Christmas Night
As for Valonia Silverfoot, she arrived back at her hotel on Christmas Night, shattered by the long and complicated but seemingly successful surgery she had performed on Dando Silverfoot, but as yet she was not about to put all her eggs in one basket and would not leave for home before he was well and truly out of the woods. She took a long shower, dried, and poured herself a well-deserved glass of wine, dressed in her robe she walked across the room towards her handbag and collected the present the old man had given her. Having respected his wishes, she decided it was time for her to open it, to be honest, she had not paid it much attention when given, now she held it in her hands and examined it in detail, she did not recall why but realised its look and feel possessed a sense of familiarity. With a sense of trepidation and excitement, she began to open the present, it was then she noted it had been wrapped in a manner that was similar if not, the same as the manner, in which she would wrap a present. She was becoming more intrigued, but resisted the temptation to rush, wishing to savour every moment of the unwrapping. As the satin and green wrapping unfolded a faint odour of an old fashion perfume was released, there was no mistaking the scent, it instantly reminded her of her mother, who all but drowned herself in it. With that smell her memories came flooding back as did the tears, she knew what she would find inside the package, and peeling back the last of the wrapping her mother's broach was revealed, she spent the fifteen or so minutes crying until the wrapping paper was sodden. Once she had recovered what was left of her composure, she opened the envelope, inside was a short-handwritten note.
My Dearest Valonia,
Please accept my heartfelt apologies for the deception and absconding without a word, but you are no doubt beginning to understand I had good reason. I would like you to know that your parents loved you more than you can imagine, so much so that they wanted to make sure the present you had left for Santa was placed with his minced pies and rum. I am so pleased that it has been returned to you after so many years, I am also sure your mother will be equally delighted to get it back, it holds special memories of your late father who is watching over his girls, from above.
Merry Christmas and thank you from, a profoundly grateful Santa, aka Dando Silverfoot.
YOU ARE READING
I'm Dreaming of a Bald Christmas
Short StoryThis is a challenge that tells of a time when Santa Claus contracts cancer, which messes with his Christmas planning, but helps through a happy light on his family history.
