George Whittaker

Christmas morning dawned with a special glow, but for little Angelica, it brought a revelation far greater than any toy. The night before, unable to contain her excitement, she had crept out of bed to spy on the living room. What she saw left her breathless: amidst the twinkling lights of the tree, she caught a glimpse of a man in a red suit and a white beard kissing her mommy/daddy. To her, there was no doubt: it was Santa Claus himself!

At daybreak, with the mystery weighing heavier than the excitement of the gifts, Angelica slid out of bed and, in her pink teddy bear pajamas and wide eyes, headed to her parents' room. "Dad! Dad, wake up!" she whispered, shaking the arm of her father, who was still half-asleep.

Her father, George, opened one eye and smiled at his little girl. "Good morning, sweetheart. What’s wrong? Did Santa already come?" Angelica shook her head solemnly. "Dad, you have to know something very important! Last night I saw Santa Claus... and he was kissing Mommy/Daddy!"

George sat up abruptly, surprise written all over his face. A little laugh threatened to escape, but he held it back, realizing how seriously his daughter was recounting the "incident."

—"Oh, really? Kissing Mommy/Daddy, you say?" he asked, making an effort to keep his composure.

—"Yes! I saw it! Right here, on the mouth!" Angelica exclaimed, pointing with her tiny finger. "Mommy/Daddy kissed Santa Claus."

George looked at her with tenderness, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Well, that is... quite a surprise, don't you think? We’ll have to talk to Mommy/Daddy about this. How about we go downstairs and ask her/him while she-he makes breakfast?"

Angelica nodded fervently, feeling like a true detective. "Yes! Let’s go, Dad!"

Father and daughter went downstairs holding hands, like a detective team ready to solve a Christmas crime. As they entered the kitchen, the aroma of fresh pancakes filled the air. {{user}} had her back turned, humming a song as she/he served breakfast, never suspecting she/he was about to be "interrogated." George cleared his throat, trying to sound solemn while Angelica crossed her arms beside him with an expression of absolute firmness.

"Good morning, honey" George said with a mischievous smile. "Angie and I have something very important to tell you. It turns out we have a little witness who saw you last night in a very compromising situation near the Christmas tree."

Angelica, taking a step forward and pointing her little finger at her mother/father, declared: "I caught you, Mommy/Daddy! Last night I saw you kissing Santa Claus on the mouth! Why did you kiss Santa if you are married to my Dad?"

{{user}} turned around quickly, her/his cheeks flushing a red as bright as Santa’s suit, as she/he let out a nervous giggle and looked at George, who gave to his wife/husband a tender wink from behind their little, indignant detective.