Forty-one year old Scott Calvin tightly gripped his car's steering wheel as he backed out of his parking spot at B&R Toys. He and his marketing partner, Susan, had to show up to the company Christmas party because they were being honored for their successful ad campaign of the Do-It-All-For-You-Dolly. But the party had caused Scott to run late for his Christmas Eve plans.

The Calvin clan was scattered all over the place now a days. Scott and his ex-wife Laura had two kids together. Jessica, was the oldest at sixteen. Jessie got along with her dad best and always took his side during arguments. She was short for her age, only four feet, ten inches tall. She had her dad's straight brown hair, but her mother's deep green eyes. Charlie, the youngest, was only eight years old and he had long ago passed that age where his dad was his only hero. Charlie lived with his mother and her husband, Neil. Neil was a psychiatrist and he was always psychoanalyzing Scott and his kids. But for whatever reason Charlie idolized him. It killed Scott that his son liked that creep better. Though He knew he really only had himself to blame. After all Scott had agreed to the current custody arrangement where Charlie lived with his mother and Jessie stayed with her father. The kids spent alternating holidays with their parents, and this year it was Scott's turn to have both kids. Speeding down the highway, Scott pulled out his phone and called his ex-wife.

"Laura?" He questioned the answering machine. "I was hoping to catch you before you'd left your house. I ran real late today. You wouldn't believe the traffic out here!" At that moment some lady swerved in front of him from out of nowhere. She passed Scott, but not before holding up her middle finger to him. "Yeah, same to you! And that's not very ladylike!" He shouted, still on the phone with Laura's answering machine. "Anyway, I'll try to get to my house as soon as I can...Oh there's the problem right there! Three car pile-up! I'm really going to be late."

With a proper excuse on Laura's answering machine, Scott hung up. He was just about to pocket his phone when it began to ring. Looking at the caller I.D. he saw that it was Jessie calling.

"Hey, Princess I know I'm running late..." He began to apologize.

"Oh you're going to be late too?" Jessie laughed from the other end of the phone. Too? Like father like Daughter. Scott thought to himself as Jess continued. "Mom's going to be twice as pissed..."

"Hey don't swear, you're a young lady!" Scott interrupted her.

"Whatever," Jess rolled her eyes at his 'I'm your father' tone. "Listen, Brian and I won't be able to make it back for Christmas Eve and we might not be back for Christmas Day either." Brian was Jessie's eighteen year old boyfriend. Together the two kids had gone up Maine to celebrate the holidays with Brian's family.

"What?" Scott questioned the receiver. "No! That wasn't part of the deal! I only agreed to let you go with Brian because you promised me that you'd be home in time to spend Christmas Eve with me and Charlie!"

"Well I'm sorry Daddy," Jess apologized. "But the roads are too icy tonight. Brian's mom said they might be travelable tomorrow."

"Well, do you need me to come get you?" Scott suggested.

"Dad please, I don't think your car could make it all the way here!" Jess laughed. "No I'll be fine up here for another night or two. Please enjoy your time with Charlie. You hardly see him anymore."

"Well if you're sure. We're going to miss you Princess."

"I know Dad. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Scott sighed before hanging up the phone.

Charlie was sitting in the back of his stepfather's car with his head resting on his hands. His little eyes carefully watched every vehicle that passed. At long last Scott's car pulled into the driveway.

"Alright, let's go." Laura instructed her son with a sigh. She'd grown use to being disappointed by Scott.

"Bye Charlie!" Neil called as the boy climbed out of the car.

"Bye Neil!" Charlie replied before following his mother up the walkway.

"Oh, Sorry I'm late!" Scott called as he scrambled to the front door. "HI!" He greeted Laura.

"Where's Jess?" She asked immediately.

"Apparently she's still in Maine with Brian and his family." Scott snarled.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Laura was actually sorry to hear that her daughter wouldn't be home for Christmas Eve. She knew how much Scott liked to have his whole family together.

"Do you want to come in for a minute?"

"Neil's waiting in the car," Laura gestured to her husband's vehicle. "So..."

"Well, why doesn't he come in?" Scott invited.

"Cause Dad," Charlie butted in. "he says you'll just end up saying something snotty."

"Not necessarily." Scott looked away from Laura and Charlie to wave at Neil. "Could be rude, or sarcastic. Whatever it takes!"

"See." Laura sighed as Scott proved her husband's point. "I gotta go. Here." She handed Charlie's overnight bag to Scott and tried to walk back towards her car.

"It's Christmas Eve." Scott begged. "Just for a minute?" Laura sent an apologetic face to Neil in the car before reluctantly following Scott and her son into the house. Charlie immediately ran into the living room, leaving his parents alone in the entry way.

"So are you going to your mother's for Christmas?" Scott asked his ex-wife.

"We're going to visit Neil's family actually." She explained.

"Oh, Christmas at the pound." Scott laughed.

"I'm really sorry Jess is not going to be here." Laura apologized again.

"It's alright, Charlie and I are going to have a great Christmas Eve, right Sport?" He asked his son, who'd just joined his parents in the entryway.

"There aren't that many presents over there." Charlie complained about the pile of presents under the tree.

"Well, that's because Santa isn't here yet." His father said before turning back to Laura.

"Neil doesn't believe in Santa." Charlie said.

"Well, Neil's head comes to a point." Scott smiled at his own jab.

"He's smart!" Charlie countered. "He's a doctor!"

"He's not a doctor," His father disagreed. "He's a psychiatrist. Look, why don't you take your coat off? You're sticking around aren't ya?" Charlie went back to the living room and shrugged off his coat. Scott turned his attention to Laura once again. "Did that jerk tell Charlie there was no Santa Claus?"

"What?" Laura said. "No, oh, Charlie came home from school the other day in tears because some big kid told him there was no such thing as Santa. And, you know Neil...Well he sat Charlie down and..."

"He told him that there was a Santa Claus?" Scott said hopefully.

"Well...all he said was that Santa was more like a feeling. You know, more like a state of mind than a person."

"Kind of like Neil!" The ex-husband snarled. "And who gave you permission to tell our son there's no Santa Claus? I think if we're gonna destroy our kid's illusions, I should be a part of it!"

"It's not my fault you never broached the subject with Jessica!" Laura hissed. "Besides, you're never around for Charlie, Scott!"

"Oh, oh please!" Scott rolled his eyes.

"Listen," His ex-wife sighed, "all we are trying to do is give Charlie a firm grasp on reality."

"That's a good idea!" Scott said sarcastically. "You don't want kids running around using their imaginations!"

"Oh, yeah." Laura nodded. "This from the guy responsible for the Do-It-All-For-You-Dolly! Don't burp me...don't you change me..." She mocked the toy.

"Why do you always have to fight?" Charlie demanded, looking up at his parents sadly.

"I, uh, swear we're not fighting!" Scott insisted. "It's your mom's singing."

"It sounds a lot like fighting." Charlie continued to frown.

"The trouble is, Neil and your mom, they don't believe in Santa because they were real naughty." His father explained. "Which is why they'll probably get lumps of coal in their stockings."

"I don't know." Charlie disagreed. "It seems kind of babyish to believe in that kind of stuff..."

"What are you talking about?" Scott laughed. "I believe in Santa Claus! I'm not a baby!"

"Well..." Laura countered.

"Maybe it's time you left?" He suggested. "We don't want to keep Dr. Pinhead waiting."

Scott left the entry hall so Charlie could give his mother a proper good-bye. Laura hugged her son and her clung to her.

"Do I gotta stay?" He questioned her helplessly.

"Listen, you and your daddy are gonna have a great Christmas, okay?"

"Will you pick me up tomorrow?" Charlie begged.

"Of course." Laura promised.

"We're talking sunup, you're here?"

"You'll be fine." Laura wrapped her arms around Charlie. "Merry Christmas Charlie." Laura kissed her son on the forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too, mom." Charlie said sadly. Laura gave a fleeting glance to her son before joining Neil in the car.