The woman suddenly let go of the ice. Her head disappeared under the water.
Kris was immobile. He knew that time was of the essence and that he had to save her. With every ounce of energy in his body, he managed to dive under. He held his breath in the icy depths. Through the haze, he saw her drift further down into a watery grave.
Kris couldn’t allow her life to end this way. He swam to her rescue and grabbed the woman around the waist. The minute his hand touched her, they were magically transported out of the water. A gust of warm wind swirled around them.
When Kris opened his eyes, he found himself lying in front of his fireplace with the woman beside him. A crackling fire flickered in the hearth. Kris was amazed to find his clothes were dry. He carefully reached over and touched her hand. The woman lay stretched out on the carpet, unconscious. Kris knew this seemed absurd, but he decided to try it. He leaned over and gently kissed her lips.
The instant they touched, her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up at him. A huge smile spread across her pretty face. “You rescued me!” She pulled him closer.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“My name is Jessica.” She touched his cheek with a fingertip.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He laughed. “By the way, were you the nurse at the hospital, and on the street corner, in the library, in the—”
Jessica covered his mouth with her hand. “I was the woman.”
“Why did you make me work so hard to find you? I thought I was losing my mind.”
She laughed and held him close. “I have some magic, too. Remember how you told me in the hospital you’d see me around?”
Kris nodded at the recollection.
“I decided to take that statement literally. I also wanted to know how serious you were about me.”
Kris stared into her deep blue eyes. “I am serious about you. I have proved that, haven’t I?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “You have proved that.”
“So was the swim in the lake planned?”
Jessica shook her head. “That wasn’t planned. I have some magic, but not enough to get us out of the water. But you did.”
“The moment we touched, the magic in the suit came alive,” he explained. “I guess we were meant to be together.”
“I knew from the moment I was sent here that I was meant to be with you.”
“Where do you come from?”
She trailed kisses on his cheek. “I come from the North Pole. Once we’re married, we will live there.”
“Would you like to marry tonight?”
Jessica stared up at him with love in her eyes. “I would like that very much.”
The two jumped in surprise when the fire immediately extinguished and they were transported once again. This time when they landed, it was in a magical wonderland.
Kris looked around in awe. Large snowflakes fell softly to the ground. He took in the beautiful, peaceful surroundings. Glittering twinkling lights hung on a gazebo overhead. The trees all sparkled with silvery fairy dust. In the sky, a large yellow moon shone brightly. It was the perfect place to wed. To add to the festivities, hundreds of tiny elves aligned the miniature chairs and beamed at the happy couple. Mikey stood at the front and shook hands with Kris.
“It finally happened,” he said. “I knew it would.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to realize…”
Mikey brushed his worries aside. “As long as you’re here, that’s the main thing.”
“Is the magic complete?” Kris asked.
Mikey shook his head. “Not yet, but once you marry this beautiful woman, it will be.”
“Are you going to marry us?”
Mikey nodded.
Kris stood proudly at the front of the aisle wearing his bright red suit. He watched his blushing bride walk down the aisle dressed in a flowing white gown. Kris had never seen anyone this beautiful before. He smiled and grabbed her hand as she stood next to him.
That night, Kris and Jessica were married under the heavenly stars at the North Pole. As they became husband and wife, the suit Kris wore gleamed even brighter. He knew at that moment that the magic had come alive.
As for Jessica, she was also magically transformed. Gone was her white gown and in its place was a stunning red dress. When they kissed under the gazebo, she, too, filled out her clothing. By the time they left for their cozy cottage, the two were a plump and jolly couple with a future full of prospects.
On the cold winter nights, Jessica sewed, baked, read stories to the elves and helped Kris work on the naughty and nice list. She was proud to be the wife of Santa Claus and loved her husband with all her heart.
Kris quickly adjusted to life up north. He assisted in the workshop, took lessons on how to drive the sleigh and learned how to make even better toys. With the help of his elf friends, they had completed their quota for the year. With his sled all ready for the long journey, he said goodbye to his wife. “I can travel around the world in one night. By tomorrow morning, I’ll return.”
She lovingly took him in her arms. “I’m going to miss you,” she said. “Be careful.”
Kris leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. “It will be fine.” Even as he said these words, he was still nervous about his first journey alone. If only he had a traveling companion. He boarded the sleigh and took hold of the reins. With a quick flick of his wrist, the reindeer ran swiftly across the snow. Once they gained enough speed, the sled took flight and they journeyed into the cold night.
Kris glanced down and waved to the villagers. The reindeer flew higher and higher into the clouds. The cold wind chilled his face. He leaned over to grab a warm scarf that Jessica had knit when he touched something hard. “What in the world?” He took hold of the object and lifted it by the scruff of the neck.
Mikey smiled nervously. “I’m sorry, sir. I thought you might like the company.”
Kris laughed. He was so happy to see a familiar face. “I’m glad I have a stowaway.”
“You are?”
“This is my first journey around the world. I don’t want to do it alone.”
Mikey breathed a sigh of relief. He sat on the bench next to Kris and chatted happily.
As they made their stops along the way, the reindeer would land on a rooftop and the magic of the bag would come alive.
Kris hung on tight to the end of it as the bag carried him to a chimney. With each house he entered, he left a present under the tree, drank the milk and ate the cookies. It was a tedious job, but one that he started to enjoy. With each delivery they made, Mikey marked off the name on the list and they continued to the next place.
After hours of making stops, they journeyed to his city. Kris saw his old apartment and the store where he use to work. He never felt a pang of sadness for leaving his old life behind. Kris knew he had made the right decision in becoming Santa Claus. The reindeer landed on another roof. Kris grabbed hold of the bag and flew toward the chimney. He slid uneasily down the tight space.
Wiping the soot from his coat, he stared in amazement at the festive decorations. Of all the houses he had been to so far, this one was the most elaborate. A large tree stood in the corner of the room with an array of bright lights on its branches. Colorful ornaments hung from the tree and dangling from the ceiling were glittery cutout figures. He noticed a few were made in the image of Santa. The room was decked out in tinsel and holly. Every square inch of the place was covered with something bright. He smiled and reached into his bag. Kris pulled out a big expensive train set and placed it under the tree. He stood up to turn around, then gasped.
Jimmy stood in his pajamas at the foot of the stairs. He looked up at him with his big blue eyes. “You’re Santa Claus?”
Kris stood rooted to the spot. He couldn’t find the words to explain.
“I guess the comic book was about your life?” Jimmy came closer and grabbed his hand.
Kris knelt to the floor and met his confused gaze. “I
didn’t want to believe that story was true, but it is. I am Santa Claus.” He squeezed his hand tight. “In this world, you must remember one thing.”
“What’s that?” Jimmy asked.
“If there is something missing in your life, find it. Once you discover your purpose, then your life will be complete.”
“Did you find what was missing?”
Kris chuckled. He thought about Mrs. Claus waiting at home for him. Then his mind wandered to his quest. He thought about all the good little boys and girls who would discover the toys under their trees tomorrow morning. “Yes, I found what was missing.” He stood and looked around the room. “This is quite the impressive display.”
“I helped my mom decorate,” Jimmy said.
“You did a great job.” Kris swung his bag over the shoulder and walked to the fireplace. “It’s good to see you up and about.”
Jimmy smiled. “Thank you for the present. I’m sure I’ll like it.”
“I’m sure you will, too. Have a merry Christmas, Jimmy.” He winked at the young boy and lifted the bag over his head. In a blink of an eye, he shot up the chimney and landed in the sleigh.
Mikey marked off another name on the list. He glanced over at Kris. “Why are you smiling?”
Kris turned to study the tiny elf. “Did you sell a comic book to a woman on the street?”
Mikey blushed. “What kind of comic book?”
Kris waved his hand at him. “Never mind. I now understand.”
Mikey sat proudly on the bench with a slight smile on his face. “Does this voice sound familiar?” He spoke in a high-pitched tone.
Kris gasped. “You’re that annoying little voice from the compass! I thought it was a girl.”
“Mikey is an elf with many hidden talents.”
“I love the rhymes. They were very catchy.” He pulled on the reins and they took flight.
Throughout the night, they traveled the globe and delivered presents to the good children. Early the following morning, they reached the North Pole and the winter wonderland came into view. Kris felt a surge of excitement and recalled how the comic book story ended. The spirit of giving is what Christmas is all about. He smiled. Next year I’ll do the same thing all over again, but I’ll do it with joy in my heart.
The reindeer landed outside his cottage. Kris departed the sleigh and was greeted by his loving wife. As he held her close in the crisp morning air, a cry of joy rang out. He turned around and saw the tiny elves run out from their shops to greet them. Kris gave a hearty laugh. He was home.
About the Author
When Shannon Rouchelle first began writing, she submitted short stories to magazines. Since that time, Shannon has written numerous fantasy teen novels for future release. She continues to enjoy creating short stories for avid readers.
Shannon lives on the Saskatchewan prairies with her husband and two sons. When Shannon isn’t writing, she spends quality time with family and friends.
Finding Mrs. Claus Page 4
