#door 5

By @cdaae

The Man Who Would Be Santa

It was their very first Christmas as a couple. Christine had always been somewhat aware that Erik hadn’t really celebrated holidays before, but she didn’t realize that he knew next to nothing about Christmas. She discovered this while they were at the mall.

They had passed by the heart of the mall where a massive holiday display had been set up and, in the center, a huge green chair and a very jolly, albeit fake, Santa. A line of parents and unruly children wound this way and that. It was noisy, it was chaotic, and it felt like Christmas to Christine. She nudged Erik. “We should get our picture with Santa.” she teased. She knew the last thing her surly boyfriend would want was to spend an hour in line amid rowdy children, just to take a photograph.

“Who the devil is Santa?” He watched the man at the center of it all as he lifted a child onto his lap and offered them a candy cane.

Christine stopped, staring at Erik. “You… you don’t know who Santais? Santa Claus? Ho ho ho?”

“I do not,” he replied, looking at her. “Should I?”

“Everyone knows who Santa is! He brings presents to good children! He flies through the night with his sleigh and his reindeer and he comes down the chimney and you leave milk and cookies for him and he gives you presents!”

“He must have skipped my house.” Erik continued walking, seemingly eager to leave the plaza now.

He hadn’t told her much of his childhood, just enough for her to know it hadn’t been pleasant. But the idea that he’d never gotten to experience Santa made her want to cry. She had to fix that.

“Well,” she followed after Erik, working very hard to keep up with his long strides. “Maybe Santa will come this year.”

“I am not a child, nor am I good.”

“You’re… kind of good… most of the time. You’re good enough for a visit from santa!”

“I’m a grown man.”

“Still.” She crossed her arms petulantly and he fell into silence.

Christmas was only a few days away so Christine made a big deal of making sugar cookies for Santa, insisting Erik help her decorate them with colored icing. He indulged her, though he wasn’t exactly pleased.

“I don’t know why you’re going to all this trouble. He’s never come for me before, he won’t now. If he even exists.”

“Of course he does! You’ll see. I wrote him a letter.”

“Where did you send this letter? How do you know where he lives?”

“I sent it to the north pole. It’s just one of those things that people know. That’s where he and his elves make all the toys.”

“He has elves?”

“Well yeah, how else would he make enough toys for all the children?”

Erik was silent but the wheels in his mind were turning. If this “santa” was, in fact, a real person, who put him in charge of Christmas? He disappeared into his office, opening up his laptop. After several hours, he felt he knew everything there was to know about this Santa Claus, and a plan was starting to form.

Erik could be a better Santa. Erik could make sure no kids were ever left out. And Erik could give better gifts too. Christine always liked his gifts, didn’t she? Yes, he felt pretty confident in his gift giving abilities.

He would need to look the part and he spent the better part of a day sewing his own santa costume. He was a far cry from plump and jolly, his red and white suit hanging off his skinny frame; He looked like someone had tried to reuse their Halloween decor by putting red and white on a skeleton, but he wasn’t going to let that deter him.

Once Christine went to bed on Christmas eve, he placed her offering of cookies and milk in the middle of the room, setting his trap. Now, he just had to wait.

The waiting took longer than he expected and he was juuuust dozing off when a loud thump from the roof woke him up. He readied himself, his eyes trained on the fireplace. He could hear something sliding down the chimney. This was it.

A cloud of smoke billowed from the fireplace and Erik desperately fanned the air, trying to clear it. He couldn’t see! He heard two heavy footsteps and sprang forward with his net, tackling something big and very plush.

By the time the smoke cleared, Erik had successfully ensnared the jolly man and he got his first real look at Santa Claus.

The man was far too big to have just slid down the chimney, with snow white hair and a kind face, though it was currently creased with anger. “Let me go!” he bellowed.

Erik crossed his arms. “Oh, you’re being let go alright. I’m going to do your job better than you ever could.”

Santa squinted at him. “Who are you?”

“I’m not surprised you don’t know me.”

“You’re Erik.”

Erik bristled. “Ok, so you know my name. Good for you.” He leaned down, picking up the red cap Santa had lost when he’d tackled him, dusting it off. “I’d better get going if I’m going to finish your route.”

“Why do you want to be me?”

“I don’t want to be you, I want to be better than you. I want to make sure no child doesn’t get Christmas because he’s born ugly. No child gets forgotten because he’s a monster.”

“I did notforget you.”

“You never came. Not once.”

“Your mother- now she was a bad egg. She would have taken anything I left for you. Presents weren’t left under the tree for you, but I left you gifts in other ways. You never ran out of clean staff paper. There was always a new book on the shelf to read. Your blankets were toasty and warm all through winter. You missed the magic of Christmas- I’m sorry for that. But I take care of my kids.”

Erik stared at him, unable to find words. There were little things he could remember, things he’d never given much thought to as a child but now… it made sense.

“I’m… I’m sorry…”

Santa smiled, a smile that felt like a warm hug, and rose, the net dissolving in little sparks around him.

“But…. how?”

Santa only winked in response.

Erik held out his hat to him and he accepted it, placing it on his head. “Now, young man. It’s off to bed with you, or I’ll have to leave coal in your stocking.”

Erik nodded and moved towards the stairs, still trying to process everything. He turned back. “Thank you…”

By @frostydaae​

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

It was two days until Christmas. The main streets of Paris were lined with shoppers and merchants alike, dressed quite festively in colors of red, green, and white.  Two young men and a young woman made their way down the road of merchants.  At a glance, one might easily mistake the three for siblings.  The two men were in fact brothers, but the young woman they were escorting had no interest in sharing the brother’s De Chagny title. The younger of the two men led the group in the direction of a jewelry shop. While the young, blonde girl made her way inside, the oldest brother, Phillipe, held his younger brother back for a moment.

“Raoul,” said Phillipe, cautiously.  “I know I have asked you this many times already, but are you sure that this is the path you want to choose?”  Raoul gave a light chuckle to his brother’s concern.

“Phillipe,” replied the youngest, “I am certain.  She is what I have been missing for all of these years.  I lost her once before, and I do not want to risk losing her again.”  Phillipe heaved a sigh and Raoul placed a hand on his older brother’s shoulder.  “I know that things will be difficult.  I know that she is not considered to be a ‘proper match’, but I am ready to deal with any torment that may be thrown my way, and shield Christine from it as well.  I just hope that you can support me in this decision, no matter your stance on the matter.”  Suddenly, a chipper voice was heard from the doorway.

“Come along, you two.  We haven’t got all day!”  Raoul had asked the young ballerina to come along with him to pick out a ring for his (hopefully) soon to be betrothed.  He had figured that since the two were best friends, Meg could serve as a proxy for Christine’s taste in style.  It also didn’t hurt that the two friends had very similar bodies, hopefully making the ring sizing a bit easier.

The two brothers entered in behind the young ballerina, making their way to the various counters, each filled with rows of jewels.  From behind the counter, an older gentleman met them and began to speak.

“Is there anything in particular you gentlemen are looking for today? Perhaps for a nice, young lady?”, gesturing towards Meg.  Raoul chuckled at this comment.

“Yes sir.  We are actually looking for a very special ring.  I am hoping to propose to my love on the upcoming holiday.” Raoul informed the older gentleman.

“I see…”, the older gentleman, Maurice said.  “I suppose you are here to give a woman’s thought then?” He said, addressing Meg once more.  Before Meg had a chance to utter a response, Phillipe butted into the conversation.

“Yes sir, and I’m afraid we are in a bit of a hurry.  This was somewhat of a last-minute decision and my brother’s train to Perros leaves in 4 hours.”  Phillipe said, hardly taking a moment to breathe.  

“Ah, I see.  There is some urgency behind this decision.  Give me just a moment then.”  Maurice disappeared behind the counter for a moment, only to come back with a small tray of jeweled rings.  “These are some of my most lovely selections.  On your left, a princess cut on a silver band.  Here in the middle, an oval cut on a gold-plated band. And on the right, another gold-plated band with a round cut opal.” Meg audibly gasped at the fine jewelry.  Raoul felt himself begin to feel even more nervous about his decision.  

“These are all lovely,” Raoul told the older gentleman, “but our relationship is not as traditional as expected.  I feel like she should have something that is unexpected, just as unexpected as to how she reentered my life.  Phillipe looked at his brother, a bit puzzled at his remarks.  Maurice gave Raoul a look, almost as if he was calculating an equation in his head.  After a moment, he finally spoke up again.  

“Give me a moment to run to the back.  I have something I think may fit the description you’re looking for.”  The three watched as the man disappeared once more, this time for a longer amount.  When he reemerged, he was holding a closed velvet box in his hands.  He sat the box down on the counter and slowly opened it.  Inside was the most perfect opal cut sapphire, sitting on a simple silver band. Raoul instinctively reached out for the item, staring in awe.  

“This ring is one of a kind.  I made it by hand myself over 50 years ago. I proposed to my wife with this ring, and it stayed on her finger until the day she died.” The older man sniffled, and it was apparent that he was holding back a few tears.  “It has been nearly 15 years since her death and I have kept it on my desk every day since.  However, I can tell that your young lady means as much to you as my Charlotte meant to me.”  Tears filled the eyes of the four in the room.  “It is time for this ring’s legacy to live on.”

“Monsieur, are you quite certain?  It is absolutely stunning and would be perfect for her, but I can’t simply take such a prized possession from you.”  The older gentleman chuckled.

“Young man, this ring has been collecting dust for nearly fifteen years now. It would be my privilege to pass it onto you.”  The two men engaged smiles.  “Mademoiselle, I assume you are here as a stand-in for the soon to be bride?”  Meg nodded her head enthusiastically. “Let us see if the ring is a fit then, shall we?”  Meg held her dainty hand out as Maurice took it in his, sliding it onto the young blonde’s finger.  The four all gasped at the near-perfect fit that was before them.  “I believe it is settled then, Monsieur.”  Meg slipped the ring off her finger, handing it back to the elder gentleman who promptly placed the ring back into its box, and the box into a separate bag.  

The two brothers and the not-sister exited the shop, quite content with the purchase they had made.  Meg bade them farewell, wishing Raoul luck as she left.  The two brothers rode in a carriage back to the family’s chateau, where Phillipe helped make sure that everything was ready to go for his brother’s trip to Perros.  

During this time, Raoul slipped the box out of the merchant’s bag, promptly slipping it into his own coat pocket.  Over the entire duration to Perros, Raoul methodically brushed his hand over the box in his pocket, checking every minute or so to make sure that it was indeed still there and had not all been a figment of his imagination.

As the train came to a stop, Raoul felt his heartbeat begin to quicken. He knew he was not even going to propose to Christine until the next day as the clock struck midnight, but the very thought of the event being so soon made him feel anxious.  He retrieved his luggage and ordered a carriage to take him to the Valerius residence.  

As the carriage rolled up to the grounds of the widowed Madame Valerius (or Mamma, as she would insist), he noticed bright green eyes peering out the window, like a child on Christmas morning peering at the white snow.  The carriage rolled to a stop and Raoul stepped out, paying the driver as he removed his luggage from the back.  Before the carriage could even pull away, the young brunette came running down the entryway to the house, tightly embracing the love of her life as if they had not seen each other in decades.  Raoul returned the embrace, just as tight.  

“Raoul!” Christine exclaimed, “I can’t believe that you’re really here! You know you didn’t have to visit me over the holiday.  You could have stayed with your family.”  The two let each other go as two servants began to bring Raoul’s luggage inside the house.  

“Christine,” Raoul said, taking hold of the young woman’s shoulders, “there is absolutely nowhere else I would rather be for Christmas than right here with you.”  As the servants made their way inside, the two shared a brief kiss.  

“Oh Raoul, you being here is present enough for me!”  Raoul once again felt as if butterflies flew around his stomach, knowing that a much bigger present would be coming her way.  The two made their way through the front door, where Raoul was eagerly greeted by Mamma Valerius.  The three shared pleasantries in the doorway before Raoul excused himself for bed.  It had been a very long day, and he would certainly need his rest for the day ahead of him.

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The next morning, Raoul was awakened by his own senses.  The curtains were still closed, but he could see the sun peeking its rays through. He wagered a guess that it was somewhere close to noon.  Feeling his stomach grumble, Raoul quickly dressed and made his way down the stairs, where he saw the two women sitting down for lunch.

“Good afternoon, sleepy-head.”  Christine giggled at her own comment. “We were wondering when you would join us.”

“My apologies, ladies.  I’m afraid the train ride must have been more tiring than I had expected.”  Raoul sat down at the table, joining the ladies in enjoying their wonderful lunch.  After lunch, Christine and Raoul decided that they would like to walk around the small, village-like area.  Dressed quite warmly, they went on their merry way.  

Making their way through the light snow, they ended up venturing a bit beyond the village, making their way into the main town square.  They visited the various shops and made a stop at one of the many cafes, deciding to each get a cup of hot chocolate while enjoying each other’s company.  After leaving one shop, they found that the doorway had been marked with mistletoe as they shared a kiss underneath.

Time grew later and the world became darker as the two journeyed back to the Valerius estate.  Mamma Valerius was already rushing around, preparing to leave for Christmas Eve mass.  Raoul looked at his watch, noticing that the time was just close to 7 o’clock.  They had most definitely not meant to spend that much time out, but they were both grateful for every moment of it.  The two made their way to their respective rooms, changing into different clothing, more suited for a church setting.

After finishing, the two made their way down to the dining room once more, where Mamma Valerius was waiting for them to join her for dinner. The three took their time, enjoying their delicious dinner.  As the sky grew to be fully dark, Mamma Valerius made her way outside to order a carriage to take them into town for Christmas Eve mass.

As the carriage pulled up, Raoul realized that he had left his coat upstairs in his bedroom.  He ran up quickly to grab it, checking once more to make sure the ring remained in the pocket.  The three made their way to the church as many gathered outside of the doors.  For some reason or another, the main church in Perros decided that they would hold their Christmas Eve mass earlier in the evening; perhaps to allow families with small children to still be put to bed at a reasonable time.  

Mamma Valerius sat between the two hopeless romantics during the service, and Raoul could not be more grateful for it.  He could not seem to stop squirming, checking the pocket of his coat as it lay next to him seemingly every other second now.  The three joined in hymns, Christine’s voice noticeably shining through the chorus of those in worship.  There were a few different times that Raoul simply stopped singing to enjoy the beauty of Christine’s voice.  To him, there was no one else in the room but her.  As they were seated again, the two caught a glance of each other, both blushing as they settled back into their seats.  

The time neared 11 o’clock as the service let out.  Many stayed behind to chat with each other, whereas Raoul was determined to make his way back to the estate with time to spare before midnight.  The three rode in the carriage back to the estate, as time seemed to move in slow-motion for Raoul.  He had now gone from not only checking his pocket for the ring box but also checking his watch every few minutes.  Thankfully, Christine had fallen half-asleep, rested against his shoulder, and did not notice his nervous behavior.  

As the carriage jolted to a stop, it took all of the self-control Raoul had to not burst from the carriage and run inside the property.  He remained calm as he escorted the two ladies inside the house.  By then, Christine had woken up a bit more than she had been in the carriage.  As Mamma and Christine made talk about various people they had seen at the service, Raoul excused himself to go and dress for bed.  As he changed into his nightclothes, he sat by the door, eagerly awaiting Christine’s footsteps.  

After a few minutes of waiting, he heard the pitter-patter of delicate footsteps making their way up the large staircase.  He knew that he needed to give Christine a few more minutes in order to change into her own nightclothes.  Raoul made his way to the balcony of the guest room, looking up at the night sky.  He had taken the ring out of his coat pocket and inserted it into the pocket of his pajama pants.  He took it into his hands once more, opening it to look at the beautiful sapphire jewel that sat on top of the silver band.  He thought back on the older gentleman that had parted with such an important memory of his departed wife and Raoul wished that he could be everything that Christine wanted and needed to have his wife adore him as much as Maurice’s wife must have.  Raoul looked to the sky once again.

“Monsieur Daae,” he began, hoping the soul of Christine’s father could hear his words.  “I know I have already spoken to you on this matter, but tonight is the night I am going to ask your daughter to marry me. I know I cannot even begin to replace the role of being the most important man in her life, as I believe that position will belong to you forever.”  Raoul lightly chuckled before becoming more somber. “Monsieur Daae, I love your daughter so much.  I cannot even begin to put it into words the feelings I carry for your sweet girl.  I only wish you were still with us so that I could speak to you, face-to-face.  So that you could share in what will hopefully be her excitement, as well as being able to walk her down the aisle.” Raoul heaved a great sigh.  “I only hope I can make her as happy as you once did.  Thank you for allowing me to do this sir.”  

Raoul suddenly realized how bitterly cold it was outside, so he made his way back into the room, shutting the balcony doors behind him.  He supposed that Christine must be dressed in her nightclothes by now, so he checked his pajama pocket once more for the ring box as he turned the handle of the door.  He made his way across the hall to Christine’s bedroom.  He noticed his hand shaking as he raised it to knock on her door.  He took another deep breath, hoping that would calm him down a bit more, knocking lightly on her door.

“One moment!” Christine’s light voice echoed into the hallway.  She opened the door to reveal herself in a beautiful flowing nightgown colored in the shade of light rose.  “Raoul!” She exclaimed, quickly closing the door.  Raoul became very confused at this but was relieved as the door reopened a few moments later, Christine now wearing a white dressing gown on top of her beautiful nightgown. Raoul cleared his throat.  

“Ch-Christine, would you care to join me downstairs for a cup of tea?”  Raoul asked, a slight quiver in his voice.

“Now?” She replied, a bit surprised.  She glanced back into her room to see her clock.  “Why Raoul, it’s nearly midnight.” Replied Christine as she feigned concern for propriety.  Raoul began to stammer and shuffle a bit.  She giggled to herself and said “Raoul, I jest.  I would love nothing more than to enjoy a cup of tea with you.  Raoul let a sigh of relief out, hoping he had not let onto what he had planned for the evening.  As Christine closed her bedroom door behind her, Raoul held out his arm as Christine took hold of it, making their way down the stairs.

By the time the two had reached the kitchen, Raoul was finding it even more difficult to keep himself from shaking with anxiety.  Christine poured them each a cup of tea as Raoul took a seat in the parlor. For a final time, Raoul brushed his hand across the pocket to check for the ring box.  A moment later, Christine made her way into the parlor, carrying a tray with the full teacups, sugar, and milk, setting it down on the table in front of them.  Christine poured a tiny bit of milk into her tea as Raoul sipped his, hoping to quench some of the thirst his anxiety had brought upon him.  After a few moments of silence, Raoul finally found his voice once more as he cleared his voice.

“Christine…” He stopped in his tracks before he could say any more.  What if he messed this whole event up?  What if he couldn’t find the right words?  As these thoughts entered his mind, he heard a voice that was seemingly behind him say:

“Do not worry so much, child.  You know Christine as well as I do.  Your heart knows the words you want to say.  Lead with your heart.” Raoul whipped his head around, searching for the source of the voice.

“Yes, Raoul?  Are you alright?”  Raoul turned back to face the woman that he loved once more.  

“Yes, my love, I thought I heard something is all.”  Raoul cleared his throat once more.  “Christine, I promised you many months ago that I would guide, guard, and love you forever.  I know they may have seemed like simple words of a fool in love, but I want you to know that I meant every word that I spoke that night, as well as every word I have spoken since.”  Christine looked lovingly into his eyes.

“And I as well, Raoul,” she said, smiling sweetly.

“I am glad to hear that you return the sentiment..  Oh, Christine…” Raoul said as he stood from the couch, walking across the room, his eyes on the clock, which was now only a minute away from midnight. “What I am trying to say is that…” he searched for the right words to say once more.  “Is that I am completely enamored by you and everything that you do.  Your smile, the way you love others, the way you love me.  The way you find a way to turn any situation into a positive one.”  He turned around to face her again as the clock struck midnight.  He stared at her in awe, fishing the box from his pocket as the chimes rang through the parlor.  As the chimes subsided, he made his way to kneel in front of the beautiful woman that he loved.

“Christine Daae,” he began, “will you marry me?”  By this time, tears were streaming down Christine’s face as Raoul opened the box for Christine to see.  She gasped when she saw the ring inside.  It was absolutely perfect in her eyes, although Raoul very well could have presented her with a piece of twine and she would have been just as happy.  For a moment, Christine could produce nothing but sobs from her mouth.  Tears now fell from Raoul’s eyes as well.

“Yes,” Christine whispered. The word was so faint that Raoul swore that he had merely imagined it.  He knew that it was not so as he heard the word many times following the first.  “Yes, yes, yes, yes yes!  A million times yes!”  The two continued to cry as they joined together for a kiss.  This kiss was unlike any other they had shared before.  This kiss was nothing but the purest form of love and affection two people could ever have for each other.  After what felt like a heavenly eternity, the two pulled apart.

“Oh, Raoul.  I didn’t think that this holiday could get any better.  All I wished was for you to be with me.”  She smiled so much that it nearly caused her pain.  “I feel guilty though,” she said as Raoul removed the ring from the box, revealing a perfect fit to Christine’s dainty finger.

“Why is that, my love?” Raoul questioned with a worry in his voice, wiping another tear from his new fiancee’s cheek.

“I have no gift for you that can match what you have given me tonight.” A few more tears fell from her eyes as Raoul wiped each one away, kissing her soft forehead.  

“Christine,” Raoul leaned in for another kiss, which Christine gratefully accepted.  As they pulled apart, Raoul continued to look deep into Christine’s emerald eyes.