Free Miracle by Connie Willis

other shopping bag to Lauren. “It was my pleasure.”
    “I wish you were coming with us,” she said.
    “And give up a chance of seeing the real Santa Claus?” He held the door open. “You two had better get going before something happens.”
    “What do you mean?” Scott said, alarmed. “Do you think these presents might be recalled, too?”
    Lauren looked hopefully at the couch and then the TV. On the screen Jimmy Stewart was standing on a bridge in the snow, getting ready to kill himself.
    “Afraid not,” Fred said.
    It was snowing by the time they pulled into the parking lot at work. “It was really selfless of Fred to help you wrap all those presents,” Scott said, holding the lobby door open for Lauren. “He’s a nice guy.”
    “Yes,” Lauren said. “He is.”
    “Hey, look at that!” Scott said. He pointed at the security monitor. “It’s
a Wonderful Life.
My favorite movie!” On the monitor Jimmy Stewart was running through the snow, shouting, “Merry Christmas!”
    “Scott,” Lauren said, “I can’t go to the party with you.”
    “Just a minute, okay?” Scott said, staring at the screen. “This is my favorite part.” He set the shopping bags down on the receptionist’s desk and leaned his elbows on it. “This is the part where Jimmy Stewart finds out what a wonderful life he’s had.”
    “You have to take me home,” Lauren said.
    There was a gust of cold air and snow. Lauren turned around.
    “You forgot your cheese puffs,” Fred said, holding out the foil-covered plate to Lauren.
    “There’s such a thing as being too self-sacrificing, you know,” Lauren said.
    He held the plate out to her. “That’s what the spirit said.”
    “He came back?” She shot a glance at the shopping bags.
    “Yeah. Right after you left. Don’t worry about the presents. He said he thought the staplers were a great idea. He also said not to worry about getting a Christmas present for your sister.”
    “My sister!” Lauren said, clapping her hand to her mouth. “I completely forgot about her.”
    “He said since you didn’t like it, he sent her the Yanomamo dress.”
    “She’ll love it,” Lauren said.
    “He also said it was a wonder Jimmy Stewart ever got Donna Reed, he was so busy giving everybody else what they wanted,” he said, looking seriously at her.
    “He’s right,” Lauren said. “Did he also tell you Jimmy Stewart was incredibly stupid for wanting to go off to college when Donna Reed was right there in front of him?”
    “He mentioned it.”
    “What a great movie!” Scott said, turning to Lauren. “Ready to go up?”
    “No,” Lauren said. “I’m going with Fred to see a movie.” She took the cheese puffs from Fred and handed them to Scott.
    “What am I supposed to do with these?”
    “Take the foil off,” Fred said, “and put them in a microwave for two minutes.”
    “But you’re my date,” Scott said. “Who am I supposed to go with?”
    There was a gust of cold air and snow. Everyone turned around.
    “How do I look?” Evie said, taking off her coat.
    “Wow!” Scott said. “You look terrific!”
    Evie spun around, her shoulders bare, the sequins glittering on her black dress. “Lauren gave it to me for Christmas,” she said happily. “I love Christmas, don’t you?”
    “I
love
that dress,” Scott said.
    “He also told me,” Fred said, “that his favorite thing in
Miracle on 34th Street
was Santa Claus’s being in disguise—”
    “He wasn’t in disguise,” Lauren said. “Edmund Gwenn told everybody he was Santa Claus.”
    Fred held up a correcting finger. “He told everyone his name was Kris Kringle.”
    “Chris,” Lauren said.
    “Oh, I love this part,” Evie said.
    Lauren looked at her. She was standing next to Scott, watching Jimmy Stewart standing next to Donna Reed and singing “Auld Lang Syne.”
    “He makes all sorts of trouble for everyone,” Fred said. “He turns Christmas upside down—”
    “Completely disrupts Maureen