Twenty Years Ago, I Played Santa for a Little Girl – This Christmas, She Came Back for Me

“Mom built a toy business from nothing. It paid our bills. Put me through college.

Gave us a life we never thought we’d have.”

I stood there speechless, trying to process what I was hearing.

“We went to that store every Christmas after that,” Mia continued. “Hoping we’d see you again. Hoping we could thank you.

But we never did. Then last week, we saw you. Same store.

Same tea aisle. I recognized you immediately.”

I blinked. “What?”

“I followed you out,” Mia said gently.

“Asked your neighbors about you. One of them told us you live alone. That you keep to yourself.

That you seem… sad.” Her voice softened. “It broke my heart.”

Her mother gripped my hand tighter.

“I’m dying. It’s cancer. Stage four.

But before I go, I want to give you something.”

She then said something I never expected.

Continue reading…