The doctor said it was a cardiorespiratory arrest, meaning Mr. Piero’s tired heart simply stopped in his sleep. He didn’t suffer. It was as if Paolo had called him from the edge of sleep, and the old man decided to go with him.

  Marco Della Francesca told Dante Sacks that he and his children had one week to vacate the house. With their father gone, his family had no obligations to them. Naturally, no one cried when they left, except for “Naughty Tommy,” who hugged Steffi and Teo, giving them a copy of his long list of sightings. “Maybe you can add some names I missed,” he said, his voice choked with sobs.

  The Sacks spent Christmas Eve in the attic of an old, abandoned house. Rent had skyrocketed with the holidays, and they simply couldn’t afford a room. The idea was Teo’s. It was their first time breaking into a property, and they felt safer in the attic. Besides, if a government inspector came to check the house, the attic would surely be the last place they’d look, giving them time to slip away.

  Unlike Steffi, who was happily playing princess in her castle tower, Dante and Teo were miserable, regretting the turn their lives had taken. “I promise we’ll get out of here soon,” his father said, his hands trembling. “I know your sister doesn’t understand, but I see you’ve had to grow up too fast, son. It’s not fair to you or her. You’re good kids, and you deserve so much more than I can give you. I’ve tried to set a good example, but I’ve failed you, and I’ll never forgive myself.”

  Teo didn’t mind living in an attic. He didn’t even care about being hungry. He certainly didn’t care that Santa Claus would probably forget them again on Christmas. But he couldn’t bear to hear his father talk like that. He couldn’t stand him putting himself down when he was all they had. He wanted to grab his father’s cheeks, look him in the eye, and tell him he was a wonderful father, that he had never abandoned them. Now that he was ten, he understood that concept, knew that his mother wasn’t coming back, that she’d left because she didn’t care about them. And if they could be born again, they’d choose him again, because it’s beautiful to give everything you have for the people you love, but it’s even more beautiful to give what you lack.

  But the words caught in his throat, and he rested his head on Dante’s shoulder, crying.

  After ten o’clock, he was awakened by the roar of the first fireworks. Steffi was sitting by the attic window, watching the colors and shapes in amazement. Fantastic figures, like something out of a fairy tale, painted the blue canvas of the sky. The little girl, breathless and enchanted by the sight, seemed to recognize many of the characters Miss Patricia had told them about during the year.

  “Where’s Dad?” Teo asked, rubbing his eyes.

  The girl shrugged.

  “He said he had to do something urgent and left about an hour ago,” she replied, her eyes still fixed on the window.

  Teo frowned, wondering what his father could be doing at this time of night.

  The fireworks quieted down as they waited for Christmas to arrive, and Steffi finally left the window and snuggled up to her brother in their rickety little bed. “I’m hungry, Teo,” she said in a small voice. Then the boy understood where his father had gone. The memory of sweet potato fries flashed through his mind, and he was filled with a wave of gratitude and love.

  “Don’t worry, Steffi,” he told his sister. “Dad never forgets us. You’ll see.”

  The minutes ticked by, and Dante didn’t appear. The clock on the nightstand struck eleven, and Teo’s throat tightened. “Dad should be here by now,” he thought. Steffi had fallen asleep, oblivious to the little noises her hungry belly was making. The boy wrapped his arms around her and wiped away the tears blurring his vision.

  “Please don’t cry, son!” his father’s voice said suddenly, pleadingly. “I’m here! I promise I’ll never leave you overnight again!”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Seeing him, Teo let out a little shout of happiness that woke Steffi. The two children ran into Dante’s arms, their faces breaking into wide smiles that lit up the dark room.

  “Look what I brought you!” their father said, picking up a newspaper-wrapped package from the table.

  Steffi and Teo were stunned to see a sixteen-inch fish appear before them.

  “A good friend of mine who works security at the port said I could take it as long as I pay him back soon,” Dante explained. “How about I cook it while you set the table, and we welcome Christmas with full stomachs!”

  The children were delighted.

  They ate their fill and sat by the small attic window to wait for the midnight fireworks.

  When the first lights illuminated the sky, Steffi jumped around, shouting “Hooray! Hooray!” Her father and brother laughed, watching her overflowing with joy. She was a charming girl, full of hope, and they both felt blessed to have her in their lives.

  “Why don’t we go downstairs and explore the house?” Dante suggested. “Maybe Santa remembered you this year.”

  Despite Teo’s skepticism, Steffi ran downstairs, making a racket as she dashed through the hallways.

  “Why don’t you help your sister look for the gift?” Dante asked his son, seeing his sad expression.

  “Because I know there’s nothing there, Dad,” Teo snapped bitterly. “Santa doesn’t remember poor kids.”

  “Sometimes, son, you just have to believe for it to come true,” Dante said, taking him firmly by the shoulders. “A person without dreams is just an empty shell. What you want is hidden in the shadows; you just have to go look for it. Trust me.”

  Seeing the deep honesty in his gaze, Teo shuddered. He knew his father wasn’t lying, and he went to find the gift.

  A faint scratching sound from the fireplace screen in the living room made the children stop. Silence, then another scratch and a muffled whimper. Steffi was the first to find it, and to Teo’s surprise, what he’d always wanted was hidden in the shadows.

  A beautiful white kitten with a black patch over its left eye meowed loudly in his sister’s hands!

  “Thank you, Santa! Thank you so much!” Steffi screamed, ecstatic.

  Teo was paralyzed, barely believing his eyes. It was a Christmas miracle! Santa had slid down the chimney and, seeing they didn’t have a tree decorated with lights and garlands, decided the safest place for the kitten was behind the fireplace screen.

  That good-natured old man had seemed to forget about them for years, even though they were good children! But now, finally, he had rewarded them beyond their wildest dreams. They’d always wanted a pet, but their financial struggles had made it impossible.

  Dante laughed joyfully, seeing his children’s fascinated expressions. He knew they deserved a Christmas miracle, and fortune had provided. He’d just said goodbye to Fernando, his friend from the port, and on his way home, under a streetlight, he saw a small cardboard box moving. Curiosity made him approach, and there it was: an abandoned kitten, no more than three months old. Dante looked into its eyes and saw a vulnerability and innocence he’d never seen in people. He knew he couldn’t afford a pet, but he also knew the poor creature would have a better future with them than on the streets. It was a little thing left to fend for itself, needing love. And he knew Teo and Steffi would give it plenty, and it would return it in kind.

  “You have a new family now, little friend,” he said to the kitten, which looked at him with sleepy eyes and meowed as if in response.

  “What are you going to name him?” Dante asked his children, who were absorbed in the kitten’s cuteness.

  “Whitey!” Steffi exclaimed, rubbing the soft fur against her cheeks.

  “What do you think of ‘Privateer’?” Dante suggested shyly.

  “What’s a private tear, Dad?” the girl asked.

  Dante smiled at her mistake.

  “Privateer, Steffi,” he corrected her. “It’s one word. It’s like a pirate. And since pirates are often depicted wearing an eye patch, and our little friend has a patch of black fur, it seemed like a good name. What do you think, Teo? Do you like it?”

  Teo was lost in his own thoughts. His father’s voice brought him back.

  “It’s a nice name, Dad. But…”

  “Yeah?” his father asked.

  “But since Santa remembered us today, when I thought he’d forgotten us a long time ago, I’d like to call him Noel. It means ‘Christmas’ in a way, and in Argentina we sometimes call Santa that.”

  “Noel!” Steffi shouted. “I love it!”

  “Let’s welcome Noel to our family, then,” his father said with a warm smile.

  THANKS FOR READING!

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