Some of my readers and family and friends said they liked the Christmas ghost story although t was a bit scary, so I thought that a nice feelgood and heart warming story might be good to end the year. Merry Christmas everyone and hope you all have a great New Year.
It was an exciting few weeks at work. The office was alive with holiday chatter, but Daniel Carter was distracted. He had just learned there would be no Christmas bonus this year. His boss, Mr. Bertram Ashcroft—a strict, no-nonsense conservative—had made it clear: “We’re tightening the belt. No bonuses, no frivolities. If the Rachel Reeves budget black hole demands sacrifices, then we’re all making them,” he said at his annual ‘Town Hall’ meeting.
For Daniel, this news hit hard. He had been relying on that bonus to make Christmas special for his 8-year-old daughter, Emily. She wanted one thing more than anything: a shiny new bike to ride around their small village. Daniel, now a single dad since his wife of fifteen years had passed, was the go-to “nice guy” at work. He always put others first. But this year, life felt like it was slipping out of his control.
The firm now shut down for Christmas Eve, and everything seemed to go wrong. The microwave just stopped working, and the oven was on the blink. Emily, seeing her dad stressed, tried to comfort him but accidentally broke the ornamental vase which he had given to her mother as a final gift before the cancer took her to heaven.
Daniel had decided he would have to get something fixed before Christmas Day, or else he would have to pay for Uber Eats, and he didn’t have the money to even get Emily a present, let alone the bike she had been going on about all year.
At that moment, a loud thud came from outside. Daniel opened the door to find a strange figure dusting themselves off from a snowbank which Alexa had not predicted. Outside was a slightly bumbling but well-meaning man who introduced himself as Martin.
“Hello Daniel, I heard on Facebook that you were feeling sad as you put a sad emoticon face on a few posts of late. So here I am, to try and bring your spirit up. Is there anything I can help with?” he said.
Daniel looked at him and said, “I really don’t think anyone can make me happy today, or indeed any day anymore; I can’t even do things to fund a decent meal for my daughter, let alone give her a big present. I just don’t think I am worth anything to anyone anymore, maybe I was never worth anything to anyone in the first place, so you may as well get out of here and let me try and salvage something… (oh god, anything),” he thought, “just get me through this awful year.”
As the door was shut, Daniel walked solemnly back into the kitchen to find his microwave blinking at him. He set the timer and switched on the oven. “Oh, thank heavens,” he said. Then he saw Emily holding the broken ornament for her father. “Daddy, you replaced it,” she said. “I’m so glad, won’t mummy be happy too, won’t she?”
Daniel looked on in disbelief as he glanced out at the driveway from the kitchen window and caught sight of the man he had closed the door on.
Daniel ran to the door and shouted, “Hey, Martin, please come in and join us for Christmas dinner.”
He looked over to the Christmas tree, saying "Alexa, turn on tree" and it sparkled with lights and baubles. Martin walked over to the tree and picked up the star which had fallen from the top.
Martin turned the star over in his hands, and as Daniel watched, something remarkable began to happen. The star shimmered, and a faint glow illuminated the room. When Martin placed it back on top of the tree, the entire house seemed to come alive with warmth and light—not just the physical kind, but an inexplicable feeling of peace and hope.
“Sometimes,” Martin said quietly, “it’s not about fixing everything yourself. It’s about letting others in to help you carry the load.”
Just as Daniel was about to respond, there was a knock at the door. Confused, he opened it to find his neighbour, Mrs. Willoughby, standing there with a casserole dish. “I heard your oven wasn’t working,” she said with a smile. “Thought you might need this for Christmas dinner.”
Behind her were more neighbours—people Daniel hadn’t spoken to in months—each holding something: a pie, a bag of groceries, a tray of cookies. Holly Bright, a co-worker who had always admired Daniel’s kindness, appeared with a small, wrapped box in her hands. “This is for Emily,” she said shyly. “It’s not much, but I thought she might like it.”
Emily peeked around the corner, her eyes lighting up at the sight of familiar faces and the unexpected gifts. “Daddy, look! Everyone came to see us!”
Daniel was speechless, tears welling up in his eyes. He turned to Martin, but the man was gone—vanished as quietly as he had appeared.
That evening, the house was filled with laughter, warmth, and a sense of togetherness that Daniel hadn’t felt in years. Emily tore into the small gift from Holly to reveal a beautiful doll, something she hadn’t even thought to ask for but instantly cherished.
As the evening quieted, the neighbours drifted home, and Emily, exhausted from the excitement, fell asleep on the couch with her new doll tucked in her arms. Daniel tidied up, his heart fuller than it had been in years. Just as he placed the last dish in the sink, there was a knock at the door.
Holly stood there, bundled in a red scarf and holding a thermos. “Thought you might need a cup of hot cocoa,” she said with a smile.
Daniel stepped aside to let her in, grateful for the company. They sat by the Christmas tree, the soft glow of the lights reflecting in Holly’s eyes. She looked around the cosy room and said, “I’m glad today turned out the way it did. You’ve always done so much for others, Daniel. It’s nice to see people giving back to you for once.”
Her words touched something deep within him. For the first time in a long while, he felt seen—not just as Emily’s dad or the “nice guy” at work, but as himself.
“You’ve always been so kind, Holly,” he said softly. “I don’t think I would’ve made it through today without you… or Martin.”
Holly tilted her head, puzzled. “Martin?”
Daniel hesitated, glancing toward the glowing star on the tree. “Just someone who reminded me that Christmas is about hope… and maybe a little magic.”
Holly smiled, not pressing further, though her curious gaze lingered.
Holly blushed, glancing down at her hands before meeting his gaze. “Maybe we could make it through more than just today,” she said, her voice tinged with hope.
Daniel smiled, the spark of something new flickering between them. “I’d like that.”
As the clock struck midnight, the star on the Christmas tree seemed to glimmer brighter than ever. As he walked Holly to the door, he said goodnight, and she kissed his cheek.
He looked in on Emily, still clutching the doll Holly had brought her. He walked into the lounge, now in darkness. “Alexa, turn on tree,” he said aloud.
The star, now on top of the tree, shone brightly. Then, Daniel noticed a small envelope hanging from one of the tree’s branches, glittering faintly under the lights. Inside was a note, written in elegant handwriting:
“Kindness always finds its way back to you. Trust in it, and in yourself. Merry Christmas. – M”
Below the note was a voucher for a local bike shop, covering the cost of a new bicycle.