"I wanna pony," said Allie impishly as she watched Grandad come back toward them, purposefully choosing something outrageous just because. It was fun, choosing something she knew she would never get anyway, because then she could pretend she wouldn't get it for reasons other than the bad stuff. "A pony with a rainbow bridle."

"Y'like rainbows, lil lady?" Grandad asked with a lazy sort of amusement and a twinkle, the sort where he was really interested but curious about what she thought and pretended not to know anything. Allie gave a firm nod.

"They're a promise," she explained. "Mrs Matthews from Sunday School told us once how God flooded the whole Earth except for some people on an ark, because they were good and everyone else was bad. But afterward he promised to never, ever ever ever do it again, and made rainbows to prove it. That's why we get rainbows after rain stops." She made a face. "I mean, I know what science says, but just 'cos science is right doesn't mean it's not wrong at the same time."

He was looking at her with a funny, soft, proud little smile, as if she had just said something that made his whole life worthwhile. Allie hid her face a little, still smiling shyly. "Barn," he said gruffly, "your girl's gonna be a life-changer one day. Ain't no mistake."

And because he was secretly Santa, and the way he said it like he knew, Allie believed it.