Miracle by Connie Willis Read Free Book Online

spirit,” he said. “Look, there has to be some way to get rid of him. Or at least get the dress back. Clarence said he knew some transformation spells. I’ll go on to work and see what I can find out.”
    He went out into the living room and over to the door.“Maybe you can go back to the store and see if they have another dress like it.” He opened the door.
    “Okay.” Lauren nodded. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. And you have been a lot of help.”
    “Right,” he said glumly, and went out.
    “Where’d you get that dress?” Jimmy Stewart said to Donna Reed.
    Lauren whirled around. The TV was on. Donna Reed was showing Jimmy Stewart her new dress.
    “Where are you?” Lauren demanded, looking at the couch. “I want you to change that dress back right now!”
    “Don’t you like it?” the spirit said from the bedroom. “It’s completely biodegradable.”
    She stomped into the bedroom. He was putting the dress on the hanger and making little “tsk”-ing noises. “You have to be careful with natural fibers,” he said reprovingly.
    “Change it back the way it was. This instant.”
    “It was handmade by the Yanomamo Indians,” he said, smoothing down what might be the skirt. “Do you realize that their natural habitat is being destroyed at the rate of 750 acres a day?”
    “I don’t care. I want my dress back.”
    He carried the dress on its hanger over to the chest. “It’s so interesting. Donna Reed knew right away she was in love with Jimmy Stewart, but he was so busy thinking about college and his new suitcase, he didn’t even know she existed.” He hung up the dress. “He practically had to be hit over the head.”
    “I’ll hit you over the head if you don’t change that dress back this instant, Spirit,” she said, looking around for something hard.
    “Call me Chris,” he said. “Did you know sequins are made from nonrenewable resources?” and disappeared as she swung the lamp.
    “And good riddance,” she shouted to the air.
    They had the dress in a size three. Lauren put herself through the indignity of trying to get into it and then went to work. Thereceptionist was watching Jimmy Stewart standing on the bridge in the snow and weeping into a Kleenex. She handed Lauren her messages.
    There were two memos from the PMS Committee—they were having a sleigh ride after work, and she was supposed to bring cheese puffs to the office party. There wasn’t a message from Fred.
    “Oh!” the receptionist wailed. “This part is so sad!”
    “I hate
It’s a Wonderful Life,”
Lauren said, and went up to her desk. “I hate Christmas,” she said to Evie.
    “It’s normal to hate Christmas,” Evie said, looking up from the book she was reading. “This book, it’s called
Let’s Forget Christmas
, says it’s because everyone has these unrealistic expectations. When they get presents, they—”
    “Oh, that reminds me,” Lauren said. She rummaged in her bag and brought out Evie’s present, fingering it quickly to make sure it was still a stapler. It seemed to be. She held it out to Evie. “Merry Christmas.”
    “I don’t have yours wrapped yet,” Evie said. “I don’t even have my wrapping paper bought yet. The book says I’m suffering from an avoidance complex.” She picked up the package. “Do I have to open it now? I know it will be something I love, and you won’t like what I got you half as well, and I’ll feel incredibly guilty and inadequate.”
    “You don’t have to open it now,” Lauren said. “I just thought I’d better give it to you before—” She picked her messages up off her desk and started looking through them. “Before I forgot. There haven’t been any messages from Fred, have there?”
    “Yeah. He was here about fifteen minutes ago looking for you. He said to tell you the Net hadn’t been any help, and he was going to try the library.” She looked sadly at the present. “It’s even wrapped great,” she said gloomily. “I went shopping for