The Controversial Case

Since early morning, the Santa Claus & Co. office elves had been rustling letters, tapping their fingers on the keyboard, whispering, and discussing the funniest requests from children. The air was filled with the smell of coffee, cinnamon, and pine needles. On the top floor, through the glass walls, they could only see the top of a giant fir tree standing in the hall, to which all the office exits and the workshops where gifts for kids were made and wrapped led.

Elf Matthew sipped his long-cold coffee and rubbed his tired eyes. The pile of letters on his desk had noticeably thinned out in the last few hours, but late November was such a busy time of the year for the Mail Reception Department that he was faced with the prospect of not leaving the office for another couple of weeks. Having stamped another letter, "Denied" he threw it into a basket by the desk and shook his head.

"First, learn not to be rude to your mother, who works two jobs to feed you, and then ask for gifts. Especially a new PlayStation," the elf thought, pursing his lips in displeasure. Several letters in a row were from spoiled children who did not value the feelings of others and did not value either friendship or family ties. Absolutely nothing. Empty. "Maybe I should give these letters to Krampus?" the thought crept into Matthew's head.

The next envelope contained a neatly folded piece of paper with a cute sticker of a dancing snowman. The sender was listed as a particular Derek Black. Having unfolded the letter, Matthew began to read the clumsy letters written in green ink.

"Hi, Santa!

Thanks for the Scary Stories book you sent me last year! It's awesome!

Could a Christmas miracle this year bring my Dad back? I don't remember him at all, but it must be cool to have him. Fred Brown plays baseball with his dad, and Tyler's (remember I wrote you about my best friend last year) dad works on DIY projects with him. Sometimes at night, I fall asleep and imagine my dad reading me a bedtime story or singing me a lullaby, and then I want to sleep longer, pretending that he'll wake me up, but that annoying alarm clock goes off and ruins everything. And I have no one to give Father's Day cards to, and they're so beautiful; what's the point of trying so hard to do them?

I hope you can think of something.

Thanks in advance, Derek."

Matthew didn't notice how the lump in his throat stopped him from breathing. Typing Derek's name and address with shaking fingers, he saw a lonely boy sitting in a richly furnished nursery, reading a vast book that barely fit on his lap. Something stabbed the elf's heart. Pushing off with the heels of his black boots, he rolled on a chair to the aisle and looked out, whistling, which attracted the attention of his neighbor, who had thrown her feet up on the desk and was checking something on her phone.

“Maria, I need to check something and go somewhere. Tell Josh I have a controversial case, please,” he asked quietly when the elf-maid turned around.

“Anything for you,” she smiled radiantly, adjusting her red plaid skirt.

***

"What the hell are you doing here? You should be doing your job. You certainly can't help every little boy!" Matthew thought, taking on human form and walking along the sidewalk of a small elite residential area.

However, he could do something for at least one.

For some reason, this particular letter resonated in the heart of Santa Claus's elf assistant, who sorts letters for three months a year and leads a very ordinary elven life the rest of the time.

"Because, once upon a time, you were a little elf who desperately needed a dad," an inner voice prompted, but Matthew brushed off the sad memories and stopped in front of a neat two-story house. It was one of the few that remained unadorned for Christmas. The rest were complete of wreaths, ribbons, and garlands, and entire performances of figurines were being played out on the lawns. Saturday in this area was a lazy, family-oriented day for many, spending time at home or strolling in the nearby park.

"What will you say? Hello. I'm Matthew, and I want Derek to feel less lonely. I am an idiot!" He liked talking to himself and did it regularly.

Trusting his ability to improvise, which was zero, he knocked on the door and froze, listening to footsteps on the other side. The car parked in the driveway indicated that Derek's mother was home, making him even more nervous. All he managed to grab from the personal file downloaded to his phone while he was getting to their house was that the boy lived with his mother, who cared about him very much but at the same time ran a small but successful chain of coffee shops, and could not tear herself apart to do everything at once.

The door that opened made Matthew shudder and lower his eyes.

Opposite him stood a short woman, looking at him point-blank. Having looked her over from head to toe utterly impolitely, the elf met her blue eyes and recoiled a little. The ice of those eyes pierced him, making him hold his breath from the new sensations.

“Are you from the agency?” The woman looked at him just as attentively for some time and then, slowly blinking, said in a deep voice:

Matthew needed only a few seconds to blink, weigh his answer, and nod affirmatively.

“Matthew Hall,” he shook his hand and winced when his cold fingers touched a hot palm, “and are you Dana Black?“

“Yes, I am,” she confirmed, although it was not a question, “Come in, Mr. Hall.”

Stepping inside the house and following the hostess into the living room, Matthew mentally reassured himself. "Okay, Matthew, breathe and smile; she is just an attractive woman," he thought, outwardly remaining unperturbed.

“Have you been told yet that we need a permanent presence? You have already been assigned a room next to Derek. I would like you to begin your duties on Monday.”

"Yes, of course, I was warned." 

"Holy elven God!" Matthew sweated, remembering that he had taken human form; he was still an elf and Santa's helper.

"I'm ready to start right now," he smiled widely, and Dana was about to say something, looking at him so intently that his heart began to beat faster, but she remained silent.

"Cool!" the sound of feet was heard on the stairs, and a disheveled blue-eyed boy in dirty clothes appeared in front of them, obviously watching them from the second floor. "I'm Derek, but you already know!"

He ran up to Matthew and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his stomach. Taken aback for a moment, the elf wrapped her arms around the boy, feeling warmth in her chest.

"Mom, can we go shopping for decorations today and take Matthew with us?" — the boy tore himself away from his "babysitter" and plaintively looked at his mother as if his life depended on it. "Please, please, please!"

"Yes, if Matthew doesn't mind." Smiling at his son, Dana looked at Matthew.

“Matthew doesn't mind, but first, young gentleman, we'll change you into some clean clothes and style your hair into a stylish hairstyle that will knock every elf in the mall off their feet!” Matthew said, ruffling the boy's hair even more.