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"You, too. Now come on. "
They went out to the car and got in. All the way to town they chatted. Not about anything important; just ordinary life.
By the time they reached Front Street, the traffic was bumper to bumper.
"I cant believe all these people are out on Christmas Eve," Lauren said.
"Its the final tree-lighting ceremony. "
"Oh," Lauren said, not quite understanding what all the hype was about. Shed lived in this town for years and never been to one of these ceremonies. Shed always had to work on weekends and holidays. David had told her it was "okay," but he hadnt been in years, either.
"Too many people" was his parents excuse.
Angie found a parking spot and pulled in.
The minute she got out of the car, Lauren heard the first sound of Christmas: Bells. Every church in town was pealing its bells. Somewhere nearby a horse-drawn carriage was moving along; she could hear the clip-clop of the hooves and the jangling of harness bells.
In the town square, dozens--maybe hundreds--of tourists were milling about, moving from one store to the next, collecting in front of the booths that sold everything from hot cocoa to rum cake to candy canes. The Rotary Club was roasting chestnuts by the flagpole.
"Angela!" Marias voice rang out above the crowd.
The next thing Lauren knew, she was swept into the DeSaria family. Everyone was talking at once, telling jokes, holding hands. They moved from booth to booth, eating every morsel that was offered and buying bags of whatever they couldnt eat on the spot. Lauren saw dozens of school friends moving through the crowd with their families. For once she felt as if she were a part of things instead of on the outside, looking in.
"Its time," Mira said at last. As if on cue, the family stopped. In fact, the whole town seemed to freeze.
The lights went out. Darkness clicked into place. Suddenly the stars overhead were stunning. An air of anticipation moved through the crowd. Angie took Laurens hand in hers, squeezed it gently.
The Christmas lights came on. Hundreds of thousands of them, all at once.
Lauren gasped.
Magic.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Angie said.
"Yeah. " Laurens throat felt tight.
They spent another hour in the square, and then walked to church for midnight mass, which in this day and age took place at ten. Lauren almost started to cry when she entered the church with Angie at her side. It was just like her little girls dream; she could easily pretend that Angie was her mother. After the service, the DeSarias split up, each going their separate ways.
Angie and Lauren walked through the crowd, pointing out things to each other along the way. By the time they reached the car, it had started to snow. They drove home slowly. The flakes were huge and airy. They fell lazily to earth.
Lauren couldnt remember the last time shed seen a white Christmas. Rain was much more the holiday norm.
On Miracle Mile Road, the snow was sticking. It coated the tree limbs and dusted the roadside. The yard lay hidden beneath a blanket of sparkling white.
"I wonder if well be able to go sledding tomorrow," she said, bouncing up and down in her seat. She knew she was acting like a little kid but she couldnt help it. "Or maybe we could make snow angels. I saw that on television once. Hey, whos that?"
He was standing at the front door of Angies house in a wedge of golden light. A veil of falling snow obscured his face.
The car stopped.
Lauren peered through the windshield.
He stepped down from the porch, came closer.
And suddenly Lauren knew. The man in the worn Levis and black leather jacket was Conlan. She turned to Angie, whose eyes looked huge in her pale face.
"Is that him?"
