I got all of the presents ready between sips of coffee. I had stopped by the store the day before and picked up a few large red sacks, which I hoped we could get everything into. I had my doubts once I started packing them, but I managed to get most of them loaded before Andy returned. He woke Holly up and she went straight to shower before I got a chance to show her the cute elf outfit I got so she could play the role of Santa’s helper. Andy was less than pleased by his Santa helper costume, which was similar to Holly’s with pants instead of a dress, but he begrudgingly put it on. Holly was happy with her costume and after she got it put on, she looked like the most adorable Christmas elf ever.
“It’s a good thing none of the helpers at the mall looked like you in their costume.” I walked up and put my arms around her waist. “Santa might have been quite busy!”
“I better be the only elf you look at.” Holly narrowed her eyes at me.
“Don’t worry, you’ve got all of Santa’s attention.” I leaned forward and kissed her.
“Okay, put on your beard and let’s go before I decide that I want to tear this fucking costume off.” Andy took a step towards the door and groaned.
“You’re so—whimsical.” Holly walked over and slapped Andy on the ass. “I’ll help you out of it later.”
“You better.” He groaned again and opened the door.
I’d love to say I maintain my composure and bellowed ho-ho-ho all the way back home, but I struggled to keep it together once we made it to the orphanage. Ms. Winters broke down in tears the instant she saw everything we brought and the kids were so excited I thought they were going to tackle us each time they ran up to give one of us a hug. We had more than enough for all of them and then some. They were running around, comparing presents, screaming at the top of their lungs, and truthfully—it was a beautiful sight. After most of the initial commotion died down, we took Ms. Winters into the other room and presented her with the present we picked out. That brought more tears and more hugs.
“I’m just—floored that there are nice young people like you in the world.” Ms. Winters wiped her eyes. “We used to have so many sponsors, but I guess times have gotten tougher in recent years.”
“I can’t believe that.” Holly shook her head. “It seems like there would be a lot of people
that willing to help.”
“Honestly?” Ms. Winters sighed. “There just aren’t that many orphanages left anymore. We used to be a private orphanage, but the benefactor who supported us passed away. The state took over and usually only send kids here if they can’t find foster homes. I’ve tried to get some help, but I can’t even afford to hire enough people to look after the kids…”
“How long do they stay usually?” Andy looked over his shoulder at the group of kids huddled around a Nintendo Switch.
“It depends. The younger kids are usually easy to place with families, but once they’re old enough to go to school, it can be a challenge. Some of them have been here for a few years. I think they just get forgotten sometimes—out of sight, out of mind.”
“That’s awful.” I shook my head and sighed.
“One day the state will just shut us down.” Ms. Winters stared at the floor. “This place costs more than it’s worth.”
“What will happen to the kids?” A look of concern spread across Andy’s face.
“It’s hard to say.” I saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes again.
“Would you excuse me for a moment?” I pulled out my cell phone.
“Sure.” Ms. Winters nodded.
I didn’t care if it was still early in Minnesota. I knew my parents would be up. I told my Dad about the orphanage and how bad things really were. That was all he needed to hear. He said that as soon as he returned to Georgia, he would meet with Ms. Winters and get a charity organization set up. He had done something similar for a group home in Minnesota when Andy and I were kids. Within a year, he found enough people willing to help that they were able to move to a much bigger location and properly care for all of the kids that lived there. I knew he could do the same thing for Ms. Winters and the orphans she was trying to care for on her own. After all, who could turn down a request from Santa himself? That was sure to bring bad luck when the holiday season rolled around again.
“Okay, everything is taken care of.” I walked back into the room and took Ms. Winters by the hand. “We’re going to get you the help you need.”
“What? How?” She blinked in surprise.
“He called Santa Claus.” Andy chuckled under his breath.
“I’m lost.” Holly looked at me with a bewildered stare. “What happened?”
“I called my Dad. He’s going to work to get a charity set up here in Georgia to help the orphanage.” I nodded and smiled.
“That’s—amazing.” Ms. Winters wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you so much! Anything would help, even if it’s not a lot.”
“You don’t know our Dad.” Andy whistled and I saw his eyes start to get a little damp. “These kids might be driving Porches next year.”
“You guys are freaking amazing.” Holly’s face lit up with a smile from ear-to-ear.
I finally had a real understanding of why my father liked being Santa Claus so much. I focused on his love of the holiday season, our unfortunate last name, and never took time to think about all of the good he did the rest of the year. He was always helping people, and all he really wanted for it was an opportunity to be a mall Santa so he could interact with as many kids as possible when he put on the suit. The fame and the chance of being in the movies was probably alluring since it was the path our grandfather took, but that wasn’t what drove him to be the man he was. Andy and I would be lucky if we became half as good as him. We left the orphanage after spending a little bit of time with the kids and headed back home.