Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy

Matthew, and his parents were watching “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Matthew’s life was becoming ‘wonderful’, he had been though a lot in his short time of life. Everyone thought his mother had died in a horrible train wreck/fire, but six long months later she came home. Then his father did die in a car accident (Sam and Lindsay were on their way to that cabin that Sam rented last year, and a deer ran in front of the car, Lindsay died instantly, and Sam died later at Llanview Hospital.) Now he was very happy, with his mommy, and his real daddy.

*Sniff sniff* Nora reaches behind the couch for a Kleenex. “I love this movie.”

“Mommy, why are you crying?” Matthew asked innocently.

Nora said “Matthew, sometimes happy things make people cry.”

“Mommy, you don’t have to cry, us Buchanan men hate in when women cry. Right Daddy?” Matthew was standing straight up, with his hands on his hips.

Bo looked at Nora, then at Matthew: “Son, I think you’ve been hanging around Grandpa Asa to much.”

Nora looked up at the clock. “Oh Matthew look what time it is. Time for bed.”

Matthew looked up at her, “Ahh Mom! Can’t I stay up?”

Nora smiled, “Sorry, but if you want Santa to come tonight, you have to go to bed. Because he won’t come until all little boys in the house are sleeping.”

Bo stood up. “Come on Matt, lets go upstairs and I’ll read you a story.”

Matthew sighed, “Oh OK I guess I have to go to bed huh?”

Nora smiled, “Only if you want Santa to come. You could stay up all night, but you would also be the only little boy that Santa didn’t come visit.”

Matthew started up the stairs, “You comin’ Daddy?”

Bo: “I’ll be up there in a minute son.”

Nora: “Thank you for coming to spend Christmas with us.”

Bo laughed weakly “Where else do you think I’d be Red?”

“I don’t know, but it means a lot to him, knowing everything he’s been through.” Nora turned around, and started straighten up.

Bo smiled, and looked toward the stairs “I guess I’m going to read Prince Charming his story.”

Bo asked, “What do you want me to read you Matt?”

Matthew laid down in bed, “Daddy, I don’t want you to read anything to me, I want to ask you a question.”

Bo: “OK son, I’ll try my best to answer.”

Matthew thought about it for a minute. “Why don’t you live here with Mommy and me? All of my friends parents live together, why can’t you and Mommy live together like Joey, and Mike’s parents do?”

Bo sat there, thinking of what to say, “Well Matt. You see you Mom and I used to be married, but some things
happened, and well you Mom and I are still friends, best friends. We just can’t live together anymore. But because
we can’t live together, doesn’t mean our love for you changes. I love you so much, and I know that your mom does too.”

Matthew was disappointed a little, “OK daddy. I love you too.”

Bo gets up, and heads back downstairs. Matthew starts to pray. “God, I need your help. I want my mommy and
daddy to be together, maybe get married again one day. I want us to be a family. Can you help? Oh yeah, I want Santa to bring me lots of presents too. Amen.”

Few minutes later...

What Matthew said made Bo think. What would things be like if Lindsay never came to Llanview. Then he saw her, Nora was in a chair, she changed into a T-shirt and sweat-pants. Bo just stared at her, from the stairs, he thought to himself how beautiful she looked. He just kicked himself for ever leaving her.

Nora saw Bo, “Is he sleeping?”

Bo snapped out of it, “Yeah. he’s out like a light.”

Nora went into the closet to get the presents. “Bo do you want to help?”

Bo smiled, “Sure, I’m not the best at wrapping presents, but I think I can manage.”

Nora laughed, “Why don’t you put his bike together?”

About 2:30 all the presents were wrapped, and put under the tree. Bo was getting ready to leave. Bo didn’t want to leave, and Nora didn’t want him to leave, but they didn’t say anything.

Bo looked at his watch, “Well...I guess I should be going.”

“Yeah, I guess so. What time are you coming over to get Matthew?”

“We have to be at Asa’s for 4:00.”

“Oh, are you coming over earlier?”

“I was going to come over at 7, so I can see him open all of his presents, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh no I don’t mind at all. Well goodnight Bo.”

“Goodnight Red.”

Bo didn’t want to go home alone, he wanted to be there with Nora. As he was driving home, he remembered
something. He stopped my his storage room, and pulled out that old Santa costume. Bo got an evil grin on his face, when he thought back. “I think she’d like this.” Bo got the suit, and went back to his place. Put it on, and grabbed Matthew and Nora’s presents that were under his tree. Hopped on his Harley and headed over to Nora’s.

Nora couldn’t sleep. She was laying in bed, and was rubbing the empty spot next to her bed. She imagined Bo sleeping there, turning around and kissing her. “Nora snap out of it, it’s over. There is no more Bo and Nora.” Just then there was a knock on the door. She was just in an old shirt of Bo’s, so she grabbed her robe.

“Who’s there?” she said, as she turned on the porch light. She opened the door, and Bo stood there as Santa. “Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas Red.” Nora stood there, she thought she was just imagining this. “Are you going to let me come in, or let me freeze?” Bo laughed. “Oh come in Bo. I was not expecting this.”

Meanwhile...Matthew heard the motorcycle, and saw Santa go to the front door. Matthew said “I thought Santa went down the chimney” So he tip-toed to the top of the stairs. To sneak a peek at Santa.

Bo wrapped is arms around Nora, “Merry Christmas Red.”

Nora was so happy. This is what she wanted for Christmas, Bo. “I love you.”

“Ho Ho Ho, I love you too Red.”

Matthew couldn’t hear what was being said, but all he wanted was his mom to be with his dad, not Santa. Matthew saw Santa, “He is way to thin than the show on TV, and what about the reindeer? There were none. He came on a motorcycle. I know, I’ll tell Daddy on Mommy. Yeah, then he’ll be stay here next Christmas so this doesn’t happen next year.”

Bo and Nora kissed. Nervously at first, then more and more passionately. Bo broke away, out of breath Nora said, “Bo...don’t...stop”. Bo smiled, “Like I was going to.” Nora says, “Santa, you have to wait for your present.” Bo laughed, “I don’t want to wait.” Nora laughed, “Santa behave. I’ll be right back.”

Matthew saw that Nora was heading upstairs, so he ran and jumped into his bed, and pretended to be asleep. Nora stopped in Matthew’s room to check on him. Then she went into her room. It took her a minute, but she found it. She found the thing she wore that night so many years ago.

She comes back down the stairs and goes over to Bo. “Here’s your present Santa, Merry Christmas.”
Bo takes her into his arms and they kiss passionately. They make their way upstairs, and make love. Nora woke up first, and just as she imagined, Bo turned around and gave her a good morning kiss. “We better get up, and go downstairs before Matthew runs in here and sees us like this.”

Bo and Nora go downstairs and Bo makes coffee. They share coffee when Matthew comes downstairs running downstairs to see if Santa came. They spent the morning opening presents, then Bo made breakfast for them. Later Bo had to go home to get some clothes. He came back with a suitcase with some clothes.

“Daddy, what’s that?”

Bo looks at the suitcase, “Oh this? Well Matthew after our talk last night, I talked to your mom, and she agreed. I’m going to be moving in here with you.”

Matthew: “This is the best Christmas ever!”

The End!