Zahra stepped outside into the snowy night. A man in red was wrestling with a huge sack at the bottom of her street.
She walked over and tugged the strap with both hands. The man smiled and patted the seat beside him. "Want to help?"
They raced through the snowy streets of Beirut, dropping wrapped gifts at every door. The sleigh bells sang through the cold air.
The sack slipped. Presents tumbled into the snow. Zahra scooped them up fast, her fingers going cold, and stuffed them back inside.
They reached a steep hill and the sleigh wheels sank deep into the drifts. The man pushed while she pulled the reins.
The sleigh lurched forward with a metallic jingle. They careened past a string of glowing lights, faster now.
At the last house, Zahra handed Santa the final gift. He placed it under the tree and the child inside tore open the paper.
The child's eyes went wide. Zahra smiled as the house glowed warm yellow behind the window.
Zahra sat on the sleigh edge and watched snowflakes melt on her mittens. The bells above the door still chimed softly.
She leaned back and breathed in the cold air, feeling exactly where she wanted to be.
The bells above the door chimed one last time. Zahra closed her eyes and listened to the quiet snow fall.
Somewhere far away, sleigh bells rang again. Zahra opened her eyes and watched the snow cover the whole city in white.