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Dear Santa
DJ and Angie sat at the dining room table surrounded by colorful markers and construction paper.
Catherine took a seat next to the three year old who held up a red washable marker and smiled. "I draw fo' Santa, Mommy," she said before putting it to the paper.
"Good job," Catherine said as DJ grinned at her.
"I'm gonna write our letter together and then Angie can put her name and her picture in for Santa," he explained a plan the siblings had clearly devised while she was grabbing a plate of cookies.
As Angie took a bite of her cookie while drawing with her other hand, DJ placed his on his napkin and began to write.
They'd been at it a while when Steve got home and joined them. Kissing everyone hello before going to stow his weapon and badge, he snagged a cookie and ate it in one bite, making Angie giggle uproariously.
Catherine had a bright red 9 x 12 inch envelope ready for the letter and various drawings, which both kids placed inside themselves.
"We're gonna make cookies for Santa before Christmas," DJ explained to his sister as they finished their snack. "When Joan gets here so she can help."
"Santa eat da cookies," she said with a bob of her head. "He need milk, Mommy." She drank the last of hers and wiped the mustache.
"We'll have cookies and milk ready," Steve confirmed and DJ added, "And we can get a snack for the reindeer, too, right? Kaitlyn said they like healthy food and they're vegetarians like her. I remember from when we met them in New Jersey."
Catherine kissed his temple. "Absolutely. Do you remember what they like?"
He nodded, ticking off each item on his fingers. "Kale, lettuce, and cabbage."
Angie wrinkled her nose. "No cookies for da weindeews?"
"Green veggies are like a yummy cookie for them," her brother explained. "Right, Daddy?"
"Exactly right." Steve smiled. "Looks like it's almost story time, why don't you and I clean up and Mommy can get Angie in the bath?"
"Cammie, come wif me for baf," Angie asked and her furry best friend stood to follow her and Catherine upstairs. "Pun'kin, le's go." She lifted the kitten who'd been dozing on a chair. "You hwep pick da stowy wif Cammie."
DJ began stacking the markers in their craft bin. "By the time you're done me and Daddy'll be all cleaned up and I'll have my pajamas on."
Steve held out a fist to bump and the seven year old beamed, saying, "Teamwork," as his parents exchanged a smile.
Once the kids were asleep, three stories later, Catherine joined Steve on the sofa and leaned into his side. "Santa letter time," she said while carefully extracting the letter from the red envelope carefully addressed to
Santa Claus
123 Elf Road
North Pole, 88888
"123 Elf Road?" He grinned. "What happened to "Santa, North Pole?"
"We googled it," she shrugged. "Ms. Lane explained how the post offices all over the world deliver letters and your son wanted to make sure we had Santa's full address so it would get there faster."
"That's our boy," he said as she scanned the letter, holding it between them.
"Ohh, Steve, look." Catherine pointed as she began to read out loud.
Dear Santa,
It's DJ McGarrett. Last year wen I met you I wasn't affishal yet, so I got a new name now, isn't that great?
How are you? How is Mrs. Claus?
Thank you for the swim fins and walky talkys last year. I'm good at swiming now and we use the walky talkys a lot, we even take them camping.
Angie is drawing you some picturs and I'm writing for me and her cause she's 3.
Cammie would like a new pack of the big tenis balls to catch, and we got a kitten on Halloween, her name is Pumpkin cause she's orange. Can she please have a cat toy?
Mommy and Daddy like pictures so can they have a frame ornament for our tree? They can put our family picture in there.
Angie changes what she wants a lot cause she's little. I know there are so many kids for you to see so I told her to pick her favorite ones today and I'll put them in our letter.
Can she have the bouncy trampoleen game? And she wants a camo jeep toy we saw on TV. If it's too much, I can get one present if she can have those two.
I got a new family last year and it's the best family in the world so I don't need lots of stuff. If I can have a spider man action guy that would be great. Michael is gonna ask you for super man so we can play super heroes. For my other present, can we have a game our family can all play together? It can be any game you want to bring.
Mommy and Daddy are going to take us to see you at the mall again, so me and Angie will see you pretty soon.
We love you, Santa!
Love,
DJ and Angie
Catherine smiled softly and shook her head. "He asked for gifts for us again. And he put Angie's request first."
Steve kissed her temple. "He's changed so much in a year, but who he is deep down never changes."
"He's got the kindest, most unselfish heart."
"Kinda reminds me of his mother." His soft smile morphed into a playful grin. "So a new game to beat you at, hmmm?"
"Ha! No way," she teased.
"And what's that trampoline thing? It's not something she can actually bounce on is it?"
"God, no." Catherine laughed. "It's a game where you bounce pieces off a 12 inch trampoline into a bucket. Joan has one, that's where she saw it."
Nodding with a smile, he leaned in for a kiss. "Good, because this Santa's got enough grey hair already."
# End. Thanks for reading!
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