I followed him back to the front desk, still cradling Marmalade against my chest. He seemed perfectly content to stay there except for occasionally butting his head against my chin. Adorable.
"So there's an adoption fee of $95. That covers his neutering, shots, microchip, and helps support our shelter."
"That's fine." Reluctantly, I put Marmalade down on the counter so I could fill out the forms. He sat there regally with his tailwrapped around his paws, watching me with those intelligent eyes.
As I filled out the paperwork, I noticed a large sign for a Holiday Charity Fundraiser and Auction. Below it was a table with several clear plastic boxes and each had a sheet of paper taped to the front describing different prizes.
"What's that?" I pointed to the display and tried not to look too closely at the prizes.
The shelter worker smiled. "Our annual holiday fundraiser. We raffle off donated items and services to raise money for the animals. It's our biggest fundraiser of the year."
I finished the last form and handed it back to him. "Can I enter to win a prize?"
"Of course! The tickets are $5 each or five for $20. All proceeds go directly to the animals."
I walked over to the display while he processed my adoption paperwork. There were several different prizes listed, but one caught my eye immediately. A Personal Visit from Santa! Perfect for kids' parties or holiday gatherings!
My heart did a little flip in my chest. I might’ve been twenty-six on the outside, but my Little side, who was usually around four or five, absolutely adored Santa. The thought of having Santa come to my home made the Little boy inside of me jump up and down with excitement.
I leaned closer to read the details. "Winner receives a one-hour visit from professional Santa Niko Normandy at your home or event of choice. Santa will listen to Christmas wishes, take photos, and bring a small gift for each child present (up to 5children). Additional children will be $10 each, via a donation to the shelter. Date must be scheduled between December 5-23."
The idea made my heart race. What would it be like to have Santa come visit me when I was in my Little space? I knew it probably wasn't possible, but still, I couldn't help imagining it.
"Did you find something you like?" The guy appeared beside me with a cat carrier that now held Marmalade.
"Um, the Santa visit looks fun." I tried to sound casual. "My, uh, niece and nephew would love it." The lie slipped out easily. I didn't have any nieces or nephews, but he didn't need to know that.
"Oh, that's a popular one! Niko is amazing with kids. They’ll love it."
I pulled out my wallet. "How much for twenty tickets?"
He blinked in surprise. "That would be $80."
"Make it thirty-five tickets." I really wanted to win. And if I didn’t, the money was going to a great cause. "That's $140, right?"
"Yes, that's right." He looked impressed as I handed over the cash. "All of them for Santa or do you want to spread them out?"
"All of them for the Santa visit, please."
He counted out thirty-five tickets and handed them to me. "Just write your name and phone number on each one and drop them in the box."
I sat down on a nearby bench and carefully filled out each ticket. My hand cramped a little, but I didn't care. With each ticket I filled out, I imagined Santa coming to my apartment and puttingme on his knee. In my daydream, I was in my Little space, wearing my favorite dinosaur pajamas, and he didn't think it was weird at all. He listened to what I wanted for Christmas and told me I was a good boy.
The fantasy made my chest feel tight with longing. I hadn't had anyone to be Little with since I moved here. Arlo wasn’t perfect, but he was someone. And I missed having someone who understood and encouraged that side of me.
When all the tickets were filled out, I walked back to the display and dropped every single one into the box for the Santa visit. It looked like there were already about twenty tickets in there, but now mine outnumbered them all. I hoped that would be enough to win.
"That's a lot of tickets." The man chuckled when I returned to the counter. "Your niece and nephew must really love Santa."
I smiled weakly. "Yeah, they do. When will the winner be announced?"
"Tomorrow night is the live event. You’re welcome to come in person or we’ll call you if you win."
“Okay, thanks!” I nodded and picked up Marmalade's carrier.
He meowed at me through the box.
"Don't worry, buddy." I placed my arm under the carrier to support the weight. "We're going home now."
