My Sweet Canadian Girl Ch. 10

"I know you're only kidding," I said before she could when she opened her mouth again.

"Your mom is the best," Cassie said. "Some of the things on the list I'd already thought of but there were plenty of good ideas."

"She just wants to make sure our first Christmas together is a special one. Like she said we should spoil each other while we can," I said.

"Oh Dickie," Cassie said throwing her arms around my neck for a kiss. "If I'm pregnant by next Christmas that would be the perfect present."

I didn't say anything after that, choosing to hold her in silence instead. She'd left the rest unsaid herself; the fact that her father would need to accept me as the man she'd chosen to spend her life with soon for her wish to have any chance of coming true. Cassie was such a sweet and wonderful woman that she deserved to have everything her heart desired. I'd kiss his feet if that's what it took, I'd eat endless amount of his abuse and bullshit, then ask for more. There was no end to what I was willing to do and put up with to give her whatever she wanted. Knowing he was the only thing standing in the way of his daughter's happiness left me angry, confused, and sad. How could anyone who claimed to love her be so cruel?

When Cassie released me from her patented tight hug she could see the steely look in my eyes and knew what I was thinking. She kissed me once more and said everything would work out fine. Holding her hand out to me, she led me to the bathroom where we showered together, forgoing sex until this evening when we went to bed with Christmas dreams and wishes in our minds. We got dried and dressed quickly so there would be time for breakfast and sat down to eat porridge, dotted with raisins, and a banana each before it was time to leave.

"Did you want me to drop you off at work?" I asked.

"That would be nice. Don't forget the party starts at four o'clock so we'll need to deliver the other gifts before that," she reminded me for the hundredth time.

"I know," I said smiling at her.

"You have the costume ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes," I said.

"And don't forget to bring the cookies," she added.

"I won't," I promised.

"And..."

"Cassie have I ever let you down?" I asked.

"What?" she asked stunned by question. "Of course not."

"Then what makes you think I'll start today when all those kids are counting on me too?" I asked.

"I'm sorry," she said touching my arm.

"There's nothing to be sorry for sweetie but I don't want you worrying all day," I said.

"I just want everything to be perfect for the kids today," she said.

"It will be," I assured her and her confident smile returned moments before she kissed me.

I dropped Cassie off at the hospital and headed straight to the nearest mall. Even if I didn't find anything there would still be plenty for her under the tree but something told me to go buy her one more present when I woke up that morning. Nothing could have prepared me for the madness I faced at the mall. The crowds, the noise, and the heat all quickly got to me. I'd been through the malls so many times in the last few weeks that I didn't think there was anything new to see anyway.

In desperate need of some fresh air, I left the mall and went outside for a walk. It was a cold day but the crisp air was refreshing. I kept a close eye on my watch as I wandered the streets smiling at the bustling crowds. When I passed a father with two young kids I overheard him telling them to keep an eye out for one last gift for mommy and couldn't help but envisioning me doing the same one day. Knowing there was one more prefect gift out there waiting for Cassie filled me with purpose as I wandered the downtown streets window-shopping in my quest for it.

With time running out before I had to head home and get dressed in my Santa suit, I made a turn down one last street on my way back to the car. There right before my eyes was an art studio that sold prints and some original works of local artists. It was so perfect there should have been a beam of light shinning down on it from the heavens. Rather than waiting for that, I hurried inside knowing I didn't have long to find something. They had a big sign that boasted a Christmas sale on framed prints by Canadian artists and I knew right away I had to get her one. There was one artist in particular she loved but in my haste to recall his name it escaped me. I grew frantic until I remembered that her favorite Hip song Three Pistols was about him. I don't know which she fell in love with first, the song or the painter, but the important thing was that I remembered she loved them both. The tune filled my head and the first line of the song gave me the name I needed, 'Tom Thompson came paddling past, I'm pretty sure it was him.'

"Can I help you?" the guy with dark rimmed glasses behind the counter asked.

"Tom Thompson," I said as if that said it all.

"We have several prints of his works. Anything in particular you had in mind?" he asked.

"Name some of his paintings," I said.

"Well there's The Jack Pine that's his most fam..."

"That's the one," I said feeling bad for cutting him off but there wasn't much time. Soon as he said it I could remember Cassie mentioning it as her one of her favorite paintings by him or anyone. "Sorry but I'm in a rush. Do you have one framed? I need it for today if possible."

"That's a pretty popular painting, we might have one in the back let me check," he said stepping away. No more than five minutes later he returned with it in his hands. "Your lucky day, we had one framed copy left."

"I've never see it before but my wife will love it," I said with a wide smile.

I waited for him to wrap it in thick brown paper and left with it under my arm. Checking my watch I saw that I was running a little late now, not late for delivering the gifts but late for my planned arrival time. I still had enough time to make it there almost an hour early. Mine was the most important and thrilling job of the day; I got to go from room to room delivering gifts all over the hospital. I was hoping none of the kids from our regular play night would recognize me as Santa. The parents had been asked to write down one thing for their child so we could make sure they got what they wanted and that we wouldn't buy them something they were already getting. Last week Cassie and some of the other nurses went to a toy store to spend the donated money and I went along to help.

Back at our apartment I got dressed in the Santa suit but realized I was going to have a hard time driving with my pillow stuffed red coat in the way. I took it all off again and took it with me to get dressed at the hospital. Cassie's shift had ended at noon so by the time I arrived she was already getting things organized. She was dressed in her own red Christmas outfit now looking so beautiful I had to remind my cock this wasn't the time or place for that. I stood back and watched her rush around the room full of presents with a smile on her face as she divided the gifts into one pile for the party and another that would need to be delivered to rooms for kids who couldn't come to the party. There were other nurses there too, along with some of the doctors, and parents. With Cassie involved there were no shortage of volunteers to help.

"Ho, ho, ho," I said in my best Santa voice making her spin around.

"You're here already," she said as if that surprised her. "That's a good Santa voice," she added with an impressed smile.

"I practiced as much as I could," I explained.

"You're the best," she said hugging me.

"No you are sweetie, I just try to keep up," I said with a kiss on her forehead. "Now what can I do to help?"

"You should get dressed in the suit so we can start delivering some of the gifts now," she said. "It'll take a while to get to them all."

I went to get dressed and came back to present myself to Cassie for inspection. She smiled at me, then straightened my beard and adjusted my pillows to improve my appearance. I felt a little nervous when we left with the first cart loaded with gifts but Cassie was with me so I knew everything would work out fine. Before entering each room, Cassie would tell me the child's name and something about them to give me an opening line when I stepped inside. I remember thinking the first night I accompanied Cassie to play night that they looked at me like a superhero because I was with her, but that was nothing compared to this. There was awe and reverence etched on their little faces from getting their own personal visit from Santa just a day before Christmas.

Our gift giving led us throughout the hospital and well out of my comfort zone in the recovery ward where Cassie worked. We passed through floors of kids who were newly admitted, their prognosis uncertain. Sweet, innocent children who looked completely out of place in their sterile hospital beds. It was one thing to come play with children on their way to recovery, but to see these kids was heart wrenching. I hoped my fake beard and glasses were hiding the tears in my eyes because it was my job to lift their spirits. They all wanted to hug Santa and sat on their beds with them to let their parents take a picture if they wanted. Seeing the mothers cry and the fathers trying their best not to was extremely hard to deal with. At one point Cassie and I had to take a break to compose ourselves before we could deliver the next cart of presents.

We left the hardest ones for last. Cassie pulled me aside before we loaded up the last cart. She warned me that some of the kids we'd be delivering them to were terminal patients and the others were dangerously ill. There in the nurses' lounge, I gathered her into my arms and hugged her tight, whispering a little prayer that I'd have the strength to make it through without letting my emotions overwhelm me. She offered to get one of the male nurses or a doctor to play Santa for a bit if I couldn't handle it but there was no way I could let her go without me. As we loaded up the cart I felt the responsibility of bringing a merry Christmas to children who may never see another one weigh on me and embraced it. I knew that every day I'd spent with my sweet Canadian girl had been preparing me in one way or another to have the compassion I needed to deliver those presents.

I can remember thinking how lucky we were that Cassie had been given a position in the recovery ward but when the kids we visited knew her by name it didn't surprise me at all. It was easy to think of Cassie as my sweet, vulnerable wife who needed someone strong like me to protect her. Seeing how willing she was to throw her emotions into peril made me realize how strong she was. There was love for these dangerously sick kids in her heart and she needed to share it with them. I let her go into each room before me and entered when she called for the special visitor to enter. Even the teenagers who knew there was no such thing as Santa Claus smiled when they saw me because they believed in the spirit of Christmas at least. It was the younger ones who touched me the most though. Their eyes as wide as saucers as the man they'd been good for all year showed up a day early with a special gift just for them.

There was one little girl I'll never forget. She look tiny and frail but she sat straight up in her bed when Santa entered her room .Her name was Gabriella and she was just six years old. When I called her by her name she told me it was okay to call her Gaby because all her friends did in a matter of fact voice that made Cassie and her parents laugh. I told her I brought a special gift for today but wanted to make sure I had the rest of her list right. With big brown eyes that could melt the hardest of hearts, she said the only thing she wanted was a hug from Santa. Gaby pressed her little face into my beard and tried to hug with arms that couldn't come close to reaching about my pillowed girth. I ducked lower and for just a moment her tiny arms seemed to hug me around the neck with the same strength Cassie used. Gaby whispered a thank you to me, Santa Claus, for bringing joy to all the less fortunate boys and girls. I think about her often, especially at Christmastime, but I've never been able to ask Cassie about her. As long as I don't know any better it's easy to believe that she made a miraculous recovery with many more Christmases to celebrate yet.

After the emotionally draining experience of delivering the last batch of gifts I definitely needed a break. Cassie and I sat together holding hands and comforting each other. It felt good knowing we'd brightened their days but seeing children you knew would be lucky to see another Christmas, much less the chance to grow up, was sobering. You read stories about parents disowning their children when they found out they were homosexual or overburdening them with the pressure to excel at sports or academics, as if that meant everything. I wish those people could see what I'd seen so they could get a small taste of what it really felt like to lose everything from parents who faced it everyday.

Cassie needed to go join the party and left me behind to relax for now. Santa wasn't making his appearance at the party for the play night regulars until the end when it was time to distribute the gifts. I was looking forward to seeing those familiar faces again. The parents there wore solemn looks sometimes but for the most part they walked around with expressions of relief from having been close to unthinkable pain only to end up in the recovery ward with a child who had beaten the odds. If I could have any Christmas wish, it would be to see every child we visited earlier in the day pass through the recovery ward over the next year.

When I got to the party I was greeted with a huge cheer from the kids. Sitting in a big chair, I called them one by one to receive their gifts as Cassie handed them to me from my red sack. I didn't need her whispers in the hallway here, not when kids I knew so well surrounded me. Some of my special little play night friends sat on my lap and never recognized me. Seeing them made me think about some the kids who had already left the hospital like Tiffany, the girl I danced with on my first play night, and Jeffery the Blue Jays fan. I hoped they were all set to have a wonderful Christmas with their friends and families. The most touching moment for me came when I overheard some of the kids ask Cassie where Rick was and the looks of disappointment they showed when she said I couldn't make it.

I stayed until the end of the party and changed out of the Santa suit before walking to the car with Cassie holding hands. We didn't say a whole lot after our emotionally draining day but her adoring looks of love spoke volumes. I asked her if there was anywhere she needed to go on the way home and she said no. It prompted her to ask how my last minute shopping trip went though. My only response was that she'd have to wait until tomorrow to see for herself. Cassie was excited about exchanging gifts for our first Christmas but because she had to work a full shift on Christmas day we probably wouldn't open them until the evening when she got home. We sat together that night on our love seat watching TV with hot cocoa in our mugs.

"You were amazing today," she said resting her head on my shoulder and looking up at me with that adoring gaze again.

"I was happy doing my part to help," I said with her favorite smile.

"We couldn't have done it without Santa," she said.

"You would have found someone," I pointed out.

"Yes but not anyone as good as you. I love you so much for what you did today and what you do everyday," she said trying to kiss me as I pulled back.

"Sorry but you don't get a kiss from Santa until I check my list to see if you were naughty or nice this year," I said making her giggle.

"I've been a good girl all year, but tonight I'm going to be naughty for you," she said gasping in surprise as I pulled her lips to mine for a kiss.

Before Cassie reminded me that Lei could return from her evening shift any moment, I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to our bedroom. Despite her promise to be naughty tonight, I wanted no such thing. Laying her on our bed I took my shirt off smirking at her approving gaze as I climbed onto the bed with her. Leaning to one side and holding her in my arms, I kissed her over and over again throwing my love for her into each one. I could feel her breasts pressing against my chest from beneath her soft, warm sweater and slipped a hand underneath to caress her silky smooth abdomen. Cassie flung her arms over her head in response and left me lift her sweater off. The tight white t-shit she worn underneath lasted only long enough for me to admire how well it showed of her body before joining her sweater on the floor.

With her white lacy bra in place for now, she threw her arms around my neck for another round of passionate kissing. Sliding my arm under her lower back, I held her body to mine and rolled onto my back allowing her to come to rest on top of me. Cassie sat up and let me gaze at her radiant beauty with an uncontrollable smile. Knowing she was mine for the rest of my life was the only gift I'd ever need. She kissed her fingertips and pressed them to my lips where I kissed them too adding a playful nibble that made her rub her ass against my crotch. I felt my breath catch in my throat when she reached behind her back to unhook her bra. Even though I couldn't remember the last time I went a full day without seeing her breasts, I never lost that feeling of anticipation and excitement I got when I knew she was moments from baring them to me again.

The sight of Cassie's breasts filled my heart with joy, then filled my mouth with the taste of her skin. I dragged my tongue ring across her nipples one at a time and felt them grow hard in response. Cassie let me suck on her breasts moaning softly as she held my head to her chest. When she pulled back I reluctantly let her nipple slip from my lips, eagerly accepting her tongue in its place. Her hard nipples, wet and slippery, pressed against me as she lay on top kissing me and letting my arms engulf her in my warmth. A smile spread across my face when I felt her hands begin struggling with my belt and she laughed into our latest kiss.

Cassie began sitting up and I released her from my arms. It gave me another chance to admire her flawless breasts as she scooted backwards. Her trembling fingers fumbling with my belt made me smile. If I asked her to draw a picture of my erect cock I knew she'd be able to capture it in minute detail from memory alone but she still got nervous and excited every time she undressed me. I lifted my hips to let her tug my jeans down when she'd unfastened them. Her gentle touch stroking my cock felt so good it made me groan. Normally, I would have submitted to whatever she wanted at a time like that but I lifted her chin when she bent to begin sucking my cock and one look in my eyes told her there would be none of that tonight.

Standing straight up on the bed she unzipped the red knee-length skirt she was wearing. With her legs on either side of me it was easier to lift it over her head giving me my first glance at her white panties. Her sexy legs were covered to mid thigh by a pair of Christmas green stockings held in place by the sewn in elastic at the top. Cassie lifted one foot and placed it between my legs and smiled down at me when I made space for he second one. Tugging her panties down past her hips, she let gravity do the rest and stepped out of them. She began rubbing her pussy spreading the wetness leaking from within around until they glistened enticingly. Knowing how much I liked gazing up at her, she straddled my body letting me stare up at her delicate pink pussy lips until I grasped my cock ready to jerk off to relieve the pressure.