changed it back.” She snatched up the box. It still showed Edmund Gwenn hugging Natalie Wood. “That little sneak! He only changed the box!”
She glared at the TV. On the screen Jimmy Stewart was glaring at Donna Reed.
“It’s all right,” Fred said, taking the package and reaching for the ribbon. “It’s not a bad movie. The ending’s too sentimental, and it doesn’t really make sense. I mean, one minute everything’s hopeless, and Jimmy Stewart’s ready to kill himself, and then the angel convinces him he had a wonderful life, and suddenly everything’s okay.” He looked around the table, patting the spread-out wrapping paper. “But it has its moments. Have you seen the scissors?”
Lauren handed him one of the pairs they’d bought. “We’ll wrap them last.”
On the TV Jimmy Stewart was sitting in Donna Reed’s living room, looking awkward. “What I have trouble with is Jimmy Stewart’s being so self-sacrificing,” she said, cutting a length of red paper with Santa Clauses on it. “I mean, he givesup college so his brother can go, and then when his brother has a chance at a good job, he gives up college
again.
He even gives up committing suicide to save Clarence. There’s such a thing as being too self-sacrificing, you know.”
“Maybe he gives up things because he thinks he doesn’t deserve them.”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“He’s never gone to college, he’s poor, he’s deaf in one ear. Sometimes when people are handicapped or overweight they just assume they can’t have the things other people have.”
The telephone rang. Lauren reached for it and then realized it was on TV.
“Oh, hello, Sam,” Donna Reed said, looking at Jimmy Stewart.
“Can you help me with this ribbon?” Fred said.
“Sure,” Lauren said. She scooted closer to him and put her finger on the crossed ribbon to hold it taut.
Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed were standing very close together, listening to the telephone. The voice on the phone was saying something about soybeans.
Fred still hadn’t tied the knot. Lauren glanced up at him. He was looking at the TV, too.
Jimmy Stewart was looking at Donna Reed, his face nearly touching her hair. Donna Reed looked at him and then away. The voice from the phone was saying something about the chance of a lifetime, but it was obvious neither of them was hearing a word. Donna Reed looked up at him. His lips almost touched her forehead. They didn’t seem to be breathing.
Lauren realized she wasn’t either. She looked at Fred. He was holding the two ends of ribbon, one in each hand, and looking down at her.
“The knot,” she said. “You haven’t tied it.”
“Oh,” he said. “Sorry.”
Jimmy Stewart dropped the phone with a clatter and grabbed Donna Reed by both arms. He began shaking her, yelling at her, and then suddenly she was wrapped in his arms, and he was smothering her with kisses.
“The knot,” Fred said. “You have to pull your finger out.”
She looked uncomprehendingly at him and then down at the package. He had tied the knot over her finger, which was still pressing against the wrapping paper.
“Oh. Sorry,” she said, and pulled her finger free. “You were right. It does have its moments.”
He yanked the knot tight. “Yeah,” he said. He reached for the spool of ribbon and began chopping off lengths for the bow. On the screen Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart were being pelted with rice.
“No. You were right,” he said. “He is too self-sacrificing.” He waved the scissors at the screen. “In a minute he’s going to give up his honeymoon to save the building and loan. It’s a wonder he ever asked Donna Reed to marry him. It’s a wonder he didn’t try to fix her up with that guy on the phone.”
The phone rang. Lauren looked at the screen, thinking it must be in the movie, but Jimmy Stewart was kissing Donna Reed in a taxicab.
“It’s the phone,” Fred said.
Lauren scrambled up and reached for it.
“Hi,” Scott
She glared at the TV. On the screen Jimmy Stewart was glaring at Donna Reed.
“It’s all right,” Fred said, taking the package and reaching for the ribbon. “It’s not a bad movie. The ending’s too sentimental, and it doesn’t really make sense. I mean, one minute everything’s hopeless, and Jimmy Stewart’s ready to kill himself, and then the angel convinces him he had a wonderful life, and suddenly everything’s okay.” He looked around the table, patting the spread-out wrapping paper. “But it has its moments. Have you seen the scissors?”
Lauren handed him one of the pairs they’d bought. “We’ll wrap them last.”
On the TV Jimmy Stewart was sitting in Donna Reed’s living room, looking awkward. “What I have trouble with is Jimmy Stewart’s being so self-sacrificing,” she said, cutting a length of red paper with Santa Clauses on it. “I mean, he givesup college so his brother can go, and then when his brother has a chance at a good job, he gives up college
again.
He even gives up committing suicide to save Clarence. There’s such a thing as being too self-sacrificing, you know.”
“Maybe he gives up things because he thinks he doesn’t deserve them.”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“He’s never gone to college, he’s poor, he’s deaf in one ear. Sometimes when people are handicapped or overweight they just assume they can’t have the things other people have.”
The telephone rang. Lauren reached for it and then realized it was on TV.
“Oh, hello, Sam,” Donna Reed said, looking at Jimmy Stewart.
“Can you help me with this ribbon?” Fred said.
“Sure,” Lauren said. She scooted closer to him and put her finger on the crossed ribbon to hold it taut.
Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed were standing very close together, listening to the telephone. The voice on the phone was saying something about soybeans.
Fred still hadn’t tied the knot. Lauren glanced up at him. He was looking at the TV, too.
Jimmy Stewart was looking at Donna Reed, his face nearly touching her hair. Donna Reed looked at him and then away. The voice from the phone was saying something about the chance of a lifetime, but it was obvious neither of them was hearing a word. Donna Reed looked up at him. His lips almost touched her forehead. They didn’t seem to be breathing.
Lauren realized she wasn’t either. She looked at Fred. He was holding the two ends of ribbon, one in each hand, and looking down at her.
“The knot,” she said. “You haven’t tied it.”
“Oh,” he said. “Sorry.”
Jimmy Stewart dropped the phone with a clatter and grabbed Donna Reed by both arms. He began shaking her, yelling at her, and then suddenly she was wrapped in his arms, and he was smothering her with kisses.
“The knot,” Fred said. “You have to pull your finger out.”
She looked uncomprehendingly at him and then down at the package. He had tied the knot over her finger, which was still pressing against the wrapping paper.
“Oh. Sorry,” she said, and pulled her finger free. “You were right. It does have its moments.”
He yanked the knot tight. “Yeah,” he said. He reached for the spool of ribbon and began chopping off lengths for the bow. On the screen Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart were being pelted with rice.
“No. You were right,” he said. “He is too self-sacrificing.” He waved the scissors at the screen. “In a minute he’s going to give up his honeymoon to save the building and loan. It’s a wonder he ever asked Donna Reed to marry him. It’s a wonder he didn’t try to fix her up with that guy on the phone.”
The phone rang. Lauren looked at the screen, thinking it must be in the movie, but Jimmy Stewart was kissing Donna Reed in a taxicab.
“It’s the phone,” Fred said.
Lauren scrambled up and reached for it.
“Hi,” Scott
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