Playing for Keeps by Alison Packard

Author:Alison Packard [Packard, Alison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Alison Packard
Published: 2018-04-30T18:30:00+00:00

12

Smothering a yawn, Amy shuffled like a zombie from a low-budget horror movie into the living room where Danny paced furiously in front of the brightly lit Christmas tree. “You do know I didn’t get home until two-thirty last night, right?” she asked, tightening the belt of her flannel robe around her waist and dragging her fingers through her tangled hair.

Danny halted abruptly and let out an exaggerated sigh. “It’s Christmas. I always wake you up early on Christmas. It’s...it’s...” Brow furrowed, he looked up at her. “You know...that word for when you always do something.”

“Tradition.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “That,” he said, then pointed at the tree with a huge grin on his face. “Look, Mom. Santa was here. He left some presents under the tree and the cookies and milk are all gone. He must have been super hungry.”

Lucia O’Brien’s chocolate chip oatmeal cookies had been a welcome sight when Amy had rolled in after her shift at Stylus, but Danny didn’t need to know she’d been the one to wolf down the snack he and Lucia had left out, not Santa. “Santa was tired.” She rubbed the grit from her eyes. “I’m sure the cookies and milk gave him a much-needed energy boost.”

“I think his belly is so big because everyone leaves him cookies.”

“Then maybe we should put carrots out next year. They’re a lot healthier.”

Danny scrunched his face in distaste. Clearly he thought she was insane for even suggesting a nutritious option. “No way! If we leave carrots, he’ll never come back.” He whirled around to face the tree, the belt of his robe swirling with him. “Can we open presents now? Please,” he said, drawing the word out in a high whine.

“As soon as I make coffee.” She gave him an affectionate pat on the head and moved to the kitchen.

“After we open presents are we gonna have French toast?” he asked, trailing behind her and slipping onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar.

“You bet,” she said as she opened the canister sitting on the counter. The heavenly aroma of French roast invaded her nostrils; she almost whimpered out loud.

“Cause it’s our tradition.” He tapped his fingers on the countertop to some unknown beat in his head. “Oh, I forgot to tell you something important.” She looked over her shoulder at him and his lopsided grin melted her heart. “Merry Christmas, Mom.”

And if that didn’t make getting up at the crack of dawn worth it, she didn’t know what did. “Merry Christmas, Danny.”

It took close to an hour for Amy to feel like she was fully functioning but Danny didn’t seem to notice. The coffee had helped her fake it and so had Danny’s enthusiasm. As was their tradition, the first thing they did was open the small gifts in their stockings. She’d filled Danny’s with the black licorice pinwheels he loved, as well as some Brain Quest cards, colored highlighters, a mini Lego kit, and a pair of Marvel socks. And, of course, no stocking was complete without an orange and a quarter in the toe for good luck.

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