An unexpected gift from a secret Santa arrived . . . I looked at the envelope with my name, and then I looked up only to blush and smile when I looked at him. . . He smiled at me and blushed as well. Then he leaned into me. . .


The alarm blared in my ear; I growled turning off the alarm. I was so close, I sighed and then smiled as I saw the greeting: Good Morning, my love. Eight years of text message, emails, and pictures passed back forth. Eight years, I had used for my birthday and Christmas wishes to meet and be with him. I look back and understood that first five years, I, I mean we needed to wait. Looking back, we needed to grow and mature in order to be our best selves. However, I wanted to be with the man that I love, and I needed it soon. . .


I went to a local Christmas Festival for something festive to do. I had not been in the Christmas spirit for years. We were stuck in the same small place, and I had just got another denial. It had made it four that year and a few dozen in the years since we had tried. I had every excuse from bad credit to too many people per one bathroom, to you don't make enough. I knew of my brother's mistake in the past, but we never knew it would mess up our future. Karma got him for not telling the truth and his health declined for it.

My brother was sick and only getting sicker, my mom was out of her mind in what to do and her lack of motivation made getting a job tricky for her. My motivation was my generous and sweet boyfriend who lived over thousand miles away taking care of his family as well. We would go back and forth with encouragement: we were each other's cheerleader. However my greatest dream was to have my family in a better home and are all set up, so I can go marry and live with my loving boyfriend. We also wanted to publish our writings together.


At the festival was a write a letter to Santa table. . . it has colored pens, glitter, and Christmas stickers. I took one sticker with a cat in the tree, but the left the rest for the kids.


It was a simple form so even most of the kids could fill it out. . .


Dear Santa.

I, Becky, has been a good X or bad __ kid all year.

This is my Christmas List. . .

  1. A new place for my family: must have good kitchen, working bathtub, and good location. (That we can afford), friendly neighbors would be a plus.
  2. Please let me meet my boyfriend this year, it's been 8 years.
  3. May my boyfriend and I please finish and publish our books; we both want to be authors.


Thank you


Merry Christmas

Becky


Then I signed the letter. It was like blowing a dandelion or seeing 11:11 and making a wish. I also told the man playing Santa my wishes, while he was on break drinking his third coffee and eating his fifth doughnut. I had no idea that others ear was possibly hearing me as well. The festival was nice, and I was just glad to get out.


It gave me an idea to actually write to Santa; I do believe in the magic of the holiday. Maybe I had some left-over Christmas magic left over from when I was a kid. So, I decided to send the same letter to Santa online. This year was rough, and I just needed a good ending.





December 10, 2024

Dear Santa,


Thank you for some of the awesome my youthful years. I was hoping that I had some leftover Christmas magic.

I know I am forty-one, forty-two in less than a week, but my inner kid is helping me find the hope and magic again. (If it helps, my inner kid is still here asking for metallic color pencils and coloring books. Never forget the candy!)

However, I feel like I deserve coal more than presents this year as I failed. I failed at finding a job.

I failed at finding my family better housing; we got denied because of my brother's stupid decisions, and now he too sick to repeat those. (I'm bad, because I have bad and mean thoughts over that girl who got him in trouble. . . I hope her kids drive her nuts. I'm still bitter and angry and it did not happen to me personally.) I feel it's my fault, because I don't have enough friends or connections to help us. I have been laughed at by state employee people over asking for resources. (I ask for help, and they put me too tears. I don't want state housing if they are going to be that mean.)

I probably shouldn't ask for stuff, but overall, I am really a good person. I usually put others over myself. (So much so that my medical is usually the last scheduled.)

Can you help with the following. . .

1. Finding us a better place: a place where we can have our own address and receive packages (without get yelled at,) a place with a kitchen and bathtub, a place where we can a cat (I miss all of that) and a place where we can medical help come to us. Please (If I only had one wish; I wish for that.)

2. Second wish is that I get some money, and I can go see my guy, because we have been together off and on for over eight years. We still have not met. He is amazing guy. He knows about my extreme mood swings and health issues and still love me for me. He is my sweetheart and my cheerleader. He allows me to be me.

3. Third wish is to give me the lottery ticket that is the winner of a huge jackpot is awesome too. (It doesn't have to be the lottery, but a large amount of money so I can help everyone would be nice.)

Basically, I would be happy if you could help me with the first one and away for me to earn my own money, without dealing with a lot of people and still help my family, would be nice.

Thank you for all you have done for me; please be safe in your travels.

By the way, scratch the reindeer's ears for me, and snuggle Mrs. Clause on your off time. I hope you take her on a nice date.


Merry Christmas

Becky


I felt my inner child giggle as I e-mailed my letter to Santa, but I just as I hit sent . . . I had gotten a text from an old friend. They had encouraged my writing, but they would ghost me for months, even years at a time. I couldn't trust when they would be back in my life. I kept my answers short, but then they had e-mailed me with a story of their travels and being caught in a storm. When I replied back, I had not realized that I had copied and pasted my e-mail to Santa to their email. They had disappeared for a few days, and it triggered me, repeating my abandonment issues. I would almost be obsessed with checking my e-mail, but nothing. I blew it off and simply focused on my family: I made sure our small place was clean, and we had good food.


It was morning of Christmas; I made everyone bagels with coffee. My hair was in a tangled knot when and still had sleep in my eyes when there was a knock on the door. . . I stumbled over the bed, as I got to the door and opened it to have a hard cold wind hit me. I noticed that there was box, but no one around. I grabbed the small box, brought it in, and closed the door.

“What is it? Who is from?” Everyone had put down their bagels and coffee to see what the box was. It was an unexpected gift from a secret Santa. I read the label on the box out loud “To: Becky, From: A Secret Santa”

Inside the box, there was a map. . . a key, and note: Go to the location and you'll get the rest of present.

I got on my phone and put them in the address from the map to see a house that was about a mile and half down the street. I got dressed as I started to walk in the dusting of snow, my neighbor stopped and offered to take us as they were also curious about this gift. We all got in the car as we drive down the street and turn right into a street that I have seen in my dreams. They pulled into the tight snow covered driveway of the house number I gave them.

I got out of the car and walked to the front door and turned the key, the door unlocked . . . I walked in as the house in furnished. In the living room there were two comfy recliners and a matching couch. There was an open kitchen and dining area with a glass door that showed a patio covered in snow. There is a note on the end table . . .


Part 1: Becky,

You have been a good girl. This is the first wish on your list. This house is yours and your family's. After Christmas, there is an address for you to go and put finish the paperwork. Please just take care of it. In the second bedroom is the second part of the wish.



Everyone went into the house after me. “After Christmas, I fill out the paperwork, and it is mine.” I squeaked and screamed scratching my voice. I had tears of joy in my eyes as I have struggled for years to get them this. I showed them the note, and then I raced into the hallway.

I saw bedroom one: it had two twin beds and nice dresser.

I looked through the next door: it was a full bathroom with bathtub. . . “Mom, they have a bathtub.” She raced after me and ran into the bathroom. . . “When do we get the house?” She asked drooling over the bathtub.

“After Christmas mom.”


I walked to the door to see the next note taped to door.

Part 2: I wanted to say thank you for believing me. You deserve hope and happiness. Please enjoy gift two, please write and publish about it.


Your Secret Santa


I opened the door hoping to find my beloved boyfriend, but I found a nice dresser and huge bed with a envelop on it. I opened the envelope. . .

Part 3: After Christmas, once you are settled, you can go to the airport and pick up tickets there was a pass code: A secret Santa gift.

There was paperwork for a bank account with starting balance of five million. . . You won the Santa Library.

Everything will be activated December 26, 2024.

I began to scream . . . “Oh my God. . . Oh My God!” My mom rushed in, as I showed her, and she took the paperwork out to show my brother.

“It looks real.” He stated as we all got excited. He sat in the living room and turned a football game on the fifty-inch flat TV.


I laid on the bed as I called my guy, and I was giddy and giggled. I told him everything. We planned on my visit and our move, and which books we wanted to publish first. We eventually locked the door and went back until the paperwork was finalized. I cooked dinner back at our old room as we had a nice big dinner and shared with the neighbors.

We moved in after Christmas; we had a moving party and had order packages to a new place. Then we work on paperwork for new addresses. We made plans to get a few cats and to work on changing our address for all of the medical. It was a very busy day as I fell asleep in my huge bed excited for the next day as I going to schedule my flight. It was scheduled for three weeks; to make sure I had all a paperwork and ID done. I was so close to having all of my dreams. I set alarm . . . The next day was just as busy.


The alarm went off as I was back in yellow room as growled turning off the alarm to see the date on my phone: December 10, 2024.