" She gestured toward a plate of crackers covered with some kind of pink spread."Thanks." I took one and popped it in my mouth. It was awful."Can I se... the pictures?"I handed her the envelope. She opened it and took out the stack of prints, and thumbed through them carefully. Then she held the negatives up to a floor lamp and spent a few minutes studying those."Naturally you made some extra prints for yourself," she said finally. "You don't have to admit it. All I ask is that you keep them to. As he made his way back to the chimney he heard a gasp. Turning quickly he could see Claire sitting up looking at him."Who are you?" she asked "I thought the red suit would be some kind of hint." he said in a whisper. "Oh come on, Santa's not real!" she said like any true cynic. "I assure you my dear I am." he said with a grin."Prove it." she said"I think you will find the proof in the gift at your feet." Claire looked down and saw the white box wrapped with a red ribbon. She picked it up and. It was something normal for him. He stepped out of the bathroom.After she got dressed and grabbed her movie watching blanket from her bed she went to the living room and began to go through the list of movies on demand. She thought about choosing the romantic comedy movie perhaps if she put on a chick flick that her brother would leave and give her the alone time she now desperately needed. “A chick flick? Trying to test how long I’ll last?” Her brother just walked into the room with nothing. Fireball and I made a fast trip back to Wildcat Branch. And I was met by smiling faces and hugs. I passed out the presents, and got kisses in return.After all of the greetings, I asked Swan how it went on the trip for the second marking crew. She said it went very well. She took Sis, and of course her colt went with them. They had to travel at the little one's pace, but the made a fine trip and made arrangements for the crews to change shifts every month.My wives were looking at me oddly. "What.