Arthur Christmas (14 page)

Santa started to climb out the window. But Arthur tugged his red suit and whispered, “Dad! Wait. Please, let's …”

He nodded toward the living room. Arthur wanted to watch, to enjoy this sweet reward after the miserable night of seemingly endless struggle.

Santa looked surprised. “In all my years … I've never actually … always so busy.”

Arthur eased the closet door open just a crack. Three generations of Santas bunched up to peer out. Squashed between his sons, Santa looked from one to the other, his blue eyes moist with emotion. “… Too busy,” he muttered. “I'm not good at … In my day, a pat on the back and a walnut went a long way …”

Both Arthur and Steve realized this was Santa's way of telling them that he loved them, and that he was sorry for all the years he'd been more of a red-and-white blur than a father. Gwen shouted impatiently, “Mummy, Daddy, come ON! Look! I got a note from Santa in my stocking. It says my present's under the tree!”

Light footsteps pattered downstairs. Gwen squealed with delight as she saw the big, brightly wrapped package under the twinkling tree.

“Oh look! What is it?” Gwen exclaimed as her small hands tore through the paper. “I'm almost through …”

The three Santas shivered with joy when they saw the look on the little girl's face as she shouted, “It's a bike!”

Goodness and patience rewarded; dreams fulfilled in sparkly pink perfection. The Clauses shared Gwen's unbridled bliss. “Santa brought me the bike I wanted!”

Steve had never imagined one toy could bring such joy. Santa looked at Arthur. The young man's face glowed as brightly as Gwen's.

Santa suddenly knew who had to be the next Santa—who had already become Santa. He turned gently to his older son and said, “Steve, you
deserve
to be Santa.”

Steve had waited so long for this speech. Yet he could hardly believe the moment had arrived. His eyes filled at the thought that his father had finally acknowledged all his hard work! From his perfectly stitched pocket, he pulled out the tiny metal Santa from the board game.

Then Santa touched his arm and said, “But Steve … I wonder if Gwen is right.”

Steve looked at Gwen, who squealed, “Can I have a go? Please, please, please?”

Steve realized that the girl's giddy laugh, her happy face, all of this was due to his “crazy” younger brother's “foolish” belief in Santa Claus. If it had been up to him, Gwen would still be waiting for a messenger to bring the present.

Steve understood. He held the Santa figure for just a moment longer before he handed it to Arthur and said, “I'll be the candle, eh?”

Arthur felt overwhelmed. He looked over to Grandsanta who raised both thumbs and whispered, “Whoopee!”

Santa looked at his sons and blinked his watery eyes. “You're better men than me … both of you.”

Gwen stopped crumpling the wrapping papers and exclaimed, “A bike … and a squirrel?! Ow!”

Having nipped the nipper on her finger, the startled squirrel raced out of the living room.

Bryony peeked in the window at the joyful scene and exclaimed, “Arthur, you did it!”

Likewise, the Mission Control elves celebrated the youngest Claus's triumph. On the big screen, the elves saw the three Santas emerge from Gwen's house, and the “gifts delivered” counter clicked from 000,000,001 down to all zeroes. Ernie shouted, “Drop complete!”

On their screen, the elves heard Bryony whisper, “Arthur is Santa!”

All the elves cheered, “Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!”

While Mrs. Claus dabbed tears of joy from her eyes, Steve and Santa were winched up to the S-1 holding grubby Grandsanta between them. The sooty old man hugged his pet reindeer as Dasher tried to lick the filth off his master's face.

With three Clauses and the remaining reindeer aboard, the winch went down once more to retrieve Arthur and the elf. Despite his magical new status, the young man was just as clumsy as ever.

Almost as soon as the rope lifted him, Arthur banged into a tree and fell down on the snowy ground. When he stood up, a frosty white “beard” coated Arthur's chin. The wind puffed up his red parka, making him look like he had a big, round belly.

Just then Gwen glanced out the door; she saw what looked like something right off a Christmas card! The little girl could barely believe her eyes. Was it really … Santa Claus?

Then the squirrel raced out between her feet. When she looked up again, the wondrous vision was gone!

As Bryony and Arthur ascended into the S-1, they looked down at the little girl riding in happy circles on her new pink Twinkle Bike. Though the elf and the newest Santa would go on to share many merry holidays, both would always remember their first Christmas together as something quite out of this world.