One day after school, two months after Charlie and Ella returned to Laura and Neil's house after their trip to the aquarium with Scott, Neil asked Charlie if he could go upstairs with Laura for a while so he could talk to Ella. Charlie did as he was told and Ella followed her stepfather into the living room.

"Is this about Daddy being Santa?" Ella asked. "I know what happened at Charlie's classroom. Charlie told me. We both know that the trip to the North Pole really truly happened."

"Ella, it's just not logical," Neil replied. "How can one man in one night visit all the children of the world?"

"Not everyone celebrates Christmas," answered his stepdaughter. "I already know about that at school." She also told Neil that Santa could have gone through some time continuum once he is in the sleigh.

"What about fireplaces?" Neil asked. "A lot of people don't have them. How does Santa visit those people?"

"He turns into Jell-O and the fireplace kind of appears. When it does, Santa turns into his old self again so he could put the presents underneath the tree."

"What about the reindeer?" Neil continued. "Have you ever seen a reindeer fly?"

"Yes. So did Charlie."

"Well, I haven't."

"Have you ever seen a million dollars?"

"No."

"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, Neil."

Neil was going to ask Ella where she heard that from when they heard a knock at the door. Laura came down the stairs just in time to see who was at the door. It was Scott.

"Hey, Laura, Neil," he greeted. "Howdy, Ella Bella."

"Hi, Daddy," Ella replied, giving her father a hug.

"You wanna take a walk?" Scott asked. "I wanna talk to you and your brother."

"Sure. I'll go get him."

"Okay. Hustle up."

Ella ran upstairs while she called, "Charlie! Daddy's here! He's going to take us for a walk in the park."

"Scott? Can I have a minute?" Neil asked.

"Sure."

Once the adults were in the living room, Neil began the conversation. "I think Charlie and Ella are conflicted at the moment."

"Wow. Really?" Scott replied."Boy. Hmm. I appreciate your analysis. I really do. But, boy, you got more important things to worry about, you know. Like, where are you gonna get more sweaters after the circus pulls outta town?"

"Scott!" Laura countered. "I mean, you're not listening. We are very concerned about this."

"Concerned about what?" Scott griped.

"This-" Laura began before Neil finished for her. "If Charlie and Ella spending time with you is the best thing for them."

Scott was about to protest when he heard Ella and Charlie coming in the room. Ella told her father that they are ready to go. The children hugged their mother and Neil and Laura told them to be home by dinner. Once the Calvin children and their father arrived at the park, Charlie asked Scott, "Do you think by next year Ella and I will be big enough to drive the sleigh all by ourselves?"

"No!" Scott answered.

"But we've been practicing."

"No, that's not what I'm talkin' about. Charlie, Ella, hold on a second. We've got to talk about this Santa Claus thing." Charlie and Ella turned around and looked at him.

"Charlie, Ella, there- there is no-" Scott hesitated.

"No what, Daddy?" Ella asked.

"There's no reason," Scott began. "Why we have to tell anybody about the North Pole."

"Why not?" Charlie asked.

"Well, sometimes some things, big things, should remain un- unsaid, like between two people-"

"Oh, you mean like a secret, right, Daddy?" asked Ella.

Scott smiled. "Yes. Like a secret. Let's keep it a secret."

"How come?"

Scott bent down and looked at his kids in the eyes. "Because of Mom and Neil. Not just because of them. There's school. Everybody thinks- Well, it's not important what they think. It-How does five bucks sound to ya?"

"Five bucks?" Ella asked, surprised. "Is that my first allowance, Daddy?"

Scott nodded, then added, "This is something I really want you to do for me. Both of you. I want to keep this secret. Will ya do that, please?"

"Okay, Dad," the kids agreed.

"All right. Great. You don't have to worry about the Santa Claus thing any more."

What Scott didn't know was that in the next few months, there will be a few surprises waiting for him.