Chapter 40

“Ok, does everyone have everything?” called Paul. Garment cases were checked, purses and wallets checked, “Good to go,” said Andi. “Lucy will meet us there.”

The family started out the back door when the twins shouted “STOP!” in unison.

“What’s the matter girls?” asked Andi, worried it could be something serious.

“Santa! We forgot a letter to Santa!” The twins were nearly in tears, which would ruin their pretty dresses.

Andi sounded a bit perturbed. “Oh, for crying out loud...”

Paul raised a hand in an ‘I got this’ manner. “Ok girls let’s do this quick,” and he led them into the library. In the corner was a small desk. Paul sat and drew out a piece of paper and said, “Ok, let’s start this with ‘Dear Santa, we’ve been incredibly good this year’ is that good?”

The girls nodded enthusiastically.

“Ok, just tell me the things you want the very most. Just not a horse or a pony or any other pet, Wonka will get jealous.” The girls called out several items that were based on Disney’s most recent releases, many of which lay wrapped in the basement. Paul jotted everything down and said “Ok, sign here,” as he gave the girls a pencil and they actually did a good job writing their own names. “And we just need an envelope...” he started looking around for an envelope, “and we send it to Santa the fast way.” He looked around, then said, “Hang on, I have an envelope in my office,” and he ran upstairs as quickly as possible. In his office, he grabbed a legal envelope and put a piece of paper in it while putting their letter in his pocket.

Returning downstairs, he walked over to the fireplace in the library with a twin escort. “What happens here is that the letter burns, the smoke goes up the chimney to the North Pole where Santa pushes it back together into a letter.”

“Wow” was all they could say, and soon their letter, envelope, and all lay burning in the fireplace and on its way to Santa.

Andi got the satisfied girls moving toward the exit and whispered to Paul, “That was some quick-thinking soldier.”

“Wait until tomorrow morning when the real magic happens.”

“There better be some magic before tomorrow morning,” she purred into his ear.

“Trust my magic wand.”

“I love it when you talk dirty to me.”