AN: One more spontaneous Christmas fic for me! Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!
When Jack Kelly was seven years old, all he wanted for Christmas was the silver cap gun he'd seen in one if the store windows. To him, it looked just like a pistol that a real cowboy would use, and if he could get one of those, he wouldn't need a horse to ride, or even a hat. Nobody would be able to deny that he was a cowboy.
The first time he voiced this request, his older sister Ann had been quick to let him know how impossible that would be.
"That's never gonna happen. You know Santa never brings us stuff like that to us, that's just for those rich folks. He doesn't bring us toys, just things we need, like socks and mittens."
"But how come we can't get stuff we want, too? Maybe he just never brings toys cause we don't wish hard enough, so he didn't know we wanted it. I never wanted anything more than this, maybe he'll bring it." Jack reasoned logically.
This was the last year he'd had the pleasure of believing in the man in the bright red suit - a year later would find him living in the Newsboys Lodging House, with no Christmas tree nor anything under it.
"That ain't how it works, Jackie. Santa only brings toys to the kids who already got the stuff they need. For us, we just get stuff we need. You never had a problem with that before, what's so special about this gun thing?"
"It looks like a real gun, and if I get it I can be a real cowboy!" Jack expressed, his eyes bright. His sister gave him a sad smile.
"Look, just don't mention this to Ma and Pa, alright? They already got enough to worry about."
Jack frowned. He didn't know how this would worry him, after all, it wasn't as if he was asking his parents to get it for him. He knew they couldn't afford it, but Santa could make one special for him, no trouble. So he didn't see any reason to listen to his sister.
"Hey, Ma, wanna know what I really hope Santa brings this year?"
"What's that?" The boy was sitting on his mothers lap, and figured it couldn't hurt to mention it to her.
"Have you seen one of those cap guns they got in some of the store windows?"
"You want one of those?" His mother's heart sank. She was hoping he was just going to say wool socks, or something else they could afford fairly easily. Her son nodded.
"That way I can be a real cowboy!"
The woman silently cursed her husband for telling him all of those stories about Santa Fe. He'd been so interested in it lately, most of his bedtime stories had been made up tales about Jack Kelly the Cowboy. That was all well and good, but she'd been worried he'd want something like this.
"I don't know if Santa will be able manage that, mo pháiste. But, I guess you never know, we'll have to wait and see."
Jack nodded, satisfied with that.
oOo
"Which one are you looking at?"
Jack tore his gaze away from the toy he was so desperate for in the display to see a young girl with brown curls and dressed to the nines talking to him. For a second, he wondered if she was talking to someone else, but he was the only one there. He pointed to the cap gun.
"I want to get that little blonde doll for my sister, Edith." The girl continued. "She likes dolls."
Jack nodded, bewildered. Still, he pointed to the display. "I'm looking at that one, the cap gun. But my ma and pa can't afford it, and we live in that tiny house over there, so Santa only brings us stuff we need, not stuff we want."
The girl studied the gun, then smiled. "That looks way better than the doll."
Jack grinned at her.
oOo
Christmas came along soon enough, and Jack and Ann were admiring their wool socks and new coats (!) when a knock came at the door. Confused, Jack's father answered the door, his confusion only growing at the sight. There was no one there, but there was a toy with a personalized tag wrapped around it. He picked it up and brought it in.
"Think this is for you, Jack."
Jack looked at his father in surprise, but took the thing from his father, gasping when he realized what he was holding.
In his hands he held the silver cap gun from the store. The tag simply read, 'to the boy'.
His family had no idea who could've brought it, but Jack knew. There was no doubt in his mind who had dropped it on his doorstep. And he'd always remember her kind gesture, even if he eventually forgot her face.
The girl was Katherine, just in case that wasn't clear 😉
