Secret Santa✔️

Prologue

Christmas is a time of magic and happiness. It's a time of giving and thoughtfulness. It's a time of family and love. Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year and the busiest work-wise.

Maybe I should introduce myself. My name is Nickolaus or as most know me as Santa Claus. I am married to a wonderful woman named Carole and we have a handsome young son named Nikolaus who happens to be heir to the toy shop and the family business.

Our business has been handed down through generations of family and with it comes the task of finding a Mrs. Claus.

Now that I am getting older, I am looking to hand the reigns over to my son well, that would be if he would settle down. See like most parents we would like our children to find that special person in our lives that bring us joy. Unfortunately, my son can't seem to find them on his own which worries his mother and me.

So, like a good parent, I have devised a plan to not only help my son out but to also save Christmas in the process.  I bet you're wondering, why save Christmas, Santa?  Well, it seems my son has caused quite a ruckus over the years and the powers that be don't feel he is worthy of being the next Santa Claus.

This has caused quite an issue with my beloved Carole. She feels he is quite capable while I'm on the fence about it. I mean don't get me wrong, I love my son but I also know how important Christmas is around the world. How important the letters are and the nice and naughty list is. How important it is for people to believe when they have little to believe in.

Christmas is the one time of year that there is a magic in the air. Even if you can't see it, you can feel it.  This is why I decided to take action and help save Christmas with the help of my lovely wife Carole and a few faithful companions.

It's time to save Christmas.

                                       *****
"Nick are you down here?"

"Yes, Carole," I yelled from the bottom of the steps.

I heard her footsteps as she made her way to the area with the reindeer.

"How are they," she asked.

"Good and healthy. They'll be ready just in time for Christmas Eve," I said patting each one of them as they butted my hand with their heads.  Then I gave them their treats of carrots.

"I've been doing some research, and I think I have figured out to find Nik a wife," she said.

I gave her a look with one eyebrow raised.

"Look, secret Santa," she said enthusiastically holding up a flyer.

I walked over and took the flyer from her, "where did you get this?"

"From this school," she smiled.

"Carole, please tell me you did not go to this school," I sighed.

"Oh, relax. I did not go," she said and I let out a deep breath.

"I sent Alabaster," she shrugged.

"You didn't," I said to her.

"I did," she said simply.

"You know Alabaster is the most unreliable elf I have," I said to her with a bit of frustration to my tone.

She walked over to me and placed her hand upon my cheek, "Nick, I know Alabaster has had his moments, but I swear all he did was go in and grab the flyer. Give him a little bit of credit."

I nodded in defeat. Who could argue with someone so kind? Not me.

"Look, I know it's a long shot but what do we have to lose," she asked me.

Even before I had a chance to answer one of my elves, Pepper came into the reindeer area.

"What's wrong Pepper," I asked him, already knowing the answer.

"Sir, you're wanted by the council," he said.

I looked at Carole, and she tried to give me a reassuring smile. It was never a good thing when the council wanted to meet right before I was set to get ready for Christmas.

*****
I walked into a room hand in hand with Carole and there at the table set the council members, Father Time, Mother Nature, the Easter bunny, Cupid, and the Tooth Fairy.

"Really? You decide to call a meeting just as I'm getting ready for Christmas," I said to them.

"Santa, you know we hate having these meetings, but we don't have a choice," Father Time said.

"There's always a choice," I replied to him.

"Not this time," the Easter Bunny said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Santa, it's about Nik," Mother Nature said.

"What about Nik?"

I looked at all of them as they shifted their eyes away from me.

"What is it," I asked.

"Due to Nik's playboy ways, the powers that be are afraid he is going to expose all of us," she said quickly closing her eyes.

"Oh dear," I said, taking a seat in a chair.

"Santa, we know how important Christmas is to you so, we asked the powers that be to allow you and Mrs. Claus to find someone for Nik so that he can settle down and our secrets will be safe," Cupid said.

"How long do I got," I asked them.

"Till Christmas Eve," they said.

"Oh, dear," I said.

"You know what, we'll do it," Mrs. Claus said. We all looked at her, "Carole, I still have to get ready for Christmas!"

"Well, Nick if we don't do this, there won't be a Christmas."

She was right. This was going to be harder than I thought. We had thirty days to find Nik a wife and settle down or there would be no Christmas. It was time for a Christmas miracle. A big one.