All I Want for Christmas Is You (Short Story) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Billy stared at the man, watching him turn his beer can in quarter turns on his napkin. “Joanne’s worked hard on this dinner. Let’s not ruin it.”
    “Do you know—”
    “Of course I do. You think we’re blind?”
    “Here we go, boys,” Joanne swept into the room, carrying a steaming dish filled with gray-green food. Maddy came in behind her, holding a bowl of rice and a little dish filled with carrots and olives. When his eyes met hers, he hoped none of his panic showed. None of his worry and surprise. She lifted her eyebrows and he shook his head.
    Joanne and Maddy sat down in their spots and they all joined hands while Joanne said a prayer, thanking the Lord for the gray-green food and for blessing Billy with such talent, and all of them with such love. The whole time Billy’s hand was cold where it held Doug’s. It was like holding ice.
    “You still living with that family in Rochester?” Joanne asked after the grace was over and they all started spooning food onto their plates.
    “No, actually,” he said. “I just rented an apartment.”
    “An apartment? What if you get called up to the Pit Bulls?” Joanne asked, the smooth skin of her forehead wrinkled. “Seems like a lease is a big commitment.”
    “The lease is from month to month. It’s … it’s the first floor of a house. Real pretty.”
    It’s for your daughter, he wanted to say. For us. A home that’s ours, where we’ll take care of each other and love each other. But he could feel the arctic air blowing off Doug.
    “Well, that’s real nice,” Joanne said.
    Billy dug into the food and his mouth exploded with heat. Fire poured down his throat.
    “It’s got a kick,” Doug said, nudging Billy’s beer toward him. Billy doused the fire with half the can.
    This was a different kind of Christmas dinner, that’s for sure. He was sweating through the nice shirt Maddy had bought for him.
    “Honey,” Joanne said, turning her head and shiny eyes toward Maddy. “Did you tell Billy your big news?”
    “What big news?” Billy put down his fork.
    “It’s nothing—”
    “Don’t say that,” Doug said, pushing food around his plate, while he gave his daughter an eagle-eyed stare. “It’s not nothing.”
    “What?” Billy asked, looking at the people in the room like they were all keeping secrets.
    “I … I got into Carnegie Mellon.”
    “Wh …” he couldn’t actually finish the words.
    “Our baby is going to college.” Joanne beamed, sweat beading on her forehead. “The first in our family.”
    “Carnegie Mellon?” he asked, amazed by her. “That school is no joke.”
    “Neither is my daughter,” Doug said.
    “I’m not going,” she said. “It was just to see if I could get in.”
    “Why wouldn’t you go?” Joanne asked, putting her fork down, the metal clanging against the dish.
    “Mom, it costs a fortune. A really big fortune. I’ll get into other schools.”
    “But you wanted that one—” Joanne looked up at Doug and then at Maddy, who shook her head.
    “Mom, honestly, it’s okay.”
    “Well, no matter what, it’s pretty impressive.” Billy raised his beer, so proud and amazed that this beautiful smart woman was choosing to be with him. It was weird, though, that she hadn’t told him about getting in. Did she think he wouldn’t be proud? Or that he wouldn’t care? Or was there something else going on that he didn’t understand?
    “To Maddy,” he said, watching her blush and loving it.
    “To both of you.” Joanne lifted her own glass. “Such talented kids with bright, bright futures.”
    They all drank and Billy dug into the curry again. Once you got past the heat, it wasn’t that bad.

Chapter 3
    “That was delicious, Joanne,” Billy said as he stood and grabbed his plate, preparing to clear. Maddy smiled at him, so pleased that he always tried to clear the table, even though her mom never let him.
    “My pleasure, honey,” she said. “It’s not every day I get to cook for a