It was Christmas time. Ender and Petra had just taken their child to the mall to see the Santa there. The seven year old climbed onto the jolly old man's lap, beaming with joy. "Hello Santa!" She said. "Ho ho ho! Hello little girl! What's your name?" "My name is Rosemary Wiggin sir!" Petra shook her head, her daughter had a habit of calling her superiors sir, even if they were family. "Rosemary huh? I remember you! Top of the nice list four years in a row!" Rosemary's smile widened, Santa remembered her. "Ho ho ho!" the mall Santa said, "What would you" he poked her nose and she giggled, "like for Christmas?" Rosemary made a face and her parents looked at each other with a bit of worry. For months their daughter had been asking for a phaser gun, the type they used to use when they were in battle school. Ender shifter nervously, worried about what his daughter would say. She tended to go into detail sometimes, and this would not be good.
Their daughter though hard about this, you could see the wheels turning in her head. "Well…" She began, "I'd like a phaser gun, but I don't really want that." Rosemary's parents exchanged a confused look. What does she mean she doesn't really want that? She's been ranting about it for months! "Really? And what would you like?" Rosemary smiled and looked over at her father, "I'd like for daddy's nightmares to stop." Both Ender's and Petra's face bore a surprised and shocked expression. "He wakes up screaming during the night, and he begins crying..." Petra slipped her hand into Ender's. "Mommy and I comfort him as best we can, but nightmares return almost every night." Ender's grip on Petra's hand tightened. "Santa, you're magical. Could you please use your magic to stop my daddy's nightmares? I don't need the phaser or anything else. I just want my daddy to be ok." The Santa sat there with a seven year old on his lap, a seven year old that had just shocked him. Where other seven year olds would have gone on and on about toys and useless baubles, this one seven year old simply wished for her father to be able to sleep peacefully. He looked over at Ender, who was running toward his daughter. Her father swept her into an embrace, while her mother stood to the side with the biggest smile on her face, letting them have this moment. Rosemary closed her eyes and smiled while Ender looked over at the Santa. He looked at the sight before him, a war-torn veteran hugging his daughter, the light of his life, like she was the most precious thing in the world. Ender mouthed thank you, and the Santa saluted.
Two weeks later Christmas finally arrived. Rosemary went into her parents' room and jumped on their bed. "Christmas is here! Christmas is here!" the little girl yelled. Ender groaned and Petra mumbled "Five more minutes..." But the hyper child wouldn't give up. She pulled on her father's hand. After about five minutes the two adults decided it was time to get up. They walked into the living room with their daughter bouncing in front of them. Her eyes lit up when she saw the glittering tree with perfectly wrapped presents arranged neatly under it. She slid in front of the tree and started to tear open her presents, one at a time. She periodically gave one to her parents. Finally there was one present under the tree. It was addressed "To Rosemary. From Santa. I know how much you wanted this." She opened the packing carefully and gasped at what she saw. Inside was a phaser suit, a phaser, and a tiny little package. Rosemay held up the package and read the label. "Daddy, it's for you" she said as she handing it to her father. Ender took it gently and opened it. Inside was a glass vile of blue liquid, and a note. "Dear Ender. I heard you weren't sleeping. This should fix that. Go on, drink up." At the bottom was a fancy SC intertwined with reindeer antlers and mistletoe. He chuckled and drank the solution. "Tastes like peppermint" he said to his wife and child, who both laughed.
The rest of the day Rosemary played with her toys, she even got her father and mother to play battle games with her. At the end of the day Ender tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well daddy." She said as he closed the door. Ender settled into the bed next to his wife and turned to face her, "What do you think that blue liquid was, Ender?" "I have no idea… We'll see in the morning I guess."
From that night on Ender barely had any nightmares, and when he did they weren't severe at all. For the magic of Christmas is boundless.