It had been a trying morning for Cole. Squeezing into the Santa suit, being stuffed so he had a protruding belly, and wearing a fake beard and wig was already more than he could handle. Now he had to sit around and listen to kid after kid list everything from the mildest of toys to the most outlandish things he'd ever heard. It wasn't that he didn't like kids, he was rather fond and wanted to be a father someday. It was more that he had to concentrate on every word they said and find the right things to say back to them without giving false hope or adding stress to parents who might not be able to afford everything the kids asked for. Most kids were understanding and just happy to see Santa in the flesh, but a couple were insufferable for lack of a better word. He could only hope they would grow out of it before it only worsened.

He'd lost count of kids he sat and listened to and was overthinking the fact that he couldn't remember most of their names when another small boy was placed on his lap. The boy's light brown hair was messy from his beanie and his cheeks and nose were red from the cold. He couldn't help but smile down at the cute little kid whose smile only grew with his.

"Well hello there! What's your name, little one," he said in the voice he tried to coin as his version of Santa's. It seemed to work for the most part so he stuck with it.

The little boy wiggled in his lap in excitement and spoke. "My name is Jacob. I am four years old and I have been the goodest boy this year. My Nana and Papa said so." He said it all in the most precious way that turned his 'r's' into 'w's' and held his hand out the hole time with four fingers up. This kid was going to be one of the memorable one's from today, Cole just knew it.

"It's nice to meet you Jacob and I'm very happy to hear how good you've been! I know you'll continue to do so. Now...do you know what you'd like for Christmas this year?" Cole was prepared to hear another list of various toys that he hadn't heard of since it had been ages since he was a kid himself. Like most parents before, he saw what appeared to be his mother in his peripherals listening in to get an idea. Some parents wanted to join their kid and practically sit in his lap as well, and he was grateful for the ones who knew to give them space.

Of all the things Cole thought he would hear, he never thought he would hear anything remotely close to what Jacob wanted for Christmas. "I already heard my Mama and Nana talking about toys for me so I think they must have arranged that with you already. But what I really want this Christmas more than anything in the whole wide world is a dad."

While Cole's eyes bulged out and he did his best to contain his composure, he could hear a small gasp on the side coming from where he knew the mother was. Not wanting the child to see him in shock, he cleared his throat and took a quick deep breath before responding.

"What made you come to this decision, little man?" Cole was slightly disgruntled in himself for not thinking of a different question, but his quick thinking skills were more reserved for a football field. He knew he was clearly out of his element being Santa, but it was even more so with such a request. A small part of him was also slightly curious as to why this adorable, little kid wanted a dad more than anything. He quietly prayed to himself that Jacob's answer wouldn't open more floodgates especially for his mother who he assumed was quite horrified by the kids request.

The kid looked up into the sky for a moment, deep in thought. Who wouldn't want to be a dad to such a kid? His thinking almost surprised him, but he didn't get too much time to think on it before the person on his lap spoke once again.

"Well...um...I never had a dad before and my cousins have a dad. My bestest friend has a dad and the lady who watches me sometimes when my Mama needs to go away has even two of them. And my Nana one time found a book with little critters and it was just him and his dad and even though she didn't want to read it to me I begged her too and I just really think I should have a dad cause then my Mama could have a marriage and then we could go do lots of fun things."

Cole didn't think the kid took one breath in his explanation and the more he said the more his heart broke. Not only for Jacob, but for his mother who might be feeling some kind of way hearing these things. He couldn't put himself in her shoes, but he could certainly understand how it might feel hearing things from kids who tend to be brutally honest although not intentionally. The kids idea was so innocent and honest he wanted to give him everything that was possible, but something like this needed to be a discussion between him and his mother.

Deciding to show some empathy towards Jacob's mom he turned to his right to where he could still see her silhouette and give her a kind word about her son. Only, the moment he finally faced her, he was hit directly in the heart.

Although wearing a mortified look on her face and seeming to be trying very hard to hold back tears, she was the most exquisite thing he'd ever seen. She was bundled in a large puffy jacket but he could tell she was a petite thing. Her features were delicate, almost elven like. It was as if she were a fairy. A beautiful one. One he was staring at slightly too long now that others might notice. Shaking the thoughts out of his head and clearing his throat once more, he gave her a small smile before he spoke to hopefully keep her from shedding any tears. That thought made him feel more upset than anything. A part of him felt a protectiveness, but again, he had no time to ponder why he was feeling such things at a time like this.

"Your son is so smart and well spoken," he said as lightly as he could while keeping the Santa voice in order not confuse Jacob. The child was sitting in his lap patiently and he could feel little hands picking at the end of the beard. His words must have knocked the woman out of whatever internal battle she was having and she went from looking at her kid to looking directly into his eyes.

Being 38 years old and a former professional athlete, Cole had his fair share of relationships. A couple of them were serious enough for him to contemplate proposing. However, every single relationship he'd had before practically went up in flames the moment their eyes connected. Not truly believing instant connections, this revelation unsettled Cole. His conflicting thoughts were racing. Maybe it's been too long since I've been with someone. Maybe she's the one. Maybe all the sweating under this suit is making me lose my mind slowly. All of the thoughts that raced in his head couldn't deter the one at the forefront, this woman was his. If his own mother ever heard him sounding so primitive she'd definitely have his behind for it.

Cole noticed her eyes widen and cheeks seem to darken even more which gave him a good feeling. Almost conceited. It felt like time was moving slower as his gaze remained on hers. It made him think that maybe he did believe in magic. The losing thoughts in his head tried to rationalize everything still, but the volume in them seemed to get lower and lower. He'd practically forgot he was technically working and that he was a giant red man when he felt the kid in his lap tug harder on his beard, forcing him to focus back on the kid. He had to chastise himself for acting this way. Get a grip he thought to himself.

"Do you think you can do that by Christmas? Get me a dad?"

Not knowing what else to say to the child because his brain had apparently fried under the light of the mother's gaze, he replied without thinking.

"I can certainly try."