AN: Sorry for the long wait. I just got on break a couple of days ago. This and the next chapter are Christmas themed.

This chapter is dedicated to everyone who reads my stories. I am wishing you all a happy and safe holiday season and a fantastic New Year. I hope all of your wishes and resolutions come true.

The next chapter should be up soon.

Happy reading.

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." - Dr. Seuss

Chapter Thirty – Six: Believing in Santa Claus

Riley's POV:

Ben and Abigail's wedding was in Dresden, Germany. It was small and beautiful. The ceremony was short; the reception simple, and the guest list was small. It took place a few weeks before Christmas and Ben and Abigail planned to come back for Christmas, they would be at Patrick's tomorrow. They came back a couple of days ago. Due to everything that has happened in the past few months, they decided to come back for the holidays instead of coming back after New Year's.

Tonight was the night before Christmas. Carissa and Zach were sleeping. Bianca and I were putting gifts together.

"You know this would be simpler if we didn't do the whole Santa thing." I complained.

"Stop being a Grinch."

"How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa Claus?" I asked her.

"I was a couple of years older than Carissa." She replied, "I wanted a puppy. People thought the Gates family was insane so it was hard to find friends. With a puppy, I would have someone who didn't know about the Gates legend. I'd have a friend who wasn't Ben. I want that moment in Lady & the Tramp where Darling opens the box to find Lady. Oh, I had written Santa all year, starting the day after Christmas for that puppy. Christmas came and I received quite a few presents, but no puppy. I was devastated and my dad told me to grow up and that there was no Santa Claus. That was when I stopped believing."

"I was four." I replied.

"You were four?"

I nodded, "I wanted a sling shot."

"A sling shot?" Bianca asked surprised, "That isn't a toy to give a four year old."

"I know that now." I replied, "But a kid down the street from me had one and let me play with it from time to time. I begged my mother for one and wrote to Santa. Christmas came and no sling shot. That was when I stopped believing. My father left shortly after and after that we didn't celebrate the holidays at all. It wasn't until we started dating that I acknowledged them at all."

I felt a warm embrace; I looked to my left to find Bianca hugging me. I kissed her head. "It's not that bad. I can't stand my father."

"But-"

"Really I don't feel bad about that part at all. We found out later after he died that he had two other families, one in Australia and one in Ireland. I have five half siblings. I met them after he died. Three half-sisters and two half-brothers. The two half-brothers from Ireland are older than I am by a few years. The three half-sisters from Australia were around my sister's age. I don't care about my father at all."

"Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"Why don't you ever tell me about half the things in your past?"

"Because a lot of it is sealed by the government."

"Touché.

"We better get back to the gifts." She changed the subject, "How's your stuff coming?"

"Good." I replied, "Yours?"

"I'm done. I just have to finish with the secret Santa stuff for tomorrow."

Patrick and Emily decided for the adults it would be easier to do a secret Santa instead of bringing a ton of gifts. Ben and I already showed each other who we got. He got Emily and I got John. Bianca wouldn't show us hers. She said something about sticking to secret Santa tradition. I think she got Ben.

"Want help?"

"Nope." She left.

"Okay…"