Page 125 of Santa Daddies

When we remember and think of all we hold dear.

On trees we hang tinsel and ornaments then adorn them with stars,

As families and friends gather and celebrate, coming from near and far.

Pretty ribbons and bows hold our presents concealed,

Until Christmas morn when it’s time for secrets to be revealed.

No matter how many gifts I might find beneath our tree,

There’s only one present that holds the very heart of me.

Her smile is brighter than any string of lights,

Her giggles and love fill both my days and my nights.

From the moment I met eyes of forest green, and saw her auburn-hued curls,

I knew she had the power to change—to become–my entire world.

With grace and beauty my babygirl has blessed me each day,

And now I ask for her to please look my way…

I slowly lifted my head to see that my Daddy had returned, but not to sit beside me, but to kneel on one knee before me. He held a box that I could barely see for the tears that filled my eyes and flowed down my cheeks.

“Marcella Christine McKinley, I love you so much it hurts, but I would rather hurt for the rest of my life than to go a single moment without you. I love you with everything that I am. I can never tell you how much of me you have claimed, how deeply I love you, but I promise you, I will spend every day for the rest of my life trying to be worthy of the incredible woman, the loving, fabulous Little you are. Please, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“Oh, Daddy!” I cried, launching off the couch and into his arms, well, once he’d managed to wrap them around me after I’d knocked him over when I fell on top of him. But as those arms I never wanted to ever feel dropping away tightened around me, I said, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, oh, Santa Daddy, I love you so much my heart hurts, but I too would rather hurt every day than spend a single second without you holding me. I promise to love you every moment of every day for the rest of my life.

I wasn’t too sure he understood all I’d said as the words came out in bits and spurts among laughter and tears and giggles and pure unadulterated shock that this was even happening. We’d never discussed marriage, and I had been okay with that. But once again, he’d proven to know my heart better than I knew it myself. And it turned out my Santa Daddy was pretty good at decoding cryptic words as well because he managed to notonly sit up, but to arrange me on his lap and open the box I’d completely forgotten about.

“Hand, please, the future Mrs. Austin Carey.”

I giggled and stuck my hand out and then all giggles stopped at the same time as my heart when he slid the ring from the box onto my finger. It was a beautiful pink opal surrounded by diamonds that glittered beneath the lights of the tree.

“Oh, Daddy, it’s perfect,” I whispered, almost afraid it would disappear.

He chuckled, closed my fingers and then brought hand to his lips and kissed the stone.

I found my giggle again. “Does it taste like peppermint, Daddy?”

“It tastes better than peppermint, babygirl.”

I tried to mimic him by arching my brow but was pretty sure it was only my nose that scrunched. “What tastes better than peppermint, Daddy?”

He cupped the side of my cheek. “Peppermint covered in love.”

“Oh, Daddy, you’re the most romantic Daddy in the whole wide universe. I will love the future husband of the future Mrs. Austin James Carey forever and always.”

“I think I need to hear that again,” he said with a smile that had my heart jumping.

“Why, are you getting hard of hearing?”

He shook his head. “No, babygirl, but perhaps you need to check your memory if you’ve already forgotten my promise.”

He’d made so many promises, I was a bit unsure of which one he meant until he said, “Ho-ho-ho,” which had me breaking into a huge ear-to-ear smile.

“You’re checking it twice.”

“Exactly, now if you please?”

Reaching up, I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him to within a hairsbreadth from my lips and then whispered, “I will love the future husband of the future Mrs. Austin James Carey forever and always.”

“Pinkie-promise?”

“Oh, yes,” I whispered back, hooking my pinkie with his as our lips met to seal the promise with a kiss.

The End