Day Nineteen - Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Character: Tamaki Suoh (10 years old)

Genre: Family/Angst

Triggers: None

Tamaki nervously shuffled his feet as he stood patiently in line, having been for the past hour. Soft voices chatted in excited whispers from the children who stood before and behind him, some reading off their handwritten lists and some daring to complain about the long wait. Tamaki, however, stood perfectly still and remained perfectly quiet.

He's made it this far, worked hard all year, and he wouldn't risk ruining his one chance now. Not when he was this close.

Every few minutes allowed the children to take a step forward. Some inhaled sharply with impatience and others silently cheered in anticipation. Tamaki kept his mouth closed as he rehearsed the words on his mind, mulling over them syllable by syllable, finding the perfect rhythm that could coarse even the Grinch to lend an ear.

Seconds tuned into minutes, steps turned into strides, nervous chatter turned into silence. The closer he got the more everything calmed. The back of the line felt similar to a field trip on a school bus but nearing the front of the line felt more surreal, more serious.

He could better see the red velvet lining the couch, the glittering snowflakes strung from an arch, and the many intricate pine needles between the many reflective ornaments and beaded garland. It was all so beautiful, so festive, so happy.

So real.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Tamaki found himself next in line.

He watched as the child before him slid off the couch and ran toward her guardian waiting beyond the snow covered fence. An elf nudged Tamaki's shoulder and led him to the man in red, silently waiting with a cheery smile.

He must be real, Tamaki thought, after all this time he's still smiling. He must be real.

Santa lifted Tamaki onto his lap by his underarms and allowed a second for him to balance himself. Once Tamaki looked up with an expectant smile Santa cleared his throat.

"Hello little boy, what's your name?"

"René Tamaki Richard de Grantaine." Tamaki said.

"And were you a good boy this year?" Santa asked.

Tamaki nodded his head enthusiastically and answered proudly, "Yes! I've been very good."

"Oh?" Santa chuckled, "How good?"

Tamaki had prepared for this. He took a deep breath, "I clean my desk every day after school, I kiss my teddy goodnight every night, and I play the piano for my mother every day."

Santa nodded as he listened, "My, my, you have been a good boy. Alright, you've made the list my boy. Now tell me what you'd like for Christmas."

Tamaki looked down at his hands for a moment before speaking, "I want my mom to get better."

Santa was taken aback, quietly waiting for the small blonde to continue his dear wish.

"I want her to get her health back. She's always laying in bed. She can't garden like she used to." A single tear rolled down his cheek but Tamaki gathered his strength and continued, "I want her to be well again. Please, that's all I want."

"Mmm," Santa hummed, his eyes staring blankly in the air as he searched for an answer - any answer - anything to console a troubled child.

"You're real, you can do it." Tamaki whispered, breaking the silence. "I believe in you Santa.

Santa, having thought quickly, smiled and patted Tamaki's head. "Of course my boy, only because you were so good this year."

Tamaki grinned from ear to ear and slid off Santa's lap, happily heading toward the exit. He didn't turn to see Santa's worried expression.