This story is part of the December 17 Edition of Good Weekend.See all 22 stories.
In early October, at a barbecue at his parents’ place, Dominic was conscripted to play Santa for the family’s Christmas epic.
Credit: Paul Connolly
“Why me?” he said.
“No reason, mate,” said his brother Joe, theatrically patting his stomach.
Everyone laughed, including Dominic’s wife, Edie.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?” the kids said on the drive home.
“He’s just tired,” Edie answered. Dominic stared intently ahead.
Back home, he went for a jog, his first in years. After two blocks, he was sweating. After four, his knees were clicking. By the sixth, he resigned himself to his fate.
He walked home, puffing hard: ho, ho, ho.
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