Filed to story: Luci Forrester and Easton Reed: Hockey Romance Story
“No, I’ll be fine. Syd is in my next class, and I’ll get a handle on it,” I assure him as we part ways. They make sure to surround me as we leave class, a protective barrier that I appreciate.
Syd keeps me on track in the next class, but by the following one, my concentration is completely shot. My phone vibrates in my bag, and I quietly place it on my lap, hoping for a distraction.
Refocus, sweetness. (Send me a thumbs up proving you saw this.)
A smile creeps across my face, and I leave the message on my lap. Ten minutes later, I receive almost the same message again. He repeats it every ten minutes throughout the rest of my classes, and I realize he knows my schedule far too well.
You are the best. I send him back as I leave campus to head home, blinking back tears when I recall how he kept checking in during my second class.
When I collect Cole and Barrett, I notice them whispering conspiratorially in the backseat, their excitement palpable. “What are you two up to back there?” I finally ask, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
“Luci, could we go have our snack and then visit Santa at the downtown square? We got a letter in class today. He’s there every afternoon this week, and we need to talk to him,” Barrett pleads, his big eyes shining with hope.
“Your dad usually takes you on the weekend, Barrett. Don’t you want to wait?” I ask, trying to reason with them, but both boys shake their heads vigorously.
“We need to go both times, Luci. And we need to go early,” Cole insists, his voice filled with urgency. “Please, Luci!”
“Let me text your dads for their okay.” As soon as we reach the door, I quickly send a message to Easton and Banning. Sydney, as an afterthought, texts back saying she’ll join us if we can leave soon. Both guys agree, and I turn to Baker, asking if we can take their snacks to go. He obliges, as always. “I’ll give you the key, Luci, since I’ll be gone when you return and Mr. Reed will be out.”
Sydney messages me to meet her by the line for Santa. This Santa looks incredibly authentic, and I watch as the boys eagerly approach the front of the line. “You can’t listen, Luci, okay?” Barrett tells me seriously. “You either, Aunt Syd.”
We hold up our hands in mock surrender. “We solemnly swear not to,” we say in unison, and they burst into laughter.
“We go together, Barrett,” Cole declares, and they march up to Santa, speaking earnestly. I frown heavily as I observe, feeling a mix of curiosity and concern.
“Hey, your annual dislike for Santa is showing, Luci Lou,” Syd whispers to me, and I quickly adjust my expression, trying to hide my feelings.
While we wait, Syd receives a text. As she checks it, I mumble, “They either have a complicated item or a list three miles long. I think they’re up to something.”
“Janie turned in our lab project early, and the TA said we can skip tonight since finishing final projects was tonight’s assignment. I can join you for dinner and a movie,” Sydney says, doing a quick happy dance.
“Santa, we really need your help,” I tell him after he greets us and we introduce ourselves.
“Well, that sounds urgent,” the bearded man replies, turning on his listening ears.
“My friend Barrett doesn’t have a mommy. Me either. But I know the one I want. Her name is Luci, and she loves me a lot,” I rush to explain, feeling a sense of urgency.
Barrett nods vigorously. “She does. And my dad needs someone to love him a lot like he loves me.”
Santa looks between us, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “That’s a big order, boys. I can’t deliver something like that by Christmas. It’s too soon.”
A wave of sadness washes over me at his words. “But what I can do is promise that I will keep an eye out for someone perfect to be your mom. And when it’s time for your dads to meet them, they will show up,” he assures us.
“Okayyyy, Santa,” I reply, feeling a glimmer of hope.
“Got it, Santa,” Barrett echoes, though he still looks a bit downcast.
“Don’t be too sad. They might arrive sooner than you think. But until then, love your dads and remember that you are important to them. I will do my best. Now, what else would you like on your list?”
The fact that he’ll do his best fills me with warmth because Santa’s best is truly something special.
Barrett and Cole leave Santa with big smiles, and I refrain from asking what they wished for. “Did you get to talk to him enough?” I ask instead, genuinely curious.
“Yes. Thank you, Luci,” Cole replies, looking pleased.
Luci glances between them suspiciously. “You were up there for a long time.”
“Big wishes take a lot of time to discuss,” Barrett informs us, and I exchange worried glances with Luci. Usually, Luci and I handle most of Barrett’s Christmas shopping if Banning is away too close to the holiday. We had asked him to make a list on Thanksgiving, and he did, but now I worry about what he might have added that’s so significant.
“How about we grab dinner here?” I suggest, and their faces light up with excitement. We take them to a burger joint, letting them order cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes. “Have you written your letter to Santa in school yet?” I ask, hoping to glean more about their wishes.
“We did today,” Barrett informs us eagerly.
Cole nods in agreement. “This week we did.”
I share a relieved look with Luci. This could be a way to find out what else Barrett wants. After they finish eating, we allow them to run around the small park in the square for about thirty minutes until it’s too dark to continue.
“Let’s go get baths, and then we get to watch a movie in the game room. I got permission from your daddy,” Luci announces, and they cheer with delight. Barrett rides with me back to the Reed house, where Baker has left the lights on for us. After their baths, Luci turns on an animated, hour-long Batman Christmas movie. They curl up on giant bean bag beds, their little bodies sinking into comfort as they happily watch. The long day takes its toll, and they both fall asleep after just thirty minutes. We leave the movie playing softly as I turn to Luci, pinning her down with my question.
“Now that they’re asleep, do you want to tell me why you still have such an aversion to Santa? You didn’t go with us last year to visit him, and I figured with Cole being so excited, you would have gotten over it. What gives, Luci? You’ve always refused to tell me.” My concern is evident as I watch her, hoping she’ll finally open up.
I glance over at the boys, ensuring they’re settled in before I turn my attention back to Sydney. My voice drops to a whisper, a habit I’ve picked up over the years. “You know, this time of year has never really sat well with me. For a long stretch, I even found myself dreading Christmas. It wasn’t until your mom and Janet stepped in that I began to see the season in a different light. They revealed to me the magic that twinkles in the air during this time. But Santa? He’s never been my favorite character. For kids like Cole and Barrett, who are surrounded by love and warmth in their families, Santa is a delightful tale. But for children like me, growing up in the system, Santa becomes a harsh reminder that we aren’t part of that fairy tale.” Sydney, ever the patient listener, simply takes my hand in hers, her silence encouraging me to continue.
“When I was six, everything changed for me the day after Thanksgiving. I was sent to live with the Traylors-Rachel and Barry, who had a seven-year-old daughter named Lana and a nine-year-old son, Sam. The Christmas before that, I was with a family that didn’t celebrate the holiday, so I had no real memories or understanding of what Christmas truly was, aside from the dazzling lights and the colorful decorations that adorned the streets. I remember the second weekend I was with the Traylors; they were buzzing with excitement, eager to take us to one of those drive-through Christmas light parks. I can still picture what I wore that night: a cozy green sweater paired with a red plaid skirt, glimmering with threads of green and gold. It was as if the colors themselves were celebrating the season, and I felt a flutter of anticipation as I recounted it to Sydney.