A Claus For Love

Unexpected Company

By the time Santa's sleigh landed in the backyard of Beverly's house, Beverly was putting the finishing touches on a simple Christmas dinner, mixing storebought foods with recipes she learned from her family. From a perfectly cooked roast beef and some maple-ginger glazed carrots to a festive fruit salad (with cranberries, apples, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries) and simple rolls, it felt like a part of her family was there in her house, especially as she poured herself another glass of apple juice and set a new batch of cookies on the side. After setting the food on her medium-sized dining room table, she served herself some food before placing a napkin on her lap, and she reached for her fork and knife before stopping herself with a sigh. 

Even though she lived alone, she couldn't help but wish that she wasn't eating such a festive meal on her own, so she set Bobby's letter across the table from her and leaned it against the jewelry box. Just when she started to take her first bite, she heard footsteps approaching her door before gasping when there was a knock, so she put the napkin beside her plate and got up before walking to her door, wondering who was there. She wondered if a homeless person was seeking a warm meal, or maybe some local carolers wanted to stop and spread some good cheer, but she was in for quite a surprise when she opened the door and saw the jolliest trio in the universe at her doorstep: Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Bobby.

"S- Santa?"

Beverly stuttered at the sight of the classy white-haired gentleman at her front door, unsure if this was the truth or a weird hallucination, all while her inner child wanted to explode with glee if it was the real Santa. With a chuckle, Santa nodded and put his hand out for Beverly to shake, which she eagerly did before she stopped being formal and gave him the tightest embrace she could muster. Mrs. Claus and Bobby looked at the other two with a tender gleam in their eyes, and while Mrs. Claus was delighted to see her husband interacting with people outside of the North Pole (which was a rarity for him, since he spent so much time at the North Pole), Bobby was thrilled to see his beloved Beverly go from mature to childlike in the wink of an eye. After Beverly pulled away from Santa and apologized for the sudden hug, Santa assured her that she was fine before introducing her to his other two-thirds, and she had just shaken Mrs. Claus' hand when Santa gave her the biggest surprise of her life.

"...and  I know that you've already met my son, Robert Nicolas Kringle..."

"Wait- Bobby's your son?"

As Bobby chuckled and nodded at Beverly's question, her eyes widened while the puzzle pieces in her mind came together, and she couldn't believe she had spent most of the previous night with Santa's offspring. When he magically turned her juice into cider after making her presents appear at the snap of a finger, she should have noticed something was different about him, but she must have been too distracted by his charms to suspect anything. On top of Bobby having the same delightful twinkle in his eye that Santa had, she remembered how he hesitated a little when she asked about how he worked for Santa, but that was another point when she was too smitten to notice anything at the moment. Once she got her head wrapped around the idea that she had kissed Santa's son, she shook her head and blinked her eyes a couple of times before blushing as she apologized for her startled reaction, but Bobby assured her that she was fine before they ran into each other's arms for a tender embrace.

While Santa and Mrs. Claus chuckled at the happy reunion, Bobby and Beverly stood in silence as they held each other close, both in awe and disbelief at how they were together again. As she and Bobby pulled away, Beverly's inner hostess came out for a moment as she started bringing everyone in, but that's when she stopped and blushed.

"I... I was about to invite you all in, but I don't know if I have enough space or food for everyone."

As soon as she said that, Santa winked and waved his hand before the dining room table began to expand and stretch out, causing Beverly to look inside and gasp as she saw everything changing. Once the table was set with plates and silverware (as well as filled glasses of cider) for everyone, along with the roast beef being replaced with a nicely trimmed turkey, Beverly instantly went back to being a gracious host. With a mile-wide grin on her face and a childlike giggle, she took Bobby's hand and pulled him into the house before signaling for Santa and Mrs. Claus to come in, after which everyone put their coats in her closet.

While they all were delighted at how welcoming Beverly could be, Bobby smiled as his parents sat together on one side of the table before he chivalrously helped Beverly with her seat, and she blushed at his assistance before they sat together at the table. After praying for the food and expressing her thankfulness for the surprise visitors, Beverly started serving everyone their food before they enjoyed the delicious meal and delightful company. It might have been Santa and Mrs. Claus' first time spending Christmas dinner away from the North Pole, but with how happy Bobby was around such a sweet girl like Beverly, they didn't mind the change of scenery.