21. Dario

Chapter 21

Dario

It was Christmas week and work in the village had reached a fever pitch.

Chris barely made it home each night. He’d have a bite to eat, kiss me, and rush off, often taking his dinner with him. But whereas many people celebrated the big day on the twenty-fifth, once my mate returned home at dawn, he was on vacation.

I’d been going back and forth to my job, and the first time it happened, my head spun at being in one place and a second later being somewhere different. Now I was sorta used to it, though my beast said he got airsick and had to nap afterward.

But I’d started my holiday, and while Chris was so busy, I decided to decorate the house. The problem was this was Santa’s home and he visited houses worldwide, so he’d seen every decoration imaginable. I had to come up with something unique.

When Chris snatched fifteen minutes for a shower and to eat a sandwich, I asked if there was anyone who could help me with Christmas decorations.

“I want it to be a surprise when you walk in. It’ll be like nothing you’ve ever seen.”

He paused at the doorway, shoving the last of his sandwich in his mouth. “Should I be worried?”

I bopped him on the nose. “Do you trust me?”

“One hundred percent.” As he dashed out, he yelled he’d ask a retired elf, Wyn, to assist me.

I was hunched over my tablet with Max asleep at my feet when a loud knock disturbed my concentration. An elderly elf stood at the door, the bell on his hat tinkling in the wind. I ushered him in and thanked him for helping me.

“It’s my pleasure. Any elf who’s worked for Santa adores him, and we are indebted to him. Not many people on planet earth can say they’ve worked for Santa.”

After offering Wyn cocoa and cake, we got to planning.

“I love light, especially as it’s the dead of winter. And Santa’s house should be spectacular.”

“I agree. Santa never decorates his house because he doesn’t have time.”

He added that Chris usually slept all Christmas Day and beyond, which was understandable. Flying across the world and delivering presents was exhausting, not to mention the work leading up to the big day.

“Let’s start with the outside.” He sketched the house on his own tablet, his stylus speeding over the screen at a dizzying speed. He draped the roof in lights of green, pink, purple, and a touch of orange. I’d seen those lights on the sleigh ride with Chris.

“They’re the northern lights.”

He nodded and said he’d add a touch of magic so they glowed just as the real ones did.

I was thinking of having lanterns on either side of the path, but that was a little ho-hum rather than ho-ho-ho. I mentioned my idea to Wyn, and he suggested ice lanterns with candles inside.

“Won’t they melt?” The temperature was well below freezing, but with the addition of the candles, I imagined droplets of water tamping down the flames.

“Not these ones, don’t worry.”

I was so excited at how the project was coming together.

“I love snow globes,” I told Wyn and explained how the Christmas Spectacular had a snow globe making competition. “Can we make them special by showing some of Santa’s adventures?”

Wyn agreed. “Let’s add some to the mantlepiece.”

“And what if the tree had ornaments from different countries around the world, all made by children?”

“Santa would love that.”

We added stockings shaped like a reindeer head in a homage to my beast and the animals who took Santa over the world, while Max had a puppy one with a bone. Wyn also came up with floating snowflakes fluttering through the air, but they didn’t melt.

“May I suggest a magic portal?”

I didn’t like the idea of being whisked away into another dimension, especially as we wanted to be at home and not leave. Our traveling was done before the big day, and we intended to hunker down while everyone else was celebrating.

But Wyn explained it wasn’t for us to walk or jump through but so we could view Christmas being celebrated around the world.

“And he can watch the kids opening the presents he brought.” I clapped, loving the idea.

Everything we’d come up with required a little magic, so I would add my own touches after Wyn had left. We stood outside, me wrapped up in my big coat, and Wyn wove his magic. The roof glowed and mimicked the northern lights, and we walked along the path, guided by the twinkling candles in the ice lanterns.

My favorite part of the decorations inside were the snowflakes. I tried to catch them, but they were too canny and swirled away from me. I was convinced they were tittering but that might have been my imagination.

After Wyn left, I placed photos of me, Chris, and Max on the mantle, one of which was taken on the day of the Christmas Spectacular. I made the bed with Santa sheets and decorated the table with holly and ivy, along with silver plates and red napkins. And I wrapped presents and placed them under the tree.

I’d already made the gingerbread house and just had to put it together. The lemon icing was so yummy, there was more in my tummy than on the house. But when it was done, complete with candy canes and a snowman, it looked too good to eat. I’d have to make another one for us to nibble on.

Chris texted he’d be home for thirty minutes. Pleased that I’d batch-cooked two weekends ago, I heated up a meal and raced outside, wanting to see his expression when he saw what Wyn and I had done.

“Wow!” Chris studied the house. “It takes a lot to surprise me, but you’ve succeeded.”

I dragged him inside, not wanting to waste a precious minute.

“This is amazing.” He drew me into his embrace. “But the photo of us the day we met is my favorite.”

Mine too.