Page 57 of All of Me

“What on earth…” Mom starts, but her voice trails off as a deep, booming “Ho, ho, ho!” echoes from outside.

Barrett’s eyes widen, and he scrambles to his feet, nearly tripping over his castle. “Santa?”

The front door creaks open, and in steps Santa Claus himself, his red suit dusted with snow and his sack slung over his shoulder. Mrs. Claus follows closely behind, her silver glasses perched on her nose and a wide smile on her face.

Barrett lets out a gasp of pure delight. “It is Santa!”

Everyone bursts into laughter, but I freeze as realization dawns. The height, the voice, the way Santa pauses to adjust his sack like he’s done this before—it’s Scott.

“Oh my God,” I whisper, my hand flying to my mouth. Tears sting my eyes as Scott spreads his arms wide, his grin as big as ever.

“Merry Christmas, Callie.”

I rush to him, flinging my arms around his neck, and I’m suddenly not holding back anymore. The tears spill over, hot against my cheeks. “Scott,” I choke out. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

He hugs me tightly, his voice warm and full of emotion. “I couldn’t let another Christmas pass without seeing you.”

Four years. It’s been four years since I’ve seen him. My stepbrother who’s been stationed in Denver with the Air Force, too far away for surprise visits like this.

As I pull back, wiping my tears with shaky hands, Mrs. Claus removes her wig and glasses to reveal Miranda’s smiling face. “Surprise!” she says, her voice bright and familiar.

“Miranda!” I hug her next, holding on tightly. “I can’t believe this.”

Scott glances around, soaking in the sight of the house and our family gathered together. His eyes finally settle on Owen, who steps forward and extends his hand.

“You must be Owen,” Scott says, his grin wide and curious as he clasps Owen’s hand.

“That’s me,” Owen replies with a nod and matching grin. “It’s great to finally meet you. Callie’s told me a lot about you.”

Scott raises an eyebrow. “All good things, I hope?”

“Mostly,” I tease, rolling my eyes even as I smile through the tears.

Barrett pulls on Scott’s sleeve, his excitement barely contained. “Santa, are you real? Or are you Callie’s brother? Callie says you’re her brother, but you’re wearing Santa’s clothes.”

Scott crouches down, his grin softening. “What do you think, kid? Maybe I’m both.”

Barrett’s eyes narrow suspiciously, but then he nods, satisfied. “That’s cool. Callie’s brother and Santa? That’s the best.”

The laughter in the room is light and contagious, and the stress of Adam’s nonsense feels far away. Scott straightens up, his smile falters, and I can see the unspoken question in Miranda’s eyes.

“They’re not here,” I say quietly, glancing at Scott. “The girls. They’re with their dad right now.”

Scott’s face softens, and his voice drops. “I’m sorry, Callie. I really wanted to meet them.”

“You will,” I say quickly, wiping at my cheeks again. “How long are you two in town for?”

“We’re here for a week,” Miranda replies, stepping up next to Scott. “We figured if we couldn’t be here Christmas morning, we could at least surprise everyone tonight and spend some quality time while we’re home.”

A smile spreads across my face. “That’s perfect. I’ll make sure you get to meet Ruby and Sara before you go. You’re going to love them.”

Scott nods, his expression soft. “I can’t wait. And you know I want to get to know Barrett better, too. This kid looks like he’s a handful.”

Barrett puffs out his chest proudly. “I’m a dragon builder!”

Scott laughs, ruffling Barrett’s hair. “I don’t doubt it.”

Owen slips his hand into mine, squeezing gently as he murmurs, “You okay?”

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