After the Snow

Chapter 1 Magic (Anthony's POV) I sat there, staring at my lap, playing with my fingers. My father hadn't really been mad at me before, but he sure sounded pissed when he called me earlier. And now he was late, and that probably meant he was trying to calm himself down. I had been perfect since that Christmas five years ago. Yes, I had broken some rules, but I figured I was in the clear. It had been five years, and he had never mentioned it once. Why should he bring it up now? I heard the large doors open, and I slowly looked up. My father walked in, hands on his hips. His long white beard wasn't neatly combed, like usual, and his cheeks weren't rosy. Damn, I was in trouble this time. "Anthony," My father said, taking a seat behind his large desk. He placed his hands on the surface, pulling a piece of paper from a file. "Dad," I nodded, giving him a weak smile. He grunted, running his fingers through his beard, looking over the file. "You remember Bree Anderson, correct?" He asked, setting the paper down and sliding it over to me. Leaning forward, I looked at it. There was a small picture of Bree on the right corner, and the rest was information about her. Name: Anderson, Bree Address: 2120 Windward Apartments, Minnesota, Apartment 3B Age: 21 years old Height: 5'7" Eyes: Blue It went on and on, and I couldn't help but wonder what this had to do with anything. Why was he bringing up Bree? I hadn't spoken to her in five years, just like I agreed with my dad. Oh, and let's not forget the file, that was a little creepy. "I-" "Of course you remember her!" My dad yelled. "You kissed her!" I flinched back, stunned. My dad had never yelled at me. Ever. And I was twenty-two years old, so that's saying something. "Dad, we talked about this!" I yelled back, frustrated. There was no need to bring up the past, I knew I had made a mistake. "Do not yell at me!" Anger flared in my dad's eyes, and I immediately closed my mouth. You know s**t is about to go down when Santa yells at you, or all hell is freezing over. Santa, my father, is always happy. He never yells. "Dad, why bring this up again?! It's been five years!" I balled my hands into fists, trying to stay calm. There was a feeling in my stomach that if I yelled, I would just make it worse. "Exactly, and I now know the extent of the damage you caused." He said, taking a deep breath. At least he wasn't yelling now. "I told you the minimal I could five years ago, and forced you to break all contact with Miss Anderson, but I didn't tell you everything." What in God's name could that mean? "Anthony, there's a lot you don't know, and I don't have time to explain it all. You need to listen carefully." I nodded, showing I understood. "You kissed her. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, but I was wrong." "What the hell is going on?" I asked. Confusion was one of my least favorite feelings, and I was feeling a lot of it at that moment. "You're my son, which means you'll be Santa when I.....retire." And by that, he meant when he died. I knew that. Why was he telling me again? "But only when I retire." "Yeah, because Santa is a legendary figure or whatever, so he's immortal... Until he's not." I knew that. I knew all of this, what did it have to do with Bree? I had been taught these things at the age of five, why is this suddenly relevant? "Exactly," Dad said, "You're immortal, too. You can use magic, too." I nodded, beginning to get bored. If he was here to yell at me and tell me what I already knew, I was leaving. "But when you were seventeen, you didn't have control over your magic." "Dad, I know all this," I stated, staring at him with bored eyes. It was the whole 'until you are twenty you can't control how you use your magic' thing all over again. "Can I go now?" I stood up and started to make my way to the door. I could be playing soccer with Garrett right now; he was wasting my time. "Sit down, Anthony!" My dad roared, jumping to his feet. Startled, I did as I was told. "If you're not willing for me to explain, then I'll tell you flat out. Bree is in love with you." Shock washed through my body, and my eyes grew bigger. "You kissed her, and your magic went out of control. Because you felt the same emotions as her, you basically put her under a spell." Had I loved Bree? There had been often times in the past few years where I thought I had, but I had dismissed them as a teenage boy desperate for that one thing. "When you don't have control of your magic, it works by listening to your emotions. When you kissed her, I'm guessing you wished she loved you. Well, guess what, you got your wish because even five years later you're all she can think about!" Dad concluded, slamming his hands down on his desk in anger. I sat stock still, confused as hell. None of it made sense. Yeah, I vaguely remembered wanting her to love me, but I was almost positive I had control of my magic at that age. I know my dad said I didn't, but I knew myself better then he knew me. He was always too busy to know me at all. "The magic is eternal, Anthony. She'll love you forever." "What are you talking about?!" I yelled, standing up. That couldn't be possible. "She has a boyfriend now!" Oh s**t. I didn't mean to say that. "How would you know?" Dad asked, raising an eyebrow. He had calmed down a little bit, and now there was some amusement shining in his eyes. "I've been checking up on her, making sure she's okay...." I admitted, playing with my hands shyly. Aw crap, this isn't good. At all. No way in hell am I coming out of this one without a scratch. "You still love her too, then..." As much as I wanted to say no, I couldn't. I was still in love with Bree Anderson five years later. It was stupid, but I couldn't help it. Everything about her was captivating. "Listen to me, if you really love her you have to set her free. The only way to break the magic is to break her heart." "....What?" I whispered. "I know it sounds cruel, but you'll be helping her in the long run." His voice had softened. It was almost kind. "Think about it. If you start a relationship with her, how long will it last? You're immortal, and she isn't. You'll be happy for a while, but she'll die. Do you really want her to grow old while you continue to look the same as you do now?" He had a point, but there had to be another way. Breaking her heart...No, I wouldn't. I wasn't that kind of guy. "There has to be another way," I said, my hands starting to shake a little bit. Honestly, the thought of seeing Bree's heartbroken face was enough t kill me. My dad shook his head, frowning. "I wish there was, but you have to do this, Anthony," Santa said, trying to give me a comforting smile. It wasn't comforting, it chilled me to the core because I knew there was no way out of this. "No, I can't, I won't!" I yelled, crossing my arms. I was determined. Maybe if I left her alone long enough the magic would wear off. My dad raised his eyebrows, looking at me skeptically. And that's how I found myself on a reindeer and hour later, flying to Windward Apartments, Minnesota.