Santa had moved on to his brother’s stocking, putting more chocolates and less fruit than he had in Tim’s. He smiled again, tucking a toothbrush casually into Joey’s stocking. “Do what? The toothbrush?” When Tim nodded, Santa went on. “You should both brush your teeth more often. You, especially.” He turned back to Tim’s stocking and added a tube of toothpaste. “Quit skipping out before bed, you know?”

“Um… right.” How did he know?! Maybe he was Santa after all, but that didn’t explain… no, come to think of it, it did. “So, you’re… Santa Claus.” Tim shifted to get more comfortable in the chair. It actually surprised him how easily he had accepted not only the idea that Santa Claus was real, but that he was standing right before him on Christmas Eve. “Like, really.”

“Like really.” With the stockings done, Santa had hefted his bag over to the tree and had opened it again. “Let’s see… your brother wanted a PlayStation, right? Here we go…” The large box was wrapped all in blue. “Your mother… moms are hard, aren’t they? Heh… that’s for her.” He paused, glancing over at Tim before setting the bulky package down. “It’s a photo album of you and your brother. You probably didn’t hear her complaining to your dad about not having all those baby pictures organized…”

Tim blushed and shook his head. He hadn’t heard that, actually. “Um… are you sure she wants that? I guess it’s more Joey?” The response had come automatically. Of course it would be, she wouldn’t be nearly as interested in pictures of him as in the ones of his brother.

Santa stood up to his full height. All traces of a smile were gone as he stared at Tim. “Actually, it’s precisely as much you as it is Joey. She wants to see both of you.” As he turned back to his sack, his face retained the somewhat stern look that Tim didn’t quite like. He withdrew two boxes, one long and narrow and one blocky, both in green. “Tent for your dad… old one is about done, I think… and a camp stove. He keeps talking about taking you kids camping.” His voice didn’t sound as cheerful as before, and Tim caught it.

“Wait… no he doesn’t. Does he?” Tim frowned in thought. “I never hear him say it…” It wasn’t quite true, he admitted to himself. He had heard his father talking about it, but he hadn’t really listened because he knew it wouldn’t happen. In the end he would suggest that Tim bring his schoolwork with him, and it would degenerate into an admission that it might be better if Tim stay home and do his homework there. Tim knew it was just a way for his dad to let him do his own thing without seeming like he was abandoning him. “He never wants to take me anyway… he always says I should stay home and finish my homework.”

Pulling out other gifts, Santa sighed again and finally stopped. He rubbed at his forhead some more. “…of course he does, Tim… because he knows how important school is for you, and he wants you to do well. Have you ever been caught up on a weekend he wants to camp?”

Tim started to open his mouth and froze. No, in fact, he hadn’t. Actually he had in the past deliberately left work for the weekend after his father announced a planned camping trip. Had he ever noticed himself doing that before? “…no, I guess I haven’t.”

Santa raised an eyebrow at Tim’s evident honestly. “You might try it… you should hear your dad talking about how he wishes you were there every time you’re not.” He nodded once in Tim’s direction and his eyes began searching the room. “Ah, that’s what I need… have a cookie, Tim? I promise I won’t tell.” He reached for the plate of cinnamon cookies and offered it in Tim’s direction. “Hmm, and… warm milk. Who drinks it, you know?” He smiled again, the warm smile he’d first shown when he’d arrived.

Taking a cookie carefully, Tim couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah, it’s kind of dumb… I guess you get tired of it, huh? All those glasses of milk, sitting out all night…” He’d never considered that Santa Claus might not like all the things kids left out for him. Santa nodded to him, his mouth full of cookie, and his words echoed in Tim’s head. Did his dad really want him on the trips? Well, he thought he did, anyway. All things considered, if he knew what Tim was doing in his room while his brother was gone for the weekend, he’d probably never leave him alone again.