It was now the middle of December and Anne stood in the center of Robert's desk as she hung Christmas lights around his office. She hadn't bothered to ask if she could, knowing he'd probably say "No," so she'd just waited for a time when he wasn't there and did it anyway. She'd already decorated a small, realistic-looking fake tree with a popcorn and cranberry string and hung pretty glass ball ornaments on it. She'd hung a piece of mistletoe right above his chair, and now the lights. His office looked happy and festive, something she thought he could use. All that was left was the stocking and the pine garlands to put somewhere.
Out of the blue, an angry voice bellowed, "What in the hell did you do to my office!? Get off my desk, it's not a stepping stool."
Anne was so startled that she dropped the rest of the string of lights and stumbled off the desk onto the floor and stood before him. "You don't like it?" She asked him, an innocent look upon her face.
Robert looked around. It wasn't over-decorated, or tacky. In fact, it was quite elegant looking. It was just so... feminine. "It's fine," was all he could say. Anne smiled, grabbed his hand and led him around the room, showing him everything she'd done.
*****
As the next couple of weeks flew by, Anne's days were filled with Robert showing her how to do IV's, central lines, and catheters. Robert loved nothing more than to show off his abilities to someone who never ceased to be amazed by him. He also truly liked Anne; he would now consider her a friend. He'd had a soft spot in his heart for Lucy, and now for Anne as well.
Christmas Eve Day had finally arrived and Robert knew Anne would hardly be able to concentrate on anything. For weeks now, she'd been telling him all about the Pedes Christmas party she was in charge of. It had been her idea; she'd volunteered, and was very excited about it. She'd planned songs, games, and food. She'd hired a Santa to come and give out gifts to the children. She, of course, was to be Mrs. Claus and even had an outfit all planned out, which now hung in a bag, in his office.
So, one could imagine Robert's surprise when he went into his office after lunch to find Anne sitting at his desk, with her head in her hands, sobbing. Alarmed, Robert walked up to her, shook her shoulder, and asked, "Hey, what's the matter?"
"Santa bailed on me," Anne wailed.
"What?"
"He cancelled on me. Now where am I going to get another Santa at the last minute? The kids are going to be so upset. It might even be the last Christmas for some of them and I'll have ruined it for them. I'll never be able to live with myself." Anne sighed dramatically and wiped the tears from her eyes, sniffling.
Robert knew the party was in two hours, she'd never find a replacement. "Well, you still have a little time. You'll figure something out."
"There's no time. I'm just going to go set up for the party. At least Mrs. Claus will be there," Anne said, as she looked at the bag that contained her costume.
"Well, listen, I have to go do hospital business for a few hours, so if I don't see you before, have fun at the party, the kids will love it." With that, Robert walked out of his office, made his way to the bottom floor, and out the door.
Anne changed into her dress, it looked just like the one Rosemary Clooney had worn at the end of the movie, White Christmas. Then she walked to the room where the party would be and started to set up the place.
*****
When the party started, Anne was a bundle of nerves, as she looked out at the sweet children all expecting to see Santa later on. They ate, sang, worked on art projects, and had the best time any of them had had in a very long time.
The time came for Santa's appearance and Anne made her way to the front of the room to make her sad announcement. "Children," she began, "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Santa's reindeer got stuck in traffic and I'm afraid he's---"
"Running late, but better late than never, right?" Interrupted a voice familiar only to Anne.
Looking up, Anne saw Robert dressed as Santa Claus, with the bag of presents in his good hand. Anne's jaw dropped almost to the floor, her eyes grew wide. Then, composing herself, Anne smiled and ran up to him. "Santa, I'm so glad you're here!"
Santa and Mrs. Claus walked up to the front of the room together. "Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!" Santa said in a loud voice. Mrs. Claus set a chair down for Santa to sit in. "Have you all been good boys and girls this year?" Asked Santa as he sat down.
"Yes!" Chorused the excited children.
"That's good to hear, because I have presents for all of you!" With that, the children cheered loudly. Together, Santa and Mrs. Claus began handing out the gifts. They both delighted at hearing the children's happy cries at opening their presents.
With what could only be described later, by Santa himself, as temporary insanity, Santa took over the party. He led the children in more songs, and told jokes and read stories. Anne made her way to the back of the room to talk with the other adults.
"Who is that?" Asked one woman, knowing that Santa had cancelled on them.
"It's Santa Claus!" Was all Anne would say.
As the party wrapped up, Santa said goodbye to all the children and left, to go deliver more presents. It took a couple of hours to clean up the room, but Anne didn't mind at all. This had been the best Christmas Eve ever, and it wasn't over yet.
Still in her dress, Anne stopped at the cafeteria on her way out. She needed a few provisions for where she was going.
*****
Parking in front of a huge house, Anne got a few things ready before she got out of the car. With her hands full, Anne slowly made her way up to the front porch. Ringing the doorbell made Gretl bark loudly. It was late, Anne hoped he was still awake. Finally, Robert came to the door, opened it.
Standing before him was Anne: red dress and red cheeks, beautiful. In one hand she held a glass of milk. In the other, a plate of cookies. "Merry Christmas Santa," she said quietly.
Blushing, Robert took the glass of milk and led her inside. Together they silently walked into his living room. They set the food down on a table and moved toward the roaring fire in the huge fireplace.
"You don't have to worry, I won't tell anybody," assured Anne.
"Thanks," Robert said, looking at the dancing flames.
After Anne had warmed up, she looked at Robert. He had been so nice to her, what could she do for him? Any present she could buy seemed unimportant compared to what he'd done. Anne began to feel awkward, something she wasn't used to feeling around Robert. She thought it best to go.
Robert walked her to the door, again in silence. As he opened the door for her, Anne turned to him, summoning up her courage. Suddenly she threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. She kissed his cheek, hugged him again, then drew back, and whispered, "Merry Christmas Dr. Romano". Then she turned around, and ran off, disappearing into the darkness.
In a daze, Robert walked back to his fireplace and sat, watching the fire die down, until the sun rose the next morning.
Out of the blue, an angry voice bellowed, "What in the hell did you do to my office!? Get off my desk, it's not a stepping stool."
Anne was so startled that she dropped the rest of the string of lights and stumbled off the desk onto the floor and stood before him. "You don't like it?" She asked him, an innocent look upon her face.
Robert looked around. It wasn't over-decorated, or tacky. In fact, it was quite elegant looking. It was just so... feminine. "It's fine," was all he could say. Anne smiled, grabbed his hand and led him around the room, showing him everything she'd done.
*****
As the next couple of weeks flew by, Anne's days were filled with Robert showing her how to do IV's, central lines, and catheters. Robert loved nothing more than to show off his abilities to someone who never ceased to be amazed by him. He also truly liked Anne; he would now consider her a friend. He'd had a soft spot in his heart for Lucy, and now for Anne as well.
Christmas Eve Day had finally arrived and Robert knew Anne would hardly be able to concentrate on anything. For weeks now, she'd been telling him all about the Pedes Christmas party she was in charge of. It had been her idea; she'd volunteered, and was very excited about it. She'd planned songs, games, and food. She'd hired a Santa to come and give out gifts to the children. She, of course, was to be Mrs. Claus and even had an outfit all planned out, which now hung in a bag, in his office.
So, one could imagine Robert's surprise when he went into his office after lunch to find Anne sitting at his desk, with her head in her hands, sobbing. Alarmed, Robert walked up to her, shook her shoulder, and asked, "Hey, what's the matter?"
"Santa bailed on me," Anne wailed.
"What?"
"He cancelled on me. Now where am I going to get another Santa at the last minute? The kids are going to be so upset. It might even be the last Christmas for some of them and I'll have ruined it for them. I'll never be able to live with myself." Anne sighed dramatically and wiped the tears from her eyes, sniffling.
Robert knew the party was in two hours, she'd never find a replacement. "Well, you still have a little time. You'll figure something out."
"There's no time. I'm just going to go set up for the party. At least Mrs. Claus will be there," Anne said, as she looked at the bag that contained her costume.
"Well, listen, I have to go do hospital business for a few hours, so if I don't see you before, have fun at the party, the kids will love it." With that, Robert walked out of his office, made his way to the bottom floor, and out the door.
Anne changed into her dress, it looked just like the one Rosemary Clooney had worn at the end of the movie, White Christmas. Then she walked to the room where the party would be and started to set up the place.
*****
When the party started, Anne was a bundle of nerves, as she looked out at the sweet children all expecting to see Santa later on. They ate, sang, worked on art projects, and had the best time any of them had had in a very long time.
The time came for Santa's appearance and Anne made her way to the front of the room to make her sad announcement. "Children," she began, "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Santa's reindeer got stuck in traffic and I'm afraid he's---"
"Running late, but better late than never, right?" Interrupted a voice familiar only to Anne.
Looking up, Anne saw Robert dressed as Santa Claus, with the bag of presents in his good hand. Anne's jaw dropped almost to the floor, her eyes grew wide. Then, composing herself, Anne smiled and ran up to him. "Santa, I'm so glad you're here!"
Santa and Mrs. Claus walked up to the front of the room together. "Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!" Santa said in a loud voice. Mrs. Claus set a chair down for Santa to sit in. "Have you all been good boys and girls this year?" Asked Santa as he sat down.
"Yes!" Chorused the excited children.
"That's good to hear, because I have presents for all of you!" With that, the children cheered loudly. Together, Santa and Mrs. Claus began handing out the gifts. They both delighted at hearing the children's happy cries at opening their presents.
With what could only be described later, by Santa himself, as temporary insanity, Santa took over the party. He led the children in more songs, and told jokes and read stories. Anne made her way to the back of the room to talk with the other adults.
"Who is that?" Asked one woman, knowing that Santa had cancelled on them.
"It's Santa Claus!" Was all Anne would say.
As the party wrapped up, Santa said goodbye to all the children and left, to go deliver more presents. It took a couple of hours to clean up the room, but Anne didn't mind at all. This had been the best Christmas Eve ever, and it wasn't over yet.
Still in her dress, Anne stopped at the cafeteria on her way out. She needed a few provisions for where she was going.
*****
Parking in front of a huge house, Anne got a few things ready before she got out of the car. With her hands full, Anne slowly made her way up to the front porch. Ringing the doorbell made Gretl bark loudly. It was late, Anne hoped he was still awake. Finally, Robert came to the door, opened it.
Standing before him was Anne: red dress and red cheeks, beautiful. In one hand she held a glass of milk. In the other, a plate of cookies. "Merry Christmas Santa," she said quietly.
Blushing, Robert took the glass of milk and led her inside. Together they silently walked into his living room. They set the food down on a table and moved toward the roaring fire in the huge fireplace.
"You don't have to worry, I won't tell anybody," assured Anne.
"Thanks," Robert said, looking at the dancing flames.
After Anne had warmed up, she looked at Robert. He had been so nice to her, what could she do for him? Any present she could buy seemed unimportant compared to what he'd done. Anne began to feel awkward, something she wasn't used to feeling around Robert. She thought it best to go.
Robert walked her to the door, again in silence. As he opened the door for her, Anne turned to him, summoning up her courage. Suddenly she threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. She kissed his cheek, hugged him again, then drew back, and whispered, "Merry Christmas Dr. Romano". Then she turned around, and ran off, disappearing into the darkness.
In a daze, Robert walked back to his fireplace and sat, watching the fire die down, until the sun rose the next morning.