By some stroke of luck, a letter addressed to Santa himself ended up in Aleks' mailbox, written by one Georgie McBulloch, asking for some very specific things.
Resting upon their doormat was a wooden crate painted to look like a gift with the straps criss-crossed on it to look like ribbon. It was quite large, too.
Wrapped in the soft handkerchiefs used as filler were likely far too many little packs of camera film, as per request in the letter Aleksander had received. Beneath all of those were a warm quilt, folded neatly and depicting a variety of animals native to those islands that Georgie and their family have inhabited for many years: cows, sheep and the like.
Lastly, at the bottom of the crate was a layer or two of properly seasoned firewood and heating coal, set in it's own box as to not smudge the quilt.
Tacked to the underside of the lid was a note:
God Jul, Georgie! I have checked my list once or twice, and it seems your ratio of naughty to nice has far surpassed your numbers last year! I am quite proud of you. As such, your gifts are enclosed. Unfortunately, I was unable to deliver your Da to you, as he would not fit in the box with the rest of your gifts.
I'll build a larger box next year.
Father Christmas
Christmas 2021 || no longer accepting
Georgie's curiosity is immediately piqued upon seeing the crate at their doorstep. It's in far too good condition to have washed up from the sea, and it was too far away from the shoreline anyway. They're not left to speculate for long, however, as it's peculiar paintjob makes it fairly obvious as to it's purpose. Clapping their hands together, they eagerly drag the wooden box inside before the weather can get to it first.
They don't need much help prying the container open, having become quite proficient with a crowbar in recent years, though it's not exactly an elegant process. The pressure of the top finally coming loose sends them tumbling backwards, but they don't care. It's not long before they're able to get it open and sift through it's contents.
The camera film brings an excited smile to their face, and a quietly exclaimed 'yes!' escapes them. The timing couldn't have been better. They're already down to their last roll, and who knows how long it'd be before they could to get more?
That's far from the only thing in the box, though. Further investigation reveals a quilt cushioned beneath the rolls of film, and they immediately recognize every animal portrayed in it's stitching. They've never been a particularly neat person, but something about this quilt prompts them to handle it with more care than usual, even going so far as to gingerly fold it back up before setting it to the side. It was thick and hardy, perfect for cold winter nights at sea.
Speaking of, the gift resting at the bottom was a welcome addition. Wood and coal to help keep the cottage warm during the winter months. They'll try to make it last.
Regrettably, they don't notice the letter taped to the underside of the lid until after they've sorted through all their presents. In their defense, it was pretty easy to miss. But when they do get around to reading it, they can't help but smile. As easy as it would be to speculate the validity of the sender's name, they decide not to. It doesn't matter.