Santa's Elf

This is my entry in the 2020 Winter Holidays Contest.

**********

"Dad, I need your help."

Matthew looked up from the papers he was grading. His youngest daughter had popped into his office at the university unexpectedly Wednesday morning between his classes. That only seemed to happen when she wanted something.

"What is it this time?" Matthew knew better than to ask. His loved his daughters more than anything in the world, but they frequently needed rescuing. He smiled as he added, "I thought that's why you got married, so Dave could be your problem solver instead of me."

Melinda smiled, "Well, he's good for some things, and he is going to be there, but he's going to be watching James through this, so he can't really help me this time."

"What about Josh? Maybe he can help you."

"Nope. Same problem. He's going to be there, but he's got to keep an eye on Hannah and Hailey. And before you ask, Molly has to keep an eye on the rest of her students, so she won't be much help."

"Just what are we talking about here?" Matthew was feeling a little uneasy, and his daughter hadn't even asked what she wanted yet.

His daughter looked rather uneasy as she built up the courage to ask her favor. "Well, you know that the Good Shepherd Home has a Christmas party this Friday night for the residents."

"Obviously, since I've gone every year since you started working there."

"And of course, Molly always brings her class to sing Christmas carols, and then we have cake and punch for everyone, and we have Santa come in for the kids and the residents. He does pictures and passes out little gifts to everyone." She paused for a second, again building up her courage.

"So far, you're not saying anything I don't know." Matthew always had this problem with his girls. They learned it from their mother. His wife Mary, always danced around the subject when she asked for something she wanted. Matthew found it annoying, but also a little endearing.

"Well, our Santa that we normally use had a car accident yesterday, and broke his leg. He's not going to be out of the hospital for a couple more days."

Matthew was getting a very bad feeling about this. "Mel, please don't tell me what you're thinking about."

"Dad, I'm kind of desperate. Please! The kids and residents would love it so much."

"And, of course, you need a decision now."

"Well, the party is in two days, so yeah, I'm pretty much screwed if you can't do it."

Matthew sighed, "I guess I'll add it to the list of favors you owe me."

Melinda jumped into his arms hugging him, "Thank you, Daddy! You're the best!"

"Funny you say that now. Fifteen years ago, you would have told me I was ruining your life if I even thought about being Santa in public."

"Yeah, well, silly thirteen year old girls think everything is going to ruin their lives."

"So, do you have a costume, or am I going to have to track one down tomorrow?"

"Actually, Sam feels so bad that he's not going to be able to do this, he offered to let you use his costume. And since he makes a lot of appearances at hospitals and nursing homes, he's got a really nice one. You are about the same size, so it should fit you pretty well."

They talked about the details of when he could get the costume, as well as what time he needed to be at the nursing home on Friday.

Melinda was starting to leave, but paused when she remembered, "Sam also said his elf would still be there to help."

"His elf?"

"I think she was there last year. She's a college student that also works at Children's Hospital. I guess she's currently pre-med. I think her name is Paige. Sam said she volunteered to help him a couple of years ago while she was still in high school. She helps keep the kids in line, and takes pictures -- that sort of thing. Anyway, she's still going to be there to help."

"That's good. I hadn't thought about that. I mean, I do remember there's always someone there doing that sort of thing, but I don't really remember her. To be honest, I don't really remember Santa either, but then I've always been there for the grandkids more than anything else."

"Well, this year, you get to be there for a lot more kids." She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek again. "Thank you, Dad! I love you so much!"

Matthew sat back down to grade more papers, and quickly put the party out of his thoughts.

The next day he was again in his office grading papers. The end of the semester was on him. As a professor of English, he didn't give a final exam. His students had to submit a final paper. Personally, he was sick of the standard argumentative essays most teachers assigned. As a tenured professor, he could go pretty much any direction he wanted. So he assigned the students a personal credo as their final paper. They had to write 12-15 pages stating their beliefs about their lives -- supported by sources explaining the finer points of their personal approach to life.

The assignment meant that he wouldn't have to deal with the ever popular essays for and against abortion, for and against gun control, for lowering the drinking age, and for legalizing recreational drugs. The personal belief essays also gave him a chance to get to know his students better.

He was deep into one particular paper when a knock at his door caught his attention.

"Yes."

The door opened cautiously. A very pretty young woman stepped in carrying a large gym bag. "Professor Anderson?"

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"My name is Paige Fairchild. I'm your elf."

"Excuse me."

"You know, at the nursing home tomorrow night. I'm your assistant. I talked to Sam this morning, and his wife gave me his costume. I didn't want you to have to deal with it tomorrow, so I thought I could bring it by today. That way, we could also talk for a couple minutes, so we aren't meeting for the first time in front of the kids."

Matthew nodded his head. "That's a really good idea. Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"Well, this way, you can try the suit on in the privacy of your home to make sure everything fits."

Matthew stood up to take the bag from Paige. As he did, she tilted her head a little while she looked him over. He started to move back behind his desk to set the bag down, but as he turned, Paige reached out to grab his arm, and pulled him back. Again, she looked him over from head to toe, and then stepped forward to hug him.

Matthew flinched a little in surprise. It's not everyday a professor has a pretty young coed hug him in the middle of his office.

"Paige, what are you doing?"

Paige jumped back and was obviously blushing. "Sorry. That was a little forward of me. I've been working with Sam for a couple of years now, and since I give him hugs all the time, it's the easiest way for me to check that you're pretty much the same size. The suit should fit you perfectly."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense, but you have to admit, it's also a little weird."

He didn't imagine that Paige could blush more than she already was, but she was giving it a good try. Actually, Matthew suddenly realized he hadn't really looked at her. As a professor, he saw hundreds of pretty young women on campus every day. Paige, however, was in a class by herself. He guessed she stood about five foot, and her build was definitely on the petite side. Her hair was blonde, but with a hint of red. Her eyes looked to be hazel. She didn't seem to be wearing much makeup, but then again, she seemed to have a natural beauty that didn't require much. She had a smile that looked perfect enough he was sure she probably wore braces for a couple years as a teenager.

Little did Matthew realize that Paige was looking him over at the same time. She knew he was older, but she couldn't quite guess how much. She thought maybe middle forties. He stood about 6 foot tall and probably weighed around 200 pounds. He clearly wasn't overweight, but he had broad shoulders, muscular arms, and powerful looking legs. She wouldn't think of him as a typical runner, but she could also clearly see the rack of race medals hanging on the wall. With a quick glance she noticed a couple of marathon medals, maybe a dozen or so half-marathon medals, and a whole bunch of 5k and 10k medals. He had a full, but not long beard that was mostly white, and a full head of salt and pepper hair.

"You know, you might not need to use the fake beard. I think yours will be fine. It's a little short, but I don't think most of the kids will pay much attention to that."

"I hadn't really thought about that. But I'm glad you think so. I really would rather not try to wear a fake beard over this, and I haven't shaved my beard completely off in nearly thirty years."

"Really? It looks good. I've always liked a man in a beard."

Matthew briefly wondered if she was flirting with him, but quickly discounted the idea. He knew there was very little possibility that a girl in her early twenties would flirt with a man her age. Then again...

"Paige, you want to go get a cup of coffee at the student union? It would be nice to chat a little while. You can tell me how you got involved in all of this."

"Sure, I'd like that."

He grabbed his jacket off the back of the door, and locked his office as they walked out. They didn't say much until they were out of the building, and starting to walk across the campus.

"So, are you a student here?"

"Yes, I'm actually finishing my Junior year early. I'll technically be a Senior during the Spring semester. I'm majoring in Biology and Chemistry, which pretty much means I'm in the PreHealth program. I'm leaning towards pediatric oncology, but my advisor keeps pushing me towards biomedical research. Honestly, I wish I could figure out a good way to combine the two."

"Wow, I'm very impressed. That takes a great deal of dedication."

"It's been a lot of work, but when I commit to something, I really go all in."

"How did you get drawn to that?"

"When I was six, my little sister was diagnosed with bone cancer. Apparently, my father had it when he was a child as well. We spent a lot of time over at Children's Hospital. The good news is that my sister made a full recovery. But I was hooked after watching the doctors and nurses treating my sister. They were so loving and caring. They talked to everyone in my family as if we were the most important people in the world. I think back on it now, and it astonishes me how they discussed everything they were doing. I mean, explaining surgery and chemotherapy to a four year old in such a way that the child is not only not scared about what could happen, but is actually excited to be a part of the team."

Matthew could see the excitement in Paige's eyes as she discussed her sister's treatment. "I haven't had any reason to be over at Children's, but I have spent quite a bit of time at the Cancer Center."

"Oh?"

"My wife, Mary, went through two bouts of cancer. We lost her about six years ago."

"Oh, Professor Anderson, I'm so sorry."

"That's okay, Paige. There's no way you could have known. And while I still miss her every day, it doesn't hurt as much as it did." He paused. "And please call me Matthew."

Paige smiled and took a drink, "Okay, Matthew."

They were both silent for a few minutes.

"So, Matthew, what are you doing after the Christmas Party tomorrow?"

"I hadn't really thought about it too much. Why?"

"Well, the kids start singing at 5:30, and we're usually finished by 8 or so. Would you like to get something to eat or maybe do this again?"

"Why, Paige, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Would that be a bad thing if I did?"

"Well, it might be a little confusing considering you're a pretty 22 year-old woman, and I'm an average 52 year-old college professor."

"So you're 52. You don't look like it. And trust me, you're anything but average. Not to mention, at this point, we would be two people who seem to like being in each other's company having a late supper together." She suddenly had a devious look on her face. "I promise to wait until our third date before I ask you to marry me."

She timed her comment just as Matthew was taking a sip of his coffee. Fortunately it was a small sip so he barely choked.

"I can tell I'm going to like your sense of humor."

They chatted a few more minutes before Paige had to leave to get ready for a final. As Matthew walked back to his office he thought how much his mood had improved and how much he looked forward to seeing Paige again the next day.

**********

As Matthew walked across the parking lot of the nursing home, he wondered if his grandkids would recognize him in the Santa suit, or if they would freak out. He thought there was a chance they might not even recognize him. The costume changed his appearance just enough that it might work. Only time would tell.

"Hey, you look good. That suit fits you perfectly."

Matthew turned around to see Paige coming up behind him. He was struck by how pretty she looked in her elf costume. "Wow, you're going to turn the heads of a bunch of dads... and maybe a few moms. You look amazing."

"Thank you, St. Nick. You're a gentleman, as always."

He held the door for her as they walked in the building. He could see his daughter waiting at the front desk.

"Hey, Dad, you look great! Thank you for doing this!" She gave him a big hug, and a kiss on the cheek, and then turned to Paige. "Hi, Paige, nice to see you again. It's so nice for you to help us out like this."

"Well, I have fun doing it, and I get to meet a lot of interesting people... like your dad."

Melinda noticed a quick glance between her father and Paige, but really didn't think anything about it. After all, there was decades of difference in their ages.

"Okay, so the plan is we're going to hide you in a room off to the side of the activities room. Don't worry, Dad, you'll still be able to hear the kids sing. I know it's extra special this year since Hannah is in the group."

Paige looked at Matthew with a slightly puzzled look.

Matthew explained, "My oldest daughter is the kindergarten teacher. Her students are the choir, and our customers later. Her oldest daughter, my first grandchild, is in the class."

"Ah, so this is a special night all around."

"Yeah, I wouldn't miss tonight for anything."

This time Melinda noticed the loving look Paige gave her father as she said, "Me neither."

Melinda shook her head, thinking it couldn't be anything more than a student crush, and yet, at the same time, she wondered if it could be something more. She debated whether she should say something to her sister Molly about it.

"Okay, you two, we need to get you out of sight until after the kids sing." She led them down the hall toward the activities room. "As soon as they get their cookies and drink, we'll bring you out. We've got two big bags of gifts for the kids and residents. Don't worry, we'll help you keep them straight. The residents all get an ornament, and the kids get a book and toy."

Everything went according to plan. Paige could see the look of pride on Matthew's face as they watched his daughter lead the kindergarten choir. He happily pointed out his granddaughter singing in the front row.

After the kids sang three songs, they went through a line to get cookies and milk. They then took a seat at a table with their parents. The residents that came to the concert were scattered around the room so they could talk to the kids and their parents.

There was a lot of excitement as Santa came into the room with one of his elves. He wandered around the room waving to everyone, then took his seat near the Christmas tree in the corner. As soon as he was settled, Paige announced that Santa would happily talk to children of any age. Of course, the children all wanted to go at once. Paige, with Molly's help, skillfully organized them into a quick line.

The only time Matthew was nervous was when Hannah climbed up on his lap. He decided he wasn't going to lie to her if she noticed. As it turned out, he didn't need to worry.

"Hello, Hannah, how are you?"

"Hi, grandpa, I didn't know you knew Santa. Mommy said you help him out sometimes."

"Oh, sure, I've been helping Santa since before your mom was your age."

"I like your elf. She's pretty."

"Yes, she is. She's a very sweet elf, isn't she?"

"Un, huh."

"Well, Hannah, I know for a fact you've been a good girl, and Santa's going to bring you some nice presents. Give me a hug and a kiss, and then let me talk to a few more boys and girls."

"Okay, grandpa. I love you." She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the kiss. She then jumped down off his lap, and ran over to give Paige a hug as well. "I love you, too."

"Aw, thank you, Hannah. You're a very special girl." Paige glanced up to see Matthew smiling at her as she and Hannah had their brief exchange.

The rest of the evening went pretty quickly. After talking to nearly all of the kids, Matthew and Paige wandered around to talk to all of the residents in the room. Melinda then led them around the building to talk to a few of the room bound patients.

Since they were visiting young children and older patients, they were able to finish a little before 8 just as Paige predicted. Madison showed them where they could change back into street clothes.

"So, Dad, what are your plans for the rest of the evening?"

"Actually, Paige and I are going to catch a late supper. After that, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do for the rest of the weekend. I've always got papers to grade."

"Do you want to come to dinner Sunday evening?"

"That sounds good. Around 5, as usual?"

"You know me too well, Dad. I've invited Molly and her gang as well, so it will be all of us."

"Perfect, I'll be there."

At that moment, Paige walked out of the women's room in a casual but nice dress. Matthew was speechless for a few seconds. "Wow, you look lovely." Again, Melinda noticed the looks between the two. She almost said something, but then thought about how happy her father looked. She knew the last few years had been hard on him, and it was really nice to see him happy, even if a relationship with Paige didn't seem appropriate.

Still, she put on a happy face, and wished them a good night.

Matthew walked Paige to her car, "You know, it doesn't make sense for us to drive both vehicles. Why don't we drop off your car at your place, and then I'll drive us to dinner."

"That sounds good." She reached for her door handle.

"Get your hand back. That's my job."

"Oh, my, I haven't had many gentlemen open doors for me."

"Well, you should. You deserve it."

He could see her blush slightly as she smiled. As he opened her car door, she stepped up to him, put her arms around his neck at pulled his head down to give him a quick kiss. "I think you're special, too." She quickly released him and sat in her car. He smiled, and closed her door, then quickly walked over to get in his car.

It was about 20 minutes until they pulled up to her apartment building a few blocks off campus. She sat patiently in her car hoping he was going to open her door again. He was barely in his parking space before hurrying over to her car. "Thank you again, kind sir."

"You're very welcome, sweetheart." Matthew briefly looked embarrassed at what he said.

"I like the sound of that. Please call me that more often." Matthew continued to blush as they moved over to his car.

Paige asked him if he had ever been to the West End Bar and Grill. He replied that he hadn't, but he often wanted to try it. Over dinner they talked a lot more, this time focusing more on their families. Paige talked about her parents and sister, and Matthew talked about his daughters and grandchildren. Before they knew it, it was well after 11.