Page 34 of Gyft
“Nice to meet you.”
“Welcome, bride of the High Commander. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to our city.” He turns his attention back to Gyft. “What can I do for you both?”
“Olivia has an Earth tradition she’d like to share with the community, primarily the seedlings. It’s about fictional characters that seedlings think are real; an elderly, heavyset male dressed in a costume and alien helpers with pointed ears who build toys for little ones to play with. He brings them presents.”
“This sounds interesting,” Rian says, looking at me. “What costumes do they wear?”
“Santa wears a thick red velvet—that’s a kind of plush fabric—coat and pants with a matching hat. Fur lines the collar and cuffs, then we add a black belt and boots.” I’m barely aware of the two growing still. “The elves can wear green to contrast the red.”
Both males are silent for a moment before Rian clears his throat. “There isn’t a male on the planet who would be willing to play the part. Not dressed in red. That’s the color linked to blood suckers.”
By Gyft’s tight nod, I’m pretty sure it’s the royal guard who are called that. “Wait. You don’t wear red here?”
Gyft shakes his head.
“But that’s a big part of who Santa is. Our major Christmas colors are red and green.”
“No male would be willing to dress as this person. Not in those colors.”
Rian starts to chuckle. “Especially not a male in the royal guard. And you sort of need these white freeligs, don’t you?” He shakes his freelig, making the ends rattle.
“Not even for the children?” I look at Gyft when I ask that and he shakes his head.
“Not even then, my bride.”
A serious look passes between Gyft and Rian. It seems to be pretty important to them so it looks as if I’ll have to make do with a mystery Santa. One who never really shows up. I’ll tell the kids he’s shy?
“What else will you need?” Rian asks.
“A chair, highbacked, in green. Maybe a sleigh where we can let the kids sit. And of course, someplace for all the presents. Maybe a Christmas tree?” I look toward Gyft because he understands what I mean.
He nods. “It’s a lighted, decorated tree. I’ll email you images.”
Chapter Fourteen
OLIVIA:
WE SPEND THREE more weeks at the farmhouse. Apparently, citizens of the planet get honeymoon leave in order to get time with their new loved one.
Which is very convenient for us. We would have spent just two, but the last week marks what the Kashians call the cold season. We stayed indoors with the M’irshlaks to have a mock Christmas, practicing so they would know what it should be like in a couple months. We finish out the plans for the mall Santa, minus the Santa. Instead, we’ll have elves and as each child tells us what they want, we’ll produce the toy by searching through Santa’s “magical” bag which will be in the back of the sleigh. We’ll let the parents take pictures of their kid sitting in his chair or with us, the elves.
But it was perfect weather to reenact our upcoming Christmas. Using a makeshift calendar, I figured out that Christmas day was going to fall in the middle of a cold season week. Perfect timing.
I had to promise and pinky swear—using the twin souls’ extra finger, of course—to come back for our first Christmas in H’liyio. Gyft promised me a cottage there so the kids could spend the night. Even though we have to leave for the castle today—he’s scheduled to return to work—the cottage is ready for us to take over during the next cold season.
Gyft assures me he’s ordered a closetful of clothes for me, half of which will be waiting in my side of the closet at his quarters of the castle. The other half will be delivered to the cottage getaway.
And when our shuttle finally descends into the aquamarine grass fields of the castle, my husband surprises me once more.
“I have a wedding present for you, sweet love. What do you want most in the world?”
I smile, albeit sadly, because I know he can never give me what I truly want. So, I scramble to think up something that he thinks I might want. Something easy that he can buy me. Something that probably would have excited me before.
But that feels like such a different life.
I can’t think of a single thing that I want more than what he can’t give.
The door slides open, and I’m still staring up into Gyft’s handsome face. I can’t even come up with anything plausible. He takes both my hands in his.
