Niles stood in the master bedroom, barely able to contain his excitement. Santa was due to arrive any minute now. There was one more part of the surprise Niles hadn't told anyone about. He was going to be Santa's elf. He wore the pointy shoes, a little green felt hat, and an outfit that reminded him of the boys' outfits in The Sound of Music. Ordinarily, he would never be caught dead in anything less than one of his Italian suits. But when it came to making Daphne and the kids happy, he would do just about anything. Niles just hoped Leah wouldn't be confused by seeing her father as one of Santa's elves. He had to trust that David would cover for him if necessary. The doorbell rang, and Niles took one last glance at himself in the mirror. He looked ridiculous, but right now, he didn't care. He made his way to the top of the stairs, watching the scene below. His heart warmed when he saw David leading his sister over to where Santa sat.
"Go on, tell him what you want," David encouraged. But Leah seemed to be confused. Santa wasn't supposed to just walk in the door.
David saw that his sister was reluctant to approach their visitor. "OK, I'll go first, then." He sat on Santa's lap, feeling a bit awkward. But he knew Leah's eyes were on him, so he had to make this convincing. "Um...I'd like a new computer, some video games, and maybe a baseball glove. I know my dad won't get me that!" David couldn't resist grinning.
Santa smiled. Rarely was his job this easy. "All right, that shouldn't be too hard. Anything else?"
"Well, maybe you could talk to my grandfather about taking me fishing."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks, Santa!" He embraced the man. Then he got up. Just as he moved toward Leah, he caught sight of his father, crouching in a corner. He grinned when he saw his dad's thumbs-up sign.
Niles saw that Leah was trying to work up the nerve to approach Santa. He decided now was the time to make his entrance.
"Hello!" Niles said cheerfully as he walked down the stairs. Leah's mouth dropped open. Daphne had been talking to her daughter, but she, too, was taken aback.
Niles suddenly wondered what had made him think of doing this. Everyone, including Santa, was staring at him as if he'd lost his mind. Maybe he had.
Daphne was the first to recover. She walked over to the staircase where Niles stood. "You must be one of Santa's elves."
Niles nodded. "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Crane." He took his wife's hand, kissing the back of it.
"Likewise," Daphne said, a bit embarrassed.
For a moment, Niles could only stare into his wife's eyes. He could see her shock, but also how touched she was by the lengths he'd gone to in putting this together. He glanced over at David and Leah, who were whispering to each other. "You have two fine children," Niles said.
"Thank you," Daphne replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She turned to Santa. "Would you mind if I had a word in private with your elf?"
Santa smiled. "Not at all."
Daphne nodded at him. Immediately, she took Niles' hand and led him into the kitchen. As soon as the door closed, she turned to him. "I can't believe this!"
Niles grinned. "I wanted it to be a surprise."
"Well, it certainly is!" Daphne put her arms around him.
Niles held her for a moment, kissing her hair. "You know...I talked to the boss." He gestured toward the living room. "I don't have to go back to the North Pole right away. I can stay a bit longer, if you like."
Daphne grinned at him. "That would be lovely. Does that mean I get to tell you what I want for Christmas later on?"
Niles nodded. "Oh, yes. I'll see that you're placed at the very top of the 'nice list.' I'm certain you'll get everything you want."
Daphne kissed him. She sighed contentedly. The feeling of being in Niles' arms was something she could never get over. "You can tell your boss not to worry about me. I've got everything I could ever want right here." This Christmas, she was sure, all the Cranes understood that love was the greatest gift, both to give and receive.
The End