Madison and the Missing Moon

by Jamie Busby

at Santa’s Grotto and you still don’t believe me” she added. Her voice had gone sad again. Daddy was the one who had gone with her and it had been their special secret, but he didn’t seem very sure about it all anymore.

  “It’s not that I don’t believe you sweetheart, I know that lots of strange things happened the other day at the Grotto that I don’t understand. But if you tell me that Santa came last night and you had the adventure you just told me about, I believe you” said Daddy. He leaned across and gave Madison a kiss then carried on eating his sandwich.

  “By the way, look at all the lovely presents you have!” said Daddy, pointing at the pile of wrapped-up gifts under the Christmas tree.

  Madison just sat and stared at Daddy, she was cross again.

  “You don’t believe me, do you? Just admit it” said Madison.

  “Of course I do, it’s not that, it’s just that…..” but Madison cut him short, got up and stood in front of him. She had just had an idea and she was going to show Daddy once and for all that her adventure was not a dream.

  “Of all people, I thought you would believe me Daddy. Well it seems I’ve got to prove it to you doesn’t it?!” said Madison. Her voice was a bit louder than normal now because she was annoyed. Daddy tried to talk but Madison walked off, she was determined to show Daddy once and for all…….

  She walked towards the cloakroom where they kept all their coats.

  “What are you doing Madison, please don’t be angry with me” said Daddy. He was feeling a bit sad himself now. He wanted to believe Madison you see, but it is very difficult for adults. As people grow older, they seem to forget all the magic around them. Not just at Christmas, but the magic that is always there. Madison decided that she was going to start making Daddy believe again!.......

  Daddy sat there, still eating bacon sandwiches! He could hear a lot of rummaging going on in the cloakroom and after about a minute, out came Madison with a coat. It was one of her’s, the same coat Daddy had taken up to Madison the night before.

  “What are you doing Madison, why have you fetched your coat?” asked Daddy. He was very confused and scratched his head, just like Santa had done in his Grotto!

  “I want to ask you something Daddy. Why did you bring all my warm clothes up to my bedroom last night?” asked Madison.

  “Because Santa had said so, I brought them up just in case” replied Daddy.

  “But why did you bother if you don’t think any of this would really happen?” asked Madison. Her voice was cross, again!

  “Well, I……errrr……it was for you” replied Daddy. He didn’t really know what to say, but he knew he had taken the clothes up to Madison because deep down, he really did believe something was going to happen last night. In fact, he really wanted something to happen. You see, even though grown-ups tend to forget about all the magic around them, there is always a little bit left behind from when they were children that really does believe.

  Madison walked right up to Daddy with the coat and stood there, just looking at him. There was no expression on her face as she reached into the pocket and fumbled around for a couple of seconds. Suddenly, there was a big smile on her face!

  “So, you find it hard to believe about what happened last night then Daddy?” asked Madison, her voice still a bit cross.

  Daddy just sat there, more confused than ever, he even put his 6th bacon sandwich of the day back down on the plate!

  “Well what do you make of this then?” said Madison. With that, she pulled the beautiful, Gold button out of her coat pocket and held it there for Daddy to see in her hand.

  “What……Oh dear!......What is it?” said Daddy. He was excited now, but still very confused! He tried to reach for it but Madison moved her hand away.

  “Please Madison, show me!” pleaded Daddy, “What IS it?!”

  Madison slowly opened her hand and showed Daddy the Gold button. This time she didn’t move and this time, Daddy just sat there with his mouth hanging wide-open, staring at the button. It was a good job he’d stopped eating his bacon sandwich or it would have fallen out!

  “Oh my goodness!” said Daddy, “I can’t believe it!”

  “But you do believe it now, don’t you Daddy?” asked Madison. She had a huge smile on her face now, Daddy could feel the magic!

  “Can I…….Can I have a look please?” replied Daddy.

  Madison passed the button to Daddy and he just sat there with it in his hand, staring at it in disbelief. He glanced towards the kitchen where Mummy was, but she was busy. He looked back at the button. There it was, with the little engraved Father Christmas on the front, Daddy squinted his eyes and looked at it closely.

  “Why don’t you turn it over?” said Madison.

  Daddy slowly turned it over and saw the writing;

  ‘Made in Lapland by Elves for Santa’.

  He looked at it a little bit longer, then his eyes slowly came up until they met Madison’s eyes, she was staring at him with a little grin on her face!.......

  “Come here you!” said Daddy and picked her up. He gave her a massive hug and kissed her! It was just like when Santa hugged her but this was even more special because it was her Daddy.

  “Now do you believe me?” asked Madison.

  “Oh yes Madison, I believe you now! It wasn’t that I didn’t believe you, it’s just that……….” replied Daddy, before Madison interrupted.

  “Is it just that you had forgotten about the real magic all around us?” she said, like she was finishing Daddy’s sentence off for him.

  “I suppose I had Madison, but I’ve remembered it now!” said Daddy. “In fact, I have a little secret of my own that I think I need to tell you Madison” he added.

  “What is it Daddy?” asked Madison, looking puzzled. She climbed back onto the sofa next to Daddy and looked at him. He was still looking at the button and he slowly started to smile. He clenched the button in his hand, took a deep breath and began………

  “You thought it was a bit strange why you got to see the real Father Christmas, didn’t you Madison?” asked Daddy.

  “Yes I did, but I thought it was because I had been a good girl” replied Madison.

  “Yes, you have been a good girl, a very good girl in fact, but there was another reason and I had sort of forgotten!” said Daddy.

  Now Madison was really confused!

  “You see, when I was a little boy, I used to wish so hard every year to see the real Father Christmas but nothing ever seemed to happen.” said Daddy. “One year, I decided that I would never get to see the real Father Christmas so I gave up wishing for it.”

  “You told me never to give up or stop believing” said Madison.

  “I know I did and I meant it, but I was just a little boy and nobody had told me that, so I just gave up. I went to bed that year on Christmas Eve and just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard the bells jingling too and then when I went to my window, I could hear him! ‘HO HO HO’ he was saying, then there he was, sat on his sleigh hovering outside my bedroom window!” said Daddy.

  “You saw the real Father Christmas?!” asked Madison. She was feeling excited again now.

  “Yes I did! Not only that, but he took me on a ride in his sleigh too! We flew all over town, we went high and we went low, it was the most wonderful adventure of my life too Madison!” said Daddy.

  “Why did you never tell me, even after all that has happened in the last few days?” said Madison.

  “Well, I sort of…..well I actually….errrr……..I forgot!” said Daddy, “As I grew up it turned into a lovely memory, then as I got older I started to think that it had probably all been just a dream. I couldn’t tell anyone because they wouldn’t have believed me” he added.

  “A bit like you didn’t believe me?!” said Madison, though she was smiling!

  “I know, I’m so sorry Madison, I believe you now though, I promise” said Daddy. He gave Madison another big cuddle and smiled back at her.

  “But there’s more, this is
the bit you need to know” said Daddy…..

  “When Santa dropped me back off at home after our sleigh ride, he asked me why I hadn’t made a Christmas wish that year. I said that I had given up on ever seeing the real Father Christmas and there was nothing else I really wanted. Santa then asked me if I had a wish I would like to make before he went off delivering presents, so I thought about it and it came to me, like a flash!” said Daddy.

  “What was it Daddy, tell me, pleeeeeease!” squealed Madison.

  “I told Santa that when I grow up, I want to have a little girl and when she is old enough, I want him to visit her and give her a magical adventure, just like I’d just had! I think that last night, Father Christmas finally gave me MY Christmas wish too!” said Daddy.

  “So the Grotto, the elves, the sleigh ride, everything was because of what you asked for when you were a little boy?” asked Madison, frowning at Daddy.

  “Yes, I suppose it was, is that ok?” asked Daddy. He looked at Madison, she was frowning and he felt a bit worried, he hoped he hadn’t upset her. Madison kept staring at Daddy, but her frown started to change. It went from a frown to the biggest smile Daddy had ever seen on her face! Then she jumped up and gave Daddy the biggest cuddle ever, with lots of special Daddy kisses too!

  “Thank you Daddy, it was the best Christmas wish ever!” said Madison.

  “I agree Madison, I can’t believe it has finally come true but this is even better than when I saw the real Father