A Heavenly Christmas: Christmas Eve

Kris looked at the apartment.  at the moment he thought the worst thing about loosing his Heavenly status was not being able to know what was going on behind that door.  How was he suppossed to help if he had no clue what was going on?  He leaned heavily against the tree.  He was too old for such treaks through the cold.

 

He could barely see inside the little room.  It seemed they were watching something.  Those poor kids.  His sweet Venus had never looked so sad.  He had never seen an angel in such dispair before.  That Nick sure had things cut out of him.  "Ah well!," thought Kris.  "If we can get them through this, it'll be good practice for the future." 

 

Kris knew his time was short and he only had a few gifts left.  He looked at the night sky.  "Well, my old friend," he said, "This will be the greatest gift I have ever given humanity."  He stood still trying to catch his breath for his final run.  He lifted his bag over his shoulder one last time.  With halting steps he shuffled toward the door only stopping one to lean against the fence.  Three more steps.  Two more.  "If I can just..." and with that he swung the bag against the door and callapsed on the ground.  " I never asked for anything for myself.  Just this once...please, don't let them find me here."

 

"My dearest friend," he heard in the wind, "even you dying wish is for others.  Come to your rest."  Slowly at first and then ever increasing the tiniest gold snowflakes fell to cover his breathless body.  at last they completely covered him.  For one breif moment the glowed brightly and then disapeared.  Kris Kringle ceased to exist.

 

 

Inside Nick turned toward the window.  He thought he had heard something against the door.  "Oh, no," he thought, "I don't think I can take much more."  Nick got up and went to the door.  Just as he opened it he was blinded by a briliant gold light.  The after glow still clung to his sight as he searched out the cause, but the night was empty.  Except for a large black bag on the stoop at his feet.  Nick reached down to pick it up.  As soon as he touched it he had the devine sense that, somehow, things would all turn out.

 

He sat down on the couch with the bag in front of him.  Some late-night Santa must have dropped it off, but Nick could think of no one who would leave anything for him.  Maybe Andy, but he was on the other side of town and it was simply too dangerous to drive this far.  Someone must have dropped it at the wrong door by mistake.  He'd just take a look and see if there was anything that told him where it went.  He could go drop it off himself.

 

He opened the bag and red velvet spilled from the top.  Nick pulled out yards of the material until, at last he found the white trim that gave him an idea what it was.  Yes, there were also the pants to go with the coat.  They were mde of fine material.  Nick didn't know the first thing about sewing, but he knew this was definately the riches fabric he had ever seen.  Deeper in the bag he found the hat, belt and boots. 

 

Nick sat there and looked at the Santa suit.  Probably someone was trying to return it.  No one was likely to need it this late in the game.  He looked at the bedroom door.  "Why not?" he asked no one in particular.  "What do I really have to lose?"  With great care and respect Nick donned Santa's suit for the first time.  He was amazed at the perfect fit.  It was more comfortable than his own pajamas.  Nick went into the bathroom to see himself in the mirror.  Even without the bread it just looked right.  He spent a few seconds in front of the mirror, then he realized that he was wanting to impress a grown woman, not a child.

 

Nick sat back on the couch with a sigh.  Dressing up in a Santa suit wasn't going to do anything for her.  Even he hadn't been as lost as she was and it never did anything for him.  He picked up the bag as he perpared to stuff the hat back in and hesitated.  It felt like there was still something left in the bottom of it.  Nick reached into the deepest corner and pulled out a box.

 

Etched in gold on the top of a velvet box that matched the suit were the words "To Venus From The Santa".  "The Santa?" Nick thought.  Then it hit him.  He had witnessed more than one mirical today.  Once again he looked at the bedroom door.  With determination Nick pulled the Santa hat on his head and marched accross the room and into the bedroom. 

 

Venus sat up with a start and stared at the sight in front of her.  Nick stood there staring at his snow angel before he realized he had something to say.  Suddenly it burst from him like a secret kept too long.  "Look, I don't know what's in store for us.  I can almost believe you fell out of Heaven, but the fact is, you are an angel.  You are my angel and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I'm glad you fell from Heaven even, because that makes you completely free.  Completely free to spend your remaining time here...with me."  With that he handed her the velvet box.

 

Tears once more made a slow path down Venus' face as she looked at the box.  She knew it for what it was: a gift from Heaven.  God had not forsaken her.  She opened it and found the most beautiful snowflake diamond she had ever seen.  She looked at Nick.  No, the ring wasn't the gift from Heaven.  The ring was a gift from an old man who had been very dear to her.  The gift from Heaven stood before her framed in magnificant red velvet.  She threw the covers off of her and flung herself into Nick's arms.  "Oh, you sweet darling man.  You really were Saint Nick all along and you never even knew it!  Yes, yes, I will spend all of eternity with you if you'll have me!"

 

Nick laughed.  He really truely laughed with a great hearty sound that came from deep in his chest as he gathered his snow angel tight to him never wanting to let her go.