Crashing Christmas Tree (48 Christmas Wishes/Santa Clause)

Crashing Christmas Tree

Bernard felt nauseous in the pit of his stomach. Things weren't going well—not that he expected them to be, given family was always a complicated subject for him, one far more stressful than dealing with Curtis at the North Pole. He'd always known in the back of his mind that Mindy was likely to follow in their parent's footsteps of becoming a toymaker elf which meant she would eventually end up there at the North Pole.

And so there he was, in his home that once belonged to their parents, with Mindy, and they were arguing. Or more of Mindy was laying into him for not being there, for not being a toy maker elf like their parents, making it quite clear she didn 't want anything to do with him as she saw him as a disappointment as they attempted to decorate the Christmas tree with him doing more of the decorating.

He said nothing, unsure of what to say that wouldn 't make her hate him even more, his mind going to all the times he had visited when he was a younger elf, always hearing the family talk about how he'd not followed in their footsteps, so he stayed away.

And then—

There came a loud crash as the Christmas tree toppled over. Bernard stood there, an ornament in his hand, staring while Mindy 's eyes blinked at the mess. The tinsel and lights had come off slightly, and many of the decorations were shattered. Bernard lowered the ornament before muttering, "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Mindy asked. "It's just Christmas ornaments. You can just replace them."

"Can't," Bernard said. "They were," he muttered, finishing with, "our parents. I put them out every year."

"Um," Mindy shuffled from one foot to another before clearing her voice. "You do realize I'm the one who knocked over the tree, not you?"

Bernard 's eyes blinked. "What?"

"I was busy chewing you out for being a lousy brother, and I kind of just wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"Come on," Bernard said. "You didn't just walk into the tree."

"Actually, I didn't walk into the tree. I ran into it," Mindy said. "By the way. Why is my speed ability not working?"

Bernard took a deep breath. "The house is warded to prevent me from sleep teleporting. My magic is kind off, well, unpredictable at times. So I can't blame you or the rest of the family for being disappointed in me."

"Is that why you didn't come home?"

"Home?" Bernard said, looking around the place. "This is home." He watched her face twist. "But I get it. This isn't where you grew up. It's where I did."

"I'm sorry about the tree," Mindy said. "And maybe I was being a bit too hard on you."

"No," Bernard sighed. "That's why I didn't visit. I know how much of a disappointment I am because of my powers, for not becoming a toy maker elf, let alone the head of that department. I just—I enjoy my job."

"Which is?" Mindy said.

Bernard froze, his eyes going wide. "I'm—um."

"How bad can it be?"

"Bad?"

"I mean, you've avoided telling anybody in the family, right?"

Bernard frowned. He sat down, setting the unbroken ornament down. "I certainly didn't feel like I could say anything. I mean, anything other than toy maker would have been a disappointment. I mean, in our family, whether we're successful Christmas Elves is measured based on what we achieve as toy maker elves. And I never was one."

"Never?" Mindy said. "I thought you were one, and you know—failed."

"I didn't fail," Bernard said. "I just—Santa felt my potential lay elsewhere before I even started. And he was right. I'm good at what I do. And that's what's important. Everyone at the North Pole has that place they fit. And my fit was where it was."

"And that was?"

"Well," Bernard said.

"You keep hesitating," Mindy said, taking a seat and looking at the mess. "Maybe I shouldn't have complained about you being a janitor or something like that?"

"Janitor?" Bernard said. "Try head elf."

She stared. "Wait. What?"

"I said head elf."

"You're joking, right?"

"Why would I?"

"Because," Mindy sighed. "Why didn't you tell the family?"

"I told you. Anything other than being a toy maker elf was a disappointment," Bernard said.

"Are you an idiot?"

"Well, no. I wouldn't be head elf if that were the case," Bernard said. "What?"

"Bernie?"

"Yes?"

"It never occurred to you that head elf is a step up from dad and mom being head of the toy-making department, right?"

"Well, yes. Here at the pole, it is." Bernard said. "But with our family, that's not the case."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because that's all they talked about," Bernard said. "It's all I remember them talking about. That, and how my powers were unstable. They still are. It's just easier not to talk about it if I don't have to."

"You could have," Mindy sighed. "Head elf?"

"Yes."

"If you had just said something," Mindy said.

"It wouldn't have changed anything."

"Yes, it would have," Mindy said. She swallowed. "And maybe I might not have destroyed the Christmas decorations."

"Ah," Bernard said. "That. I'm not mad about that."

"And yet I was yelling at you."

"Still not mad. I mean, if I was, I think I would have been yelling back at you."

"You're weird."

"Yes, well. I'm fine with being myself. This is my life, being the head elf."

"Can I tell them?"

"That's your choice," Bernard said. "It's not as if I was trying to hide it. I just didn't want to bring it up only to hear them complain about how they'd rather I be a toy maker elf."

"Ah," Mindy said. "What are we going to do about the three?"

"I'll figure something out," Bernard leaned forward for a piece of a broken ornament. "I think I should temporarily remove the magical wards so I can use my magic to fix this."

"You can do that?"

"Well, yes. I'm the head elf, which means I've got to be good at everything the elves do here at the North Pole, which includes repairing things."

"Can I go to bed?"

"Sure," Bernard said. "Goodnight, Mindy."

"Goodnight, Bernie."

She left for the room that was hers. He let out a deep breath. "Well, that went better than I thought."