Page 1 of All I Want For Christmas Is You

Prologue

All through her shift, Margot Hodges kept glancing at her watch. Anticipation jangled her nerves, making time move like sludge through a straw.

Her fellow barista handed over the next ticket and did a double take on her fingernails. “Well, look at you. All gussied up.” He took her hand to examine the shell-pink polish. “What’s the occasion?”

Margot smiled as she measured out the espresso beans. “It’s my birthday.”

“For real?”

“Yep.” Normally, she didn’t share much personal information. No one wanted to hear her sad story. But today, she was excited. For the first time in over a year, she’d get to see her kids.

Well, she hoped so.

She was pretty sure.

“Did you just say it’s your birthday?” The manager swept in and pulled the cup out of her hand.

“Yep.” Margot tried to take it back, but the woman shook her head.

“Get out of here. We got this.”

“I can’t just leave. We’re slammed.” Though, really, she’d love to get home. In her twenty-seven years of marriage, no matter how busy her husband was, he’d always taken off for her birthday.

Today, though, he hadn’t said a word. No flowers, no card, nothing.

And it made her think about the other things she’d noticed recently. Like last week, she’d caught him hiding in the bathroom, grinning during a text exchange. And the other day, he’d mentioned his new boss’s connection to a senator. Normally, Margot would think so what? But if you added it all together, what else did you get but a surprise party?

Clearly, he was texting their kids and working with a senator to get her son home from his deployment. Delusional? Maybe, but what other conclusion could she make?

“Honey, you’re my best and most reliable worker,” the manager said. “You never take time off. Go home and celebrate. We’ll cover for you.”

Excitement bubbled inside her. “You sure?”

“Positive. Go.”

She didn’t need to hear it a third time. “Thank you so much.” As she untied her apron, she headed into the break room to grab her purse. She couldn’t wait to hug her children.

Scott needed this. Since her husband’s career had tanked, he’d fallen into a slump. Seeing them would boost his spirits.

As she headed out the door, she breathed in the cool April air, grateful for this break from work. Before starting her car, she checked her phone for messages. Nothing.

Yet more proof they were planning something. No way would they forget her today—not all three of them. Excited, she headed out of the parking lot.

It had been a rough seven years, but things were finally turning around. Scott worked in a volatile field, so he’d lost jobs before, but he’d always recovered. This time, his industry had collapsed. There were far fewer jobs, and in the game of musical chairs, there were no seats left for a middle-aged former titan.

They’d had to sell their home and most of their belongings. Their daughter, who’d just started college, dropped out because she didn’t want to take on crushing student loans, and their son enlisted in the Marines.

As tough as things had gotten, though, Margot still had her family. Her kids and her husband meant everything to her. As long as she had them, she could get through anything.

As soon as she pulled into her apartment complex, she cut the engine and checked her phone again. Still nothing. Her son was stationed in South Korea, and her daughter worked long hours at a resort in Hawaii. All together, her family spanned three time zones—not the best for keeping in touch.

She flipped down the visor and checked her hair in the mirror. After a long day on her feet, she looked exhausted, so she fished around in her purse for her lipstick. Then, she got out, locked the door, and headed to the stairwell.

Scott hated living here. It was a constant reminder of how far he’d fallen. He’d tried every headhunter and job posting site, but no one would hire him. He was overqualified for the warehouse jobs and too old for corporations. She’d been a stay-at-home mom, so she didn’t have much of a résumé, but it had fallen on her to bring in money. The barista job gave them a roof over their heads and benefits.

The hardest part of this whole situation had been watching her husband lose his confidence. He’d gone from a master of the universe to defeated and hopeless. Until this recent opportunity had come along, he’d barely been hanging on. Too often, she hadn’t wanted to leave him alone when she went to work. It had been that bad.

She did everything she could to rally his spirits. Every night, she made him dinner, found ways to make him laugh, and regularly assured him of life’s one and only guarantee: change. She believed wholeheartedly in the phrase, This too shall pass. A year, a month, a day from now, their lives could look entirely different.

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