Chapter one: Where the wind is cold and angry

Mr. Egbert's P.O.V

My name? my name is really irrelevant. Only know that I go by as Mr. Egbert. But to John, my only son, I am dad, daddy, or father.

I am a baker, a national one really.

I go on TV networks all over the country and sometimes to other places in the world, so that means a lot of traveling.

But for this two weeks during John's break I wanted to spend it with him.

I used to be married.

I used to love my wife.

But she left me for another man years ago. There was a lot of fighting and personally I didn't think we were getting along.

I mentioned marriage counseling, but she didn't agree.

Too many fights to handle, too much yelling for John's little ears to take. I decided what was right for me and John and took up a divorce with her. But she came back and said that there was another man, for four years and took her stuff and left.

Four years.

Am I blind?

This was when John was ten when she left, it was just him and I and we tried to make it work.

"Dad, Dad, Dad!" John yelled jumping up and down on the bed. I groaned and looked at the teen jumping excitedly.

"Five more minutes," I groan.

John gets on his knees and starts to shake me, "No, presents now!"

I chuckle, this kid is seventeen going on eighteen and he still acts like he is six on Christmas morning. I start to push myself up with my elbows and look at John with tired eyes, "Alright, did you have breakfast?"

"Mhm!"

I smile, "What'd you have?"

"Dad," he whines, "Presents!"

"C'mon, what'd you have?"

"Cereal! Now please, come, come!" he whines pulling my arm.

I chuckle and start to get out of bed, John squeals and I go to the kitchen, "I'm making coffee first, no presents until I get my coffee."

"Can I sit by the tree?"

"Be my guest."

John rushes over to the large Christmas tree that we picked out together, it has all types of lights on it and glowing balls and all sorts of other things. I make the coffee and get out the creamer, pouring a lot in there. I smell it and smile, taking a sip and walking over to sit on the couch.

John looks at me with pleading eyes and I chuckle, "Open them up John what are you waiting for?"

John smiles and picks up the biggest one, he tears it open and falls on the floor hugging it, "Oh wow a Bamboo tablet! Thanks dad!"

He opens another, it's a nook with a fifty dollar gift card to buy books.

Another is a pranking kit.

Another is some clothes that he desperately needs, some winter, some summer.

He opens up a few more and then sets his eyes on a wrapped card. He opens it and smiles, tears threating to pour over. He gets up and hugs me, almost spilling my coffee on both of us.

"Thank you daddy! This is the best Christmas ever!"

"You say that every year John."

"I mean it this time! A homemade card? You are so cute."

I blush, then clear my throat, smiling "Ah, well what can an old dog do?"

John chuckles, "You're not old!"

"I'm turning forty eight soon, I'm getting quite up there."

John sits on my lap and wraps his arms around my neck, "Nope, you are young!"

I smile and shake my head, "Thank you John."

"Do you want your present?" he asks.

I am starstruck, "My present? You didn't have to John."

"But I wanted to! Everyone pitched in!" John gets off my lap and runs into his room and gets an envelope, handing it to me. It has one of his cute little chibi drawings on it and he smiles.

I smile and open it, it is a gift card to Olive Garden, I smile wide and set my coffee down, opening my arms for John to come in. john sits on my lap and snuggles into me, "Merry Christmas daddy."

I kiss his cheek, "Merry Christmas John."