Soup, Saltines, and Glitter by Jaime Samms

Magic is never complicated. You just have to know where to look for it.
When he was fifteen years old, Nathan made a heartbroken wish to a Santa he didn’t believe in.
Ten years later, he bumps into Kriss on a street corner far away from that teenager’s life. At first, Kriss seems like the answer to that long ago letter, but they soon discover magic isn’t as simple as sprinkling glitter over the cracks.
It will take something much deeper keep Kriss and Nathan together.
All they have to do is believe. That, and remember that magic isn’t all bells and glitter. Sometimes, it takes time, patience, and forgiveness to mend a family and heal hearts enough to love like new.

This story was first published in 2011 as Not Your Ordinary Christas Elf. This version is the same story, updated and expanded for a new decade.