by Zara Zenia
Janice
One year later
“Merry Christmas, Oskar,” I said, holding our little bundle of joy in my arms.
She’d been born hours before. Now Oskar and I lay in our huge bed, holding our daughter, looking at her in amazement. Smoochy lay curled up at the foot of the bed and the dogs were all lying on the floor near the fireplace. That had been a surprise, that they slept in the room with us, but they were well behaved and didn’t bother Smoochy at all.
“Merry Christmas, rakkaani.” He kissed my forehead and then kissed the baby in my arms. “What are we going to call her?”
“Joy. Because that is what you brought to my life,” I answered with a smile, gazing down at our little girl.
Oskar grinned. “Joy she is.” He took her from my arms and set her in the cradle and then kissed me again.
“Oskar!” I said, breaking the kiss with a startled shout and pointed at our baby girl who was now floating in the air and coming toward us.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you, rakkaani?” He grinned as the baby settled once more in my arms. “Reilendeer can fly from birth.”
I looked at him and laughed. This man had brought me so much joy over the last year and I was looking forward to so many more years with him. I just hoped I’d be able to keep up with all of the wonderful surprises I was sure to have in the coming years.
“I love you, Oskar.”
“And I love you, rakkaani,” he said, “forever and always.”
If you loved this story, you will love my other holiday romance, In Love With Alien Santa Claus! Read it here!
Preview of In Love With Alien Santa Claus
Click here to keep reading In Love With Alien Santa Claus
Present Day
December 24th
“I know, Mom,” Jessica said into the phone for the thousandth time. “I know that you think I was mistaken as a child, but I just think that Santa exists in some form. I mean he is based on an actual man, Saint Nicholas of Myra who gave away his wealth to the poor and saved people from certain disasters. My thesis shouldn’t have caused my advisor to break into gales of laughter and then kick me out of his office. I am studying Folklore after all. You would think he’d be more open to my theories on the subject.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t know what to tell you. I’m sure that you made a very sound argument for your thesis, but to believe that someone in today’s day and age is going around performing those kind of miracles is just… well, it is very unlikely, sweetheart.” Janice sighed and then changed the subject. “You are coming for Christmas dinner, aren’t you? Your brother and his wife will be here later, for desert. They are having dinner at Wendy’s house.”
“I’ll be there, Mom. You know I wouldn’t miss Christmas dinner. You have the tree up, right?” she asked.
“I put it up today. You know I don’t like to have it up for too long. All those needles just leave a mess all over the place. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t put it up at all.”
“Thank you, Mom. I know you don’t enjoy the holiday like I do, but I’m glad you decorate for me.” Jessica smiled.
“It’s fine, sweetie. Okay, I’ve got to go, my stories are on, and you know I don’t want to miss them. They just found JT’s body in the lake and Kinsey has been charged with murder, but you know it was really Barbara who did it, so I have to know what happens. Love you!”
“Bye, Mom. Love you too,” Jessica said with a giggle as she hung up with her mom.
Jessica glanced around her small duplex. She’d made sure when she moved out on her own two years earlier that her place had a fireplace, because she wanted to have a way for Santa to visit, should he decide to check up on her as he had every Christmas Eve since that fateful night she’d awoken to find him hovering over her. She could still recall the gray of his eyes with the merry twinkle that reminded her of the Northern star and the way his rosy cheeks were like twin apples beneath his snowy white beard. His white hair had been long, much longer than the mall Santas ever wore theirs, because she recalled it flowing gently down his back like silvery white icicles. It had been so pretty.
She settled herself on her sofa and clicked on the TV to the Hallmark channel and started watching the marathon of romantic Christmas movies and daydreamed of the man who had saved her life sixteen years earlier. She did this every year at Christmas time, recalled every detail of the man in her mind because it made her feel closer to him. The way his eyes twinkled, the dimple beneath the fine white whiskers on his rosy cheeks, the long white silver hair, the jolly red suit with white fur. And then the way his hands had glowed and taken away her Leukemia. She’d fallen asleep right after that, but as soon as she’d woken, she knew. Santa had saved her.
The doctors had been astounded and had called her recovery a miracle. Not one cancer cell remained in her body and she was as healthy as every other normal little girl on the planet. Of course, the doctors eventually decided that it was the treatments that had been the saving grace and not what Jessica as a six-year-old child had shared with them. Because according to them, Santa Claus wasn’t real. So it had to have been the treatment.
They were wrong and Jessica knew it. She hadn’t imagined the jolly man’s visit. And she certainly hadn’t imagined the cookies, carrots, and milk she’d left out every year being eaten and drank by anyone other than him and his reindeer because when she’d been a child she’d hidden them from her mother and brother. When she moved out on her own, she continued the tradition, and the cookies and carrots were still eaten and the milk drank.
Explain that, oh ye of little faith! Jessica thought with a smile. No, she knew, Santa was real and he had healing powers.
It was nearing eleven p.m., so Jessica went to her refrigerator and pulled out the milk. Taking a wide lipped glass from the cabinet, she poured a cup and then returned the container to the fridge. She’d spent the day making homemade from scratch chocolate chip cookies and took four out of the green star shaped Christmas canister and placed them on her ‘Cookies for Santa’ plate. When she’d seen the plate while shopping at Macy’s a few years earlier, she knew she had to have it.
She set both the plate of cookies and the milk in the middle of her coffee table, so Santa would be sure to see them when he came down her chimney later that night. She returned to the kitchen and made up another plate, this one of sweet baby carrots, for his reindeer, of course, and then set it next to the plate of cookies.
“Oh, I hope he comes soon, I don’t want the milk to curdle,” she said out loud. She turned off the TV, and the small table lamp, but left the tree lights on. She wanted him to be able to see when he came for his visit. She gently touched the glittery snowflake that hung prominently displayed right at eye level and smiled.
With a sigh, she took herself off to bed. Dressing in a pair of red and black plaid pajamas, she brushed her teeth and climbed into bed.
“Are you ready? I’ve got the reindeer all hooked up to the sleigh. Kris!”
“Hmmm?” Kris looked at the dark-skinned, pointy-eared gnome like man, Grix, and frowned. “Where is your hat?”
Grix rolled his yellow eyes and ran his hand over his bright orange hair. “Seriously? Do I have to wear that? Again?”
“We’ve gone through this every year for the last fifty years, Grix! You’re supposed to be an elf tonight. You have to wear the whole outfit when you’re out there. What if a tour group managed to see you?”
“I doubt they could with the camouflage bracelet,” Grix grumbled. He pulled the wadded up hat out of his pocket and put it on his head. “There! Are you happy?”
“Definitely.” Kris grinned at him. “Everything’s ready?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, the jingle bells on his hat tinkling, “the sleigh was a little buggy earlier, but I think I got it all fixed.”
“Good, I don’t want any mishaps.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, Blitzen is getting antsy.”
Kris followed him out to the barn and to the sleigh. “Hi there, gir
ls! Are we all ready to go?”
I don’t know why it’s always the girls who get to go! Blizzard said, pawing at the ground in his stall.
The reindeer all had the ability to communicate with him, or anyone open to it actually, via telepathy since their vocal cords were not made to speak as a human did. It always came out as guttural honk or wonking sounds almost like a burp.
“You know why, Blizzard. The girls are the ones who still have their full antlers, it’s not my fault that all the storybooks say they have them!” Kris replied climbing in the sleigh.
Can’t you change the day? Victor asked.
Or add a day? Blizzard added.
Maybe go out twice a year, then we’d get a chance to do more than leap about the field and eat grass, Danvers suggested.
“Guys, you know it doesn’t work that way. Santa comes once a year. In December. On the Twenty-fifth. After all of you have already shed your antlers. You figure out a way to not shed them, and you can pull the sleigh again. Until then, it’s gonna be the girls,” Kris commented.
He knew they missed going out with him. Back before technology had gotten so advanced, he’d take both the girls and the boys out, rotating them in shifts as they travelled around the world. However, now he didn’t want to chance messing the story up. Children expected to see reindeer with antlers.
Will you at least save us some of the carrots? Praxis asked sulkily.
“We always do,” Kris reminded him.
Grix shook his head causing his bells to jingle. “Are you about ready?”
“Alright, here we go, ladies! On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen. On Comet and Cu—” Kris started to say.
Blitzen, being impatient, shouted, To the top of the porch to the top of the wall, dash away dash away dash away all!
“I wasn’t finished, Blitz!” Kris shouted to be heard as they soared through the air.
It’s not like any humans could hear you, Kris! she said, joyfully kicking her legs alongside her friends.
“That is not the point!”
Do it, Dash! Blitzen called up the row.
“Do wh— aaaaaahhhhh!” Kris screamed as they were suddenly barrel rolling through the sky.
Yes! Nailed it, girls! Dasher called with glee as she straightened out and headed to their first location.
“This is gonna be a long night if you keep that up, girls!” Kris called to them.
The reindeer all honked loudly in laughter.
Click here to keep reading In Love With Alien Santa Claus
About Zara Zenia
Zara Zenia writes steamy, sexy, and suspenseful sci-fi romances! You will find her writing alien romances from intergalactic planets, bionic romances, superheroes and time travel romances too.
Please see her Author Central Account on Amazon for a full list of her titles.
Sign up for her mailing list and find out about her latest releases, giveaways, and more. Also get a free book! Click here!
For more information, be sure to check out the links below!
zarazenia.com
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Also by Zara Zenia
Holiday Romances:
In Love With Alien Santa Claus
The Alien Reindeer’s Christmas Miracle
Sleepy Hollow Academy Series:
Magic and Misconduct (Book 1)
Spells and Shenanigans (Book 2)
Hexes and Havoc (Book 3)
Trilyn Fairy Tales Series:
Alien Prince Charming (Book 1)
Alien Prince’s Mermaid (Book 2)
Beauty And The Alien Beast (Book 3)
Alien Aladdin (Book 4)
Aliens of Dragselis Series:
Zaruv: A Sci-Fi Alien Dragon Romance (Book 1)
Karun: A Sci-Fi Alien Dragon Romance (Book 2)
Ragal: A Sci-Fi Alien Dragon Romance (Book 3)
Pavar: A Sci-Fi Alien Dragon Romance (Book 4)
Rizor: A Sci-Fi Alien Dragon Romance (Book 5)
Royally Blue - Celestial Mates:
Blue Alien Prince’s Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Celestial Mates)
Alien Gladiator’s Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Celestial Mates)
The Blue Alien’s Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Celestial Mates)
Blue Alien Prince’s Captive Bride: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Celestial Mates)
Blue Alien Prince’s Mail-Order Bride: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Celestial Mates)
Reverse Harem Romance Series:
Fire, Blood, and Beauty (Book 1)
Fangs, Flames, and Allure (Book 2)
Alien Abduction Series:
Alien Zookeeper’s Abduction (Book 1)
Alien Mate’s Abduction (Book 2)
Alien Captive’s Abduction (Book 3)
Alien Auction House Series:
Sold To The Alien King (Book 1)
Bought By The Alien Prince (Book 2)
Owned By The Alien Prince (Book 3)
Warriors of Orba Series:
Benzen: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 1)
Jarick: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 2)
Voland: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 3)
Draygus: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 4)
Ethazol: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Book 5)
Khargals of Duras Series:
Rock My World
Standalones:
Bionic Outlaw’s Baby: A Secret Baby Sci-Fi Romance
