Review: The Clauses pt. II

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The Clauses:
Part II, the Early Years.

When Tom and Melanie Delaney brought their first child into the world they initially thought to name her after Tom's mother Clarissa Delaney. But after Clarissa made it clear that she wasn't interested in having a child named for her, they went with their second choice, Mrs. Claus.

Mrs. Claus was a happy child. She loved to play outside regardless of the weather and jumped at every chance she had of getting into trouble. Despite being 'tomboyish' her dreams were no different than other girls at that time. She would often sit alone on a stump outside her house and imagine being married to a man who would take good care of her. In the spring of her 18th year she would find such a man.

It was while she was away at college that the two of them met. Mrs. Claus was lazying out under a lively young yew tree reading a book. The bark had been stripped away and at least a dozen hearts with names inside were carved into the wood. Beside the tree a sign bore proudly "Planted by the people of Painswick."

Santa, or Nick Claus as he was known back then, was running away from the direction of the women's dorm. Shouts of anger could be heard coming from the large building he had just vacated. It was as he was looking back to see if anyone was chasing him that he tripped and fell into love with his future wife. Also he broke her ankle.

It wasn't exactly love at first sight for Mrs. Claus. Nick found himself having to work hard for her forgiveness after breaking her ankle. Getting a girl to trust him was a new experience for Nick, who had always had a way of manipulating girls out of their Christmas stockings. At first the challenge was what drew him to Mrs. Claus. Eventually it bloomed into infatuation and then finally into a real and true love.

Over the next three years they spent in college they drew closer. On the day of their graduation Nick professed his undying love for Mrs. Claus under the very same tree where they'd first met. Having fallen for the then skinny and charming Nick, she too confessed her feelings. Like that the two were engaged. Nick commemorated  by finding one of the few empty places left on the tree and carving a heart with their names inside it.

Out in the real world the two started off struggling. Since neither family wanted anything to do with the other's family, the two love birds set out on their own. They got married in a small chapel with only a couple of friends in attendance. There was no money for a honeymoon and what little cash they had went into renting a small room on the poorer side of London. Nick took on a job as an accountant for a man named Ebeneezer and Mrs. Claus got a job as a bar wench in the local tavern. They worked hard for very little, but they were happy. However what the two of them didn't know was that they were about to undergo a hardship that would test them not only physically, mentally and spiritually, but would also test their love for one another.

NEXT: Rock-a-bye and goodnight.