Christmas Eve Love Story

Twenty-Seven

On the twelfth Christmas Eve

Fa—!

Annie snatched her phone off the nightstand and sat up in bed.

Leo raised his head, blinking in the gray light.

“Okay,” Annie told him. “This is it. The day we change everything.”

I hope.

Leo stood and stretched, trudging toward her across the rumpled blankets. The minute she petted him, he began purring, pressing the top of his head into her palm. “Merry Christmas Eve, boy.” Annie ran a hand down his back. She was going to adopt him, and she was not losing her job. She was also getting out of this time loop.

Annie checked the time on her phone. It was just after seven. Ugh. She’d set her alarm to wake her an hour early since she was meeting Braden, but of course. The time she woke up never changed. What did change were the nuances of the day that occurred after that.

Annie pushed back the covers, gently nudging Leo aside, and he hopped down on the floor. Annie picked up and placed his wand toy on her nightstand next to her phone. A text alert popped up on the screen.

Braden

We still on for 8:30?

Eight thirty. Right.

Annie’s heart pounded. She was going to do her best. She was also so grateful she hadn’t imagined Braden being aware of her whole sorry predicament. It was his predicament now too.

Annie

Yes. See you soon!

Annie rushed through her morning routine of feeding Leo, showering, and grabbing a quick bite. She slurped her coffee and munched on her toast while getting dressed—in record time. Annie tugged on her snowman-patterned turtleneck and slipped into her black vest, attaching her name tag and holly wreath pin.

I’m going to burn this outfit once this day’s finally over.

How many times had she worn it now? Right. This was day twelve. Wait. There were twelve days of Christmas, according to the song, and certain cultures celebrated it that way with the twelfth day occurring on the Epiphany. Maybe this was her epiphany.

She knew what she had to do. Get to Lawson’s and finish her window. Text Tina. Kiss Braden. What? The notion had come out of nowhere, but still. She’d been seriously dying to before. She suspected he had too. But she couldn’t do that at work, no. Maybe after coffee, at the subway? In thanks? Heat swamped through her, and then she heard Tina’s voice in her head. Come on, Annie. Be brave. She wasn’t sure if she had the nerve, but she’d just have to see about that. She for sure had shopping to do, and cooking too. Lots and lots of that. She hurried into the living room and rummaged through her work bag. Shoes, check. Purse, check. Lunch, check. She glanced at her dad’s painting and her snow globe gleaming beneath her tree. Believe , yes. She did. She was getting out of this day one way or another, and making it to Christmas.

When the intercom buzzed, she was dressed in her boots, hat and coat, and ready to head to work. “On my way down,” she said to the delivery guy. “Thanks!” She scooped Leo into her arms and kissed him goodbye. “Be a good boy today. I’ll be back soon.”

Annie picked up Jane’s package and the big snowball dump whizzed by—splatting out in a mound near her feet. Annie held the package against her coat and hurried back inside, taking the steps two at a time to reach the second floor. No time for coffee today.

Jane opened her apartment door as Annie approached. “Oh hi.” Jane’s eyes widened. “I thought I heard someone out here.”

Annie huffed out a breath, winded from her dash up the stairs. “This came for you. Delivery guy buzzed me by mistake.”

Jane accepted the package, scanning its label. “ Yes. I’ve been waiting for this. Thanks for bringing it up”—she met Annie’s eyes—“Annie, right?”

Yes! So, Jane remembers too.

“Yeah, that’s right.” She smiled at Jane and motioned with her thumb. “I’m in 3-A upstairs.”

Jane nodded. “Sure. I’ve seen you around. We’ve probably even”—she searched the ceiling with her eyes—“spoken once or twice?”

Annie beamed brightly. “Yeah, and you’re Jane. Your kid’s name is Cari.”

Jane lifted the box in her hands. “Did I mention Amazing Agatha?”

“You did ,” Annie answered.

“The woman’s got everything,” she said, speaking of the doll. “The job, the man, the wardrobe.” Jane’s expression saddened. “If only I’d been able to get Cari that.” She shrugged and looked at Annie. “But this is close enough.” She set the package down inside her door.

Annie shrugged happily. “Maybe Santa will surprise you?”

“Santa?” Jane tsked. “Sure.” She peered at Annie. “Where did you say you worked again?”

“At Lawson’s Finest.” Annie steadied the strap of her canvas bag on her shoulder. “I wish I could stay and have coffee, or something.”

“Coffee?” Jane’s coffee maker’s beeper went off and she scratched her head. “Ah, yeah. Coffee would be great. We should do that sometime. I don’t really know anyone else in the building.”

Annie stopped walking and turned. “This winter storm is supposed to get bad. If you and Cari aren’t doing anything for Christmas dinner tomorrow, I thought I might have a few people over. Some of our neighbors.”

“Oh, nice. Thanks. We’re supposed to go to my brother’s in Flatbush. But, if we can’t get out—then, sure. That’d be great.”

Annie remembered the note in her bag. She dug it out with her fingers and hurried to apartment 2-B, sliding it under the door. “Do you know who lives here?” she asked Jane.

“Not sure,” she said. “I think we keep different hours. I might have seen a guy go in, once or twice. Uniform, but not police.”

Annie immediately thought of Braden. But no, he lived in Sunset Park. “Huh. Well, okay, thanks! Maybe we’ll get a chance to meet them soon enough.”

“That would be cool.” Jane backed into her apartment. “Thanks for the invite, and thanks again for bringing up the package.”

Annie slid on her mittens. “No problem.”

“Merry Christmas Eve!”

“To you too.”

Jane partially shut her door, then yanked it back open. “What time tomorrow, and what can I bring?” Her grin broadened. “Assuming we’re all stuck.”

That’s precisely what Annie was trying to do. Get them unstuck . She smiled at Jane. “Two o’clock. And just bring Cari.”

Seconds later, she was out on the sidewalk, hustling through the snow. The crisp scent of winter clung to the air, filling Annie’s lungs with sharp bursts of cold. Icy pinpricks stung her eyes and nose, as people raced toward their rides, darting for cabs and Ubers, their chins tucked in. A woman in a puffy black coat collapsed her red umbrella and ducked into a taxi, shutting its door.

Annie bolted down the subway stairs, sliding her bright-red mitten along the railing, flying through the turnstile and down another set of concrete steps, only to be greeted by a sea of commuters. The entire platform was flooded. Waylaid passengers held purses, bags, and satchels, with straps slung over their shoulders. All wore heavy coats, and many donned hats and gloves. Several were also wrapped up in scarves, like Annie. She turned to the middle-aged man beside her. “What’s going on?”

The man’s brow furrowed. “Mechanical difficulties. Train’s stuck in a tunnel.”

“What?” Nooo. Annie checked her watch. Trying to catch a car in this mess would be impossible. Plus, that would likely take even longer than simply waiting here. “Did they say when they’d get things cleared?”

The man shrugged. “Fifteen? Maybe twenty minutes?”

Annie took out her phone to text Braden.

Annie

Ugh. Train delay.

Braden

No worries. I’ll get started.

Annie

Great, thanks!

But it didn’t take twenty minutes.

It took thirty-five.

The train pulled into the station, and Annie clamored toward it, along with the slow-moving stampede. She was lucky to find a spot just inside the doors before they shut at her back. One more passenger squeezed in behind her, accidently bumping her elbow.

“Oh! Sorry!” She knew that voice.

Annie spun toward Quinn, and he smiled. “Mad day for us Brooklynites.” He squirmed sideways, making a sliver of additional space between them.

She made a stab at conversation, wondering if he’d remember her, like her neighbors had. “But you’re not from Brooklyn originally?”

“Good call.” He dipped his chin. “London.” He narrowed his eyes. “Say, do you work in the financial district, by chance?”

She shook her head. “Midtown.”

“Ahh.”

“At Lawson’s Finest.”

He nodded. “I know Lawson’s. Veronica Lawson, most particularly.” The train picked up speed, and he latched on to a pole. So did Annie. “Maybe I’ve seen you there?”

“Could be!”

“What is it you do there, if I might ask?”

“I do the windows.” She laughed. “Design them. I’m their Assistant Visual Artist.” Annie held her breath. “Hoping to get promoted soon.”

He grinned, and his dark eyes shone. “An excellent plan for Christmas.”

***

Annie scurried into Lawson’s finest, clocking in on her phone at 9:08 a.m. Why am I not surprised? She hustled across the salesfloor, nearly colliding with Santa.

“Oh!” She jumped back by the jewelry counter.

“Hello—Annie.” His baby-blue eyes twinkled, and Annie was taken back—but not to that Christmas when she was nine. Back to the evening her parents left for the show in Manhattan. Eleven days after Christmas. Christmas’s twelfth day . An image of her dad’s painting flashed through her mind, and she thought of her snow globe. So much had changed during these past twelve days, even though a lot of things hadn’t. She’d made connections with her neighbors and gotten to know Braden. Where is he anyway?

She glanced around the store, and Santa thumbed over his shoulder. “He’s been as busy as a bee this morning,” Santa said delightedly. “Or should I say an elf? A Christmas elf?”

Annie spotted movement in the front window. Braden stood by the mantel, hanging up the two stuffed stockings. “Yes, we’re working on something special.”

“The two of you together?” Santa chuckled. “How nice.”

“Santa”—she met his eyes—“whatever’s been going on here, thank you.”

He patted his barrel chest. “Thank me?”

“Yes.” Annie set her chin, her confidence building. “I think I know what I need to do now to make this day right.”

“Don’t let me hold you up.” Santa gestured ahead of him. “Get to it.”

Annie huffed out a breath. “O-kay!”

Braden saw her approaching, and she unwound her scarf. “I’m really sorry—”

Braden held up his hand. “Don’t be. It’s fine.”

Annie glanced at the prettily decorated Christmas tree, which now had fake candy canes on it, along with shiny golden sleighs, tinsel, and extra sparkly lights.

Braden walked toward her through the fake snow. “The lights seemed in good order,” he said. “I checked all their connections, so fingers crossed we don’t have to start over with that today.”

Annie held up her crossed fingers. “Fingers crossed.” She noted a bunch of pretty packages under the tree. “Did you wrap all those yourself?”

“I did.” He chuckled proudly. “I’m getting pretty good at it too. You might call me a gift-wrapping pro.”

She laughed, spotting the two nutcrackers on the mantel beside the three singing angels. Santa’s partially eaten cookie sat on a plate next to the pretend glass of milk. Annie stared down the aisle at the glitzy display for Amazing Agatha. Yeah, that was on her list, but first things first. “Thanks for all you’ve done here.”

“We still need the note from Santa,” Braden said. “And a few other things.”

“You’ve given us quite a head start. Thank you.”

He grinned, and her pulse fluttered. “My pleasure.”

She unbuttoned her coat and removed it, passing him her bag to hold. He gave the bag back to her and a high-heeled white shoe dropped out of it, nose-diving for the floor. Braden picked it up, handing it to her. “Looks like you dropped something.”

She held out her hand. “ Again. ”

He narrowed his eyes when she grabbed the toe of the shoe.

He held the heel.

A blast of current shot through her.

Braden blinked. “Whoa. Feel that?”

Snowflakes flitted around her, and the whole world went snowy white. She heard sleigh bells, but they were all alone, she and Braden, caught up in some magical place like their own special snow globe. Hope and wonder bloomed in his eyes. Attraction as well. The same deep yearning Annie felt in her soul.

He slowly released the shoe, and she took it. “What’s happening, Annie?”

“Christmas magic?” She’d gone a little breathy. Could this really be happening to her—and to him? Were they falling for each other in this alternate reality? The revealing sparkle in his eyes said that they were, and that he knew it too.

“Don’t tell me you still believe…? Wait.” He stopped and stared at her. “We’ve been here and done this before, haven’t we?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “That’s how it all got started, but—today—we’re going to finish.” So I can save my job and we can get to Christmas. You can see your mom, and—ooh, how I want this to happen—you and I can go out for more than coffee.

“Okay.” He set his hands on his duty belt, appraising the window. “Let’s wrap this up.”