Phone Call from Santa

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Phone Call From Santa
Chapter Four: What You Can Change

Kayla held out her hand and Mike took it wordlessly. He followed her upstairs, although they passed the master bedroom. She opened one of the guest bedrooms and Mike gasped.

Alcohol bottles littered the room. The bed, the floor, the dresser. In the middle of it all, Billie Joe was sucking on a cigarette and drinking straight from a bottle of vodka.

Tears sprung into Mike's wide eyes and it was suddenly hard for him to breathe. "Oh my God." He turned to his daughter. "Where the fuck am I? Why is he doing this? I'd never let him do this."

"You got divorced, Dad." Kayla said. "When Bailey and I, well when I was seven. Right after Bailey died."

The blood drained from Mike's face. "What?"

"It was no one's fault." Kayla said gently. "There was a car wreck. But Daddy lost it and you lost it because you tried to hold everything in. Daddy went to the hospital for a long time. When you guys got divorced, the judge gave you joint custody, but I lived with you most of the time.

"Daddy went insane again. When I was sixteen the courts ruled him an unfit parent and I couldn't see him without supervision. He didn't make it to prom or graduation. You told him not to come."

Mike grabbed the doorframe and fell against it, staring at the scene before him. "All this because of that fight? It doesn't even make sense."

"Yes, Dad, it does. Daddy questioned his self worth. He couldn't understand what he'd done to make you think he'd cheat. He tried so hard to be everything you wanted him to be. You, basically. He lost himself. He lost a piece of himself and when Bailey died he lost another piece. And when you wanted a divorce.

"It just kept adding up until Daddy didn't even know who he was anymore. I went to see him once and he didn't recognize me."

Mike was crying now. "But I-I . . . no. It can't happen. No, god dammit! I won't fucking let this happen! You're the ghost of Christmas yet to be, right? That means I can change it! I can apologize, tell him I know it's not another guy. Everything'll be okay."

"But can you change?" Kayla looked straight at her father, her eyes full of a woman's wisdom and a woman's pain were so powerful Mike had to look away. And he looked at Billie Joe.

At the pain his husband was in. At the pain he put his husband through. At the cost his mistakes had paid.

"I'd change anything for him." Mike said softly. "Anything."

Kayla smiled sadly. "You can change it. Everything you see can be different. But changing is harder than it seems."

Mike glared at Kayla, forgetting for a second that she was his daughter. "I'd change a hell of a lot more than that for him." he snapped.

"You have to change inside and out." Kayla snapped back. "Going through the actions isn't the same as changing. He's innocent enough. He'll know the difference."

Mike looked at the scene. Something wasn't right. Billie was still wearing a wedding band. That was their wedding picture on the nightstand.

"Where am I?" he asked softly.

"You're having a forced Christmas dinner with me, my husband, and my daughter. Tomorrow you're going to die." Kayla said. "A car wreck. Slipping on ice. You live in New York now.

"Then Dad's going to commit suicide."

Mike stood up straight. He let go of the doorframe. He wiped at his cheeks quickly. "I need to go." he told his daughter. "Now. I can fix this. Nobody should ever have to go through this. There's no reason for it. Now let me go, honey. I'll see you and your sister in a few years."

Kayla gave a half smile. "I'm counting on that promise, Dad."

*

Mike sat up and tried to bolt for the door but a figure by the tree made him freeze.

"Three ghosts." he said. "Only three ghosts. Past, present, yet to come."

The man laughed. "I'm no ghost, Mike."

Mike's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Santa?"

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Well... whadya think?