desperate, “and I don’t have any idea of what to get her.”
Fred handed her the videotape of
It’s a Wonderful Life
they were giving the receptionist. “How about one of these?” he said.
“Do you think she’ll like it?”
“Everybody
likes it,” Fred said.
“Especially the part where the bad guy steals the money, and Jimmy Stewart races around town, trying to replace it,” Lauren said.
It took them most of the morning to get the rest of the presents and forever to wrap them. By four they weren’t even half done.
“What’s next?” Fred asked, tying the bow on the last of the staplers. He stood up and stretched.
“Cough drops,” Lauren said, cutting a length of red paper with Santa Clauses on it.
He sat back down. “Ah, yes. Accounts Receivable’s heart’s desire.”
“What’s your heart’s desire?” Lauren asked, folding the paper over the top of the cough drops and taping it. “What would you ask for if the spirit inflicted himself on you?”
Fred unreeled a length of ribbon. “Well, not to go to anoffice party, that’s for sure. The only year I had an even remotely good time was last year, talking to you.”
“I’m serious,” Lauren said. She taped the sides and handed the package to Fred. “What do you really want for Christmas?”
“When I was eight,” he said thoughtfully, “I asked for a computer for Christmas. Home computers were new then and they were pretty expensive, and I wasn’t sure I’d get it. I was a lot like Natalie Wood in
Miracle on 34th Street.
I didn’t believe in Santa Claus, and I didn’t believe in miracles, but I really wanted it.”
He cut off the length of ribbon, wrapped it around the package, and tied it in a knot. “Did you get the computer?”
“No,” he said, cutting off shorter lengths of ribbon. “Christmas morning I came downstairs, and there was a note telling me to look in the garage.” He opened the scissors and pulled the ribbon across the blade, making it curl. “It was a puppy.” He smiled, remembering. “The thing was, a computer was too expensive, but there was an outside chance I’d get it, or I wouldn’t have asked for it. Kids don’t ask for stuff they
know
is impossible.”
“And you hadn’t asked for a puppy because you knew you couldn’t have one?”
“No, you don’t understand. There are things you don’t ask for because you know you can’t have them, and then there are things so far outside the realm of possibility, it would never even occur to you to want them.” He made the curled ribbon into a bow and fastened it to the package.
“So what you’re saying is your heart’s desire is something so far outside the realm of possibility, you don’t even know what it is?”
“I didn’t say that,” he said. He stood up again. “Do you want some eggnog?”
“Yes, thanks. If it’s still there.”
He went into the kitchen. She could hear forest-thrashing noises and the refrigerator opening. “It’s still here,” he said.
“It’s funny Chris hasn’t been back,” she called to Fred. “I keep worrying he must be up to something.”
“Chris?” Fred said. He came back into the living room with two glasses of eggnog.
“The spirit. He told me to call him that,” she said. “It’s short for Spirit of Christmas Present.” Fred was frowning. “What’s wrong?” Lauren asked.
“I wonder … nothing. Never mind.” He went over to the TV. “I don’t suppose
Miracle on 34th Street
’s on TV this afternoon?”
“No, but I made him change your video back.” She pointed. “It’s there, on top of the TV.”
He turned on the TV, inserted the video in the VCR, and hit play. He came and sat down beside Lauren. She handed him the wrapped cough drops, but he didn’t take them. He was watching the TV. Lauren looked up. On the screen, Jimmy Stewart was walking past Donna Reed’s house, racketing a stick along the picket fence.
“That isn’t
Miracle,”
Lauren said. “He told me he
Fred handed her the videotape of
It’s a Wonderful Life
they were giving the receptionist. “How about one of these?” he said.
“Do you think she’ll like it?”
“Everybody
likes it,” Fred said.
“Especially the part where the bad guy steals the money, and Jimmy Stewart races around town, trying to replace it,” Lauren said.
It took them most of the morning to get the rest of the presents and forever to wrap them. By four they weren’t even half done.
“What’s next?” Fred asked, tying the bow on the last of the staplers. He stood up and stretched.
“Cough drops,” Lauren said, cutting a length of red paper with Santa Clauses on it.
He sat back down. “Ah, yes. Accounts Receivable’s heart’s desire.”
“What’s your heart’s desire?” Lauren asked, folding the paper over the top of the cough drops and taping it. “What would you ask for if the spirit inflicted himself on you?”
Fred unreeled a length of ribbon. “Well, not to go to anoffice party, that’s for sure. The only year I had an even remotely good time was last year, talking to you.”
“I’m serious,” Lauren said. She taped the sides and handed the package to Fred. “What do you really want for Christmas?”
“When I was eight,” he said thoughtfully, “I asked for a computer for Christmas. Home computers were new then and they were pretty expensive, and I wasn’t sure I’d get it. I was a lot like Natalie Wood in
Miracle on 34th Street.
I didn’t believe in Santa Claus, and I didn’t believe in miracles, but I really wanted it.”
He cut off the length of ribbon, wrapped it around the package, and tied it in a knot. “Did you get the computer?”
“No,” he said, cutting off shorter lengths of ribbon. “Christmas morning I came downstairs, and there was a note telling me to look in the garage.” He opened the scissors and pulled the ribbon across the blade, making it curl. “It was a puppy.” He smiled, remembering. “The thing was, a computer was too expensive, but there was an outside chance I’d get it, or I wouldn’t have asked for it. Kids don’t ask for stuff they
know
is impossible.”
“And you hadn’t asked for a puppy because you knew you couldn’t have one?”
“No, you don’t understand. There are things you don’t ask for because you know you can’t have them, and then there are things so far outside the realm of possibility, it would never even occur to you to want them.” He made the curled ribbon into a bow and fastened it to the package.
“So what you’re saying is your heart’s desire is something so far outside the realm of possibility, you don’t even know what it is?”
“I didn’t say that,” he said. He stood up again. “Do you want some eggnog?”
“Yes, thanks. If it’s still there.”
He went into the kitchen. She could hear forest-thrashing noises and the refrigerator opening. “It’s still here,” he said.
“It’s funny Chris hasn’t been back,” she called to Fred. “I keep worrying he must be up to something.”
“Chris?” Fred said. He came back into the living room with two glasses of eggnog.
“The spirit. He told me to call him that,” she said. “It’s short for Spirit of Christmas Present.” Fred was frowning. “What’s wrong?” Lauren asked.
“I wonder … nothing. Never mind.” He went over to the TV. “I don’t suppose
Miracle on 34th Street
’s on TV this afternoon?”
“No, but I made him change your video back.” She pointed. “It’s there, on top of the TV.”
He turned on the TV, inserted the video in the VCR, and hit play. He came and sat down beside Lauren. She handed him the wrapped cough drops, but he didn’t take them. He was watching the TV. Lauren looked up. On the screen, Jimmy Stewart was walking past Donna Reed’s house, racketing a stick along the picket fence.
“That isn’t
Miracle,”
Lauren said. “He told me he
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