After the Snow

Chapter 17 - Meeting Santa

Chapter 17

Meeting Santa

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I let Anthony lead my outside. Of course, I thought the story was absolute rubbish, but I didn't know what else to do. Maybe I wanted to know where I was, and I thought I would be able to tell when we were outside.

But, I was met with a sight I was not expecting.

We seemed to be in a sort of town or a village. There were shops, houses, and what looked to be a park right in the middle. All around short people waddled, just going about their day. My mouth dropped. What was he willing to do to make this look real?

"I know what you're thinking," Anthony muttered, looking me over carefully. "Before you say anything, I want you to meet my dad. Then you can decide what to do from there." Without waiting for a response, he dragged me across the streets and into a large, business-like building. Everything went by in a blur that I couldn't really comprehend, but I did notice there weren't very many tall people.

When we went up a flight of stairs, Anthony knocked on a door and released my hand, suddenly looking nervous.

"Come in," Thundered a loud voice, making me shiver. You could hear the authority in his tone, but there was also an unmistakable kindness. Anthony led me inside, glancing at me every few seconds to make sure I was okay.

It was just a little office; sea green walls, a big desk, chairs, and a fireplace that was lit with a glowing, warm fire. The man behind the desk is what intimidated me. At first glance, he was just a normal guy. A little overweight, but normal. But then you notice his snowy white hair and a puffy long beard. He was wearing dress pants, and a blue dress shirt.

"Ah, Bree," He said, smiling. "Please, sit down." Slowly and cautiously, I sat down in one of the chairs, my eyes darting between Anthony and his Dad. What the hell was going on?! Was this family all mental?!

"Are you okay?" Anthony asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I flinched away. "You look like you're going to faint..."

"Fi-" I coughed, trying to make my voice sound normal. At first, it had come out in an uncomfortable squeak. "I'm fine."

"Good, then we won't have to waste time." Anthony's dad said, sitting down in his chair. "Assuming that Anthony has already told you who I am, then I will proceed by telling you that yes, I am Santa Clause, and I am prepared to do whatever you request to make you believe it." The bluntness of his words took me a little back. I stuttered for a moment, trying to find the words I was looking for.

"Sir, if you don't mind me saying so, I think maybe we should go see someone," I whispered. I'm not sure what gave me the boldness to tell it to his face I thought he was crazy, but I just couldn't help the words from tumbling out of my mouth. His blue eyes narrowed at me as if trying to determine what I meant. Blushing furiously, I looked down. These people obviously should be checked into a mental hospital. I was only trying to help, so why did I feel so stupid?

"You don't believe us," He finally stated, placing his hands on his desk as clasping them together. "Then here, look at this." After a moment, he held his hand out to me, offering a small gold object. I gasped.

He was holding a small necklace, identical to the one Anthony had given me for Christmas all those years ago. How? He hadn't been holding it a minute ago, and things don't just pop up out of thin air. Anthony's dad chuckled at my surprise, holding the necklace out to me.

"Take it, please," He smiled kindly, "It won't hurt you." Blushing, because I must've looked like a complete i***t, I took the necklace in my fingers. It was cold against my warm skin as I ran my fingers over it as if to make sure it was real. I was still baffled, nothing like that could happen in real life. Was I dreaming?

Slowly, I looked up at Anthony, who was smiling in amusement. He rose his eyebrows and nodded as if silently telling me I knew what to do. What could he mean? My head was swimming with thousands of questions, all of which I was sure no one would answer me. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks; my mouth fell open and I breathed onto the necklace, making it warm up and glow.

Believe us now?

I squeaked and dropped the piece of metal, my hands flying to my mouth. At this point, I was practically shaking. If this was their idea of a sick joke, they had another thing coming. There was no way I would just sit back and let them screw with my mind like this. I was thoroughly freaked out in more ways than one. Not only was I worried about their sanity, but I was also starting to worry about my well being.

But then I realized that normal necklaces don't glow and reveal a hidden message when you breathe on them. How would that be explained, except by the extraordinary world of magic? I know it was an absurd thought, but I was sitting there, being told that the man in front of me was Santa Clause, and there was a necklace that could only be explained by magic, and all of a sudden it was as if he couldn't be anyone else.

"You're...." I trailed off, running my shaking hands through my hair. Both of the men laughed, making my cheeks flair once again.

"I knew we would get to you," Santa said, shaking his head. "I just didn't know how long it would take."

"I know you're shocked right now," Anthony said, placing a hand on my knee, "But I had to tell you. I don't think I could move on without your forgiveness..."

Move on? What the hell?

I opened my mouth to respond, but Mr. Clause cut in.

"I really do have to apologize, but you see, it was me who made Anthony leave you. Both times, I'm afraid." I rose an eyebrow, silently telling him to continue. "I expect Anthony's told you most of the story already, so I'll just tell you my side. Let's make it short, too, it's almost time for lunch."

So, at a loss for what else to do, I sat back in my chair and waited for this explanation that would supposedly, and I could only hope, make everything okay.

"I'm immortal until I give up my job, Bree, and so is Anthony. The magic he accidentally placed over you would've lasted forever. You would've never married another guy and would've been waiting for Anthony to come back your entire life. I couldn't watch you waste away, hoping for someone to come back when they never would."

"I did move on, I have a fiancé," I defended, crossing my arms. "He didn't have to leave." The anger was starting to rise again as he brought back the pain, but I could tell in his eyes that was his ultimate goal. His eyes started to sparkle as a small smile tugged on his lips.

"But you're not happy with him, are you?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. Immediately I dropped my gaze and became interested in my shoes. "That's what I thought. You're still in love with my son because he seems to be incapable of the one task I ask of him." In the end, his tone turned cold as he glared at his son. Anthony fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I don't love Anthony," I stated, letting a look of determination cross my face. The truth was, I wasn't so sure. Love is a powerful word, but I definitely felt something for that boy other than hate. A knowing look crossed both of their faces before Mr. Clause stood up.

"We may have differences of opinion there, Miss Bree," He chuckled, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lunch to attend to." And with that, he left the room. Was he right? If Anthony hadn't left, then I wouldn't be with Scott. I knew that for a fact.

I felt numb. Nothing they had told me could possibly be true in the world we live in, but somehow, I just couldn't help but have this nagging feeling, telling me that this was the truth. That this really was happening. That it was all real. Anthony didn't even try to make me talk, he just let me stare into the fire endlessly, letting my confused mind process everything.

It would explain a lot. Like how my necklace glowed when I blew on it, and only when I blew on it. Nobody else could activate it. It would explain what I saw the night Anthony left me for the first time. And, now that I thought about it, there were other signs too. When we had all been snowed in Anthony's aunt's house, the snow had melted only around his aunt's house and my house. And that was only after I heard Anthony talking to his dad on the phone. Anthony was always so warm, no matter how cold it was outside. He always knew what I was thinking, or how I was feeling, no matter how much I tried to mask my emotions. Had that been magic, and I was just too blind to see it?

"I..I don't know what to say," I whispered, finally looking at Anthony. He smiled weakly, nodding.

"I don't expect you to say anything," He whispered, pulling my small hands into his. "And I don't expect you to understand. I just couldn't bear the thought of you being mad at me forever. I didn't want to leave you, but it was for good reason...Hopefully, you can see that now."

I nodded. "I understand why you did it, but you should've talked to me first." Anthony frowned, releasing my hands.

"Would you have believed me?" He said sarcastically, making me laugh. I smiled. Despite the circumstances, I felt happier then I had in a long time. Finally, I didn't feel like I hadn't been good enough for Anthony. Finally, I understood, and I wasn't mad at all. At least not at him, but at myself for being so stupid.

"Maybe," I joked, punching his arm lightly. "You never know, I could've surprised you." He chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"You should still be mad at me. I did something horrible."

"But for good reason." I insisted, "You thought you were protecting me." Honestly, I believed that. He was trying to do what was best, even if he hurt me a little in the process. "I could've come here with you, and we would've been madly in love until the day I died." Luckily, he caught the sarcasm in my voice.

"While I stay the same, and never age? ...Eventually, your parents would've suspected something on our yearly visits, you know. And what would our children have said?" I was loving our playful banter, it was the closest we had been to our old relationship in a long time. Leaning forward slightly, I smirked.

"Who said we would've had to visit them? I know how to cook, we could've had our own holiday celebration with our three children." Making sure to laugh at the end so he knew I was joking, I smiled. Actually, I wasn't sure how much I was kidding around. My heart was swelling and immense joy was filling my stomach. What the hell was wrong with me?

He laughed, thankfully not picking up on my weird thoughts. "Those would be weird kids. Half immortal, half mortal...."

"But they would've been very handsome and pretty like their father," I added, leaning back in my chair. Anthony did the same, mirroring my actions.

"Or like their mother," That comment made me blush. "I think they would've been two girls and a boy..."

"Yeah," I breathed dreamily, becoming slightly dazed. "The two girls would be twins, Annabelle and Ariel, and the boy would've been Gavin. I bet he would've looked just like you." At this point, Anthony got a little weird. His back stiffened and he frowned, looking slightly upset. I sucked in a breath. Maybe our joking had gone too far.

"Maybe," He said quietly, not looking me in the eyes. "It's too late for that now, though."

"But we can still be together!" I blurted out of nowhere. My eyes widened and I slapped a hand over my mouth in surprise.

"What?" Anthony asked, wrinkling his eyebrows. I didn't repeat myself; it was clear he knew what I had said. Blushing, I looked at the fire again, and shrugged slightly, hoping he would just drop the subject. The words had popped out of nowhere, of their own accord. "Come on," He sighed, "Let's get some lunch.