They had a fifteen-minute slot for Zara to chat to Santa so the children weren’t just rushed in and rushed back out and, because it was all timed and run like a military machine, there wasn’t a lot of queuing. After a few minutes of chatting to the elves outside and stroking the reindeer, they were whisked inside the cottage which, impossibly, looked even more festive since the last time Alex had been in there.
Santa was sitting in a big cosy red armchair and there were other chairs next to him for the children to sit on.
‘Hello Zara,’ Santa said.
‘Hello,’ Zara said, suddenly quiet. Maybe nerves were taking over.
‘Come and take a seat.’
Zara sat next to him and Alex glanced over at Quinn who was videoing their encounter on his phone.
‘Are you looking forward to Christmas?’ Santa asked.
Zara nodded excitedly. ‘Yes, very much.’
‘What are you most looking forward to?’
‘My roller skating party tomorrow night. That’s going to be epic. Having lunch at Nanny’s. That’s always fun. She makes amazing puddings and there’s always lots of chocolate and everyone plays games in the afternoon and even the adults all join in. And presents, I always get books and I love books.’
‘Wow, that sounds like a wonderful Christmas.’
‘It is.’
‘And I believe you have some questions for me?’
‘Yes,’ she said eagerly. ‘How do you get around the whole world in one night?’
‘That’s an excellent question. Because of the time zones, I actually have over thirty-one hours of night time to deliver all the presents, which is quite a lot. The reindeer are magic and can fly at incredible speeds, and the sleigh is powered by rocket fuel, making it the fastest vehicle in the world.’
Santa was obviously quite pleased with this answer. Zara, however, wasn’t taking any prisoners. ‘When meteors hit the earth they are travelling so fast they normally burn up in the atmosphere. How do you not burn up when you’re travelling so fast?’
Quinn suppressed a snort of laughter.
Immy shook her head. ‘That kid is so freaking smart,’ she whispered.
Santa’s smile faltered for just a second. ‘We have a magical bubble around the reindeer and the sleigh thatkeeps us cool and allows us to breathe at such high altitudes.’
Zara nodded. ‘That’s pretty cool.’
‘It is. Christmas magic is the coolest thing ever.’
Zara nodded.
‘Now is there anything in particular you wanted for Christmas?’ Santa asked.
‘A new dad,’ Zara said, without missing a beat.
Alex’s heart leapt.
‘Oh,’ Santa eyed Quinn. ‘Umm… what’s wrong with the dad that you have?’
‘Quinn isn’t my real dad, silly.’
‘Oh of course, my mistake. I know all the children in the world, but sometimes I have a hard time keeping track of all the adults.’ He looked at Quinn and back at Zara, then said something Alex hadn’t been expecting. ‘You two look alike.’
Zara nodded. ‘He’s my dad’s brother but my dad died many years ago and now I’d like Quinn to be my new dad.’
Alex glanced at Quinn who had the biggest smile on his face as Zara spoke. He was still recording the whole thing on his phone and she hoped this would be something he would look back on with fond memories.
