clothes.