It had been three days, and still, Faith didn’t have the courage to see him.  Sitting in her house with the only the lamp on, it was the first time she realized how lonely her home was, how empty it was.  No decorations lit the walls, not family photos hung on the walls, and it was nothing like Nick’s home.  Her place was a house, not a home.  Anyone could tell that by simply looking around her living room.  The only personal item in the entire room was a picture of her and her mother.  It showed a time where she was happy, a time where she was happily oblivious.

Shifting in her seat, she looked at the giant box at her feet.  She had bought them earlier today, planning to use them, but now as she looked at them, she didn’t know whether she could.  They reminded her too much of Nick.  Pulling the top decoration out, she felt tears form in her eyes as the Santa smiled at her.  She rose, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay, and placed the Santa above her fireplace, right next to the picture of her and her mother.

As she walked back to the box of decorations, she thought about the past three days.  She hadn’t returned to the mall, not willing to see the disappointment in Nick’s eyes, but she had called the place, telling them to keep the Christmas display up until they were out of volunteers to help.  Her presents were all sent to their prospective homes, and she knew that the children that she had met that day would benefit from them. 

Today was Christmas Eve though, and she had made a promise to Nick.  Should she keep it though?  Yes, she had told herself that breaking a promise was one of the worse things to do.  Her father had done it enough to her while he was alive, and she didn’t want to do that to another person.  Dropping the garland in her hands, she walked towards the phone. 

It fit in her hand as if it had been waiting for her.  Taking a deep breath, she pulled out the card that Nick had given her a few nights ago and began dialing.  As the phone rang, she almost wished he wouldn’t answer, but then again, she wanted to hear his voice, to see if he was okay.  To her luck and disappointment, he didn’t answer.

“Hey, Nick,” she started, her voice breaking slightly.  “It’s Faith.  I was calling because of the promise I made about being Mrs. Claus in the parade.  Um, I guess I’ll meet you there?  Okay, bye now.”

She pulled the phone away from her ear, but as she went to put it down on its receiver, she heard him answer.  Panicking, she ended the call.  What if he didn’t want her to be Mrs. Claus anymore?  What if he had decided that seeing her was the last thing he wanted to do?  She didn’t think she could handle the rejection. 

When she had sat down on that little, blue jewelry box, she had freaked out.  The walls felt like they were trapping her, and she didn’t know what to do.  He only made matters worse by dropping down on one knee in front of her.  Didn’t he realize that they had only known one another for a day?  One day, that wasn’t long enough for them to fall in love, it wasn’t long enough for him to propose, and it wasn’t long enough for her to accept his proposal.  So, as he dropped down to his knee, she did the only thing she could think of, she fled.

Pushing that night to the back of her mind, she bent towards the box and pulled out the other thing she had purchased.  In her hands was the most modest Mrs. Claus suit she could find on such short notice.  It was cute, that was a fact, but Faith was a little concerned that it wouldn’t be appropriate for a children’s parade.  She looked like Sluty Santa, but with a pair of leggings underneath, it wouldn’t look so bad.

It didn’t take her long to slip the suit on and head out the door with a long, warm coat wrapped around her body.  Jumping into her car, which Nick’s buddy brought to her two days ago, she started the engine.  The drive was short, just up the road a little.  As she parked her car on the side of the road, she took deep breaths, trying to prepare herself mentally for the rejection and hate she was sure to receive.

She got out of her car, making sure to lock it behind her.  Walking down the road, she let her eyes shut close as small snowflakes fell around her.  Strangely enough, she was beginning to realize what Christmas was all about.  Even the atmosphere was cheery, almost as if excitement was flowing through the air.

Swaying to some music in the background, she was surprised when she heard the squealing of tires.  Her eyes snapped open, and she just stood there in shock, as the SUV got closer to her.  The driver had slammed on their breaks, but that wouldn’t stop it from running her over on the ice-slicked roads.

Something slammed into her side, effectively knocking the breath out of her.  She closed her eyes, waiting for the impact, but a familiar feeling took over as the person flipped her in order to save her from the fall.  She heard the sound of their bodies hitting the ground, but even then, she didn’t open her eyes.

When the yelling around her finally reached her ears, she had no choice but to open them.  Staring down at her hero, she smiled.  “Nick.”

He nodded up at her, his eyes cloudy.  “Faith.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked frantically, trying to rise off him.

He tightened his grip on her.  “Just a small bump,” he slurred.

Glancing around his head, she noticed the blood on the pavement.  Panic like she had never felt before flew through her.  “Oh God, Nick, you’re bleeding.  What do I do?”

Eyes filling with tears, she stared down at him even as he sent her a small smile.  “Head wounds bleed more than normal ones.  I promise; I’ll be fine.”

The tears that filled her eyes spilled over, coating her cheeks.  “I’m so sorry, Nick.  I’m so sorry.  I shouldn’t have left the other night; I should have sat there and talked to you, but I was so overwhelmed.  I didn’t know what to do.”

“Faith,” he started, but she shook her head at him to silent him.

“No, I should have told you that I wasn’t ready to get engaged.  We’ve only known each other for a couple of days.  It’s too soon.”

His eyes closed before snapping back open as if he were having problems staying awake.  She opened her mouth, but a man knelt down beside her.  “Ma’am, I’m going to need you to get off him now.  Everything will be fine; we’re just going to take him to the hospital.”

A woman paramedic helped her to her feet, and Faith just stood there, watching as they put him on the gurney.  As they secured him to the thing, he shook his head at them.  “Wait a minute.  Faith!” he called out, making her walk towards him.  “Check my pocket.”

Her hand reached in, grabbing the little box from earlier.  When she hesitated, he shook his head.  “Just look inside.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but we have to go now.  Your friend can meet you at the hospital.”

“I can’t go in the ambulance?” Faith asked.

The male paramedic shook his head.  “One in the back and his mother is going.  Unless you’re married to him, you’ll have to wait until visitors are allowed at the hospital.”

They wheeled him away without another word, leaving her standing there in shock.  He had said it wasn’t anything major.  He had just hit his head on the pavement.  The doors to the ambulance slammed closed, and she stood there and watched as it went down the road.

Her hand, which had been wrapped around the box in a death grip, loosened as the ambulance left her sight.  Looking down at her palm, she popped the lid.  Fresh tears rolled down her face as she looked at the two little Santas.  Nick hadn’t been trying to propose, he hadn’t tried to rush her, he was just giving her a simple gift, a gift that should remind her how great Christmas really was.