Adeline's eyes widened as she looked up at the spirit clad in white from behind her door. The little window allowed her to see out, seeing her in all her glory.
"You're...you're real." She whispered out, mostly to herself.
Her sad eyes had brightened for a moment as a grin slowly spread on her lips.
"You're real! M-my dad told me you were! H-Hello! Hi!"
What was the game you had to play with her? You found different reasons not to let her in, and you went back and forth with her until you couldn't find anymore reasons?
But just as Adeline was about to say her first line, she stopped. She looked back at the living room behind her.
There were no decorations. No cookies set out for Santa, no stalkings hung up by the chimney with care. Some presents, but no tree.
For it was their first Christmas without her father you see. And with his unfortunate passing so soon, her mother simply hadn't been in the festive spirit.
Adeline then looked down, her lower lip trembling just a tad.
"...I-I'm sorry to disappoint you Mari Lwyd. There's no...there's no party or...anything f-fun for you here. No food, no song, just...cold a-and dark..."