December 25th, in many ways, is a day filled with family-reted work in the business world. But some didn’t have such opportuo achieve that. Anne Hall, after a small family gathering with her uncles, grandparents, and distaives, woke up in the early hours when everyone else was silent ao the Lux Toons studio. The Christmas seasohe pany busy, as the special holiday programming, though modest, still drew some i.

  Basic series like Dexter’s Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls had four Christmas episodes each... other series also featured holiday-themed episodes, and the series Train Souls, with its particur theme, was especially charming for Christmas.

  -How’s all the programming going? - Anne asked.

  -It’s still growing. We’ve got a season of movies and some special Christmas shorts that Pixar made for the occasion, - replied Freddy Pitterncock, the programming manager who ensured all the schedules were on track. Lux Animation’s holiday break ran from December 24th to December 31st, with only a few people w during this period iudio, leaving a noticeable void. Both gathered to review the lineup of els that updated every 24 hours, requiring maintenance, so the work demanded even on holidays, they worked 2 to 4 hours a day.

  -That reassures me. If there’s any issue, you call Anna Washington, - Anne ented, walking to her office. She checked emails, anized work for the pany’s retur messages, urged Jim to sort out the lising tracts, reviewed some series drafts, bearing Billy's blue approval stamp, and filed them to calcute the budgets and feasibility of the series and how they could bring them to life.

  Ihan six hours, all tracts were in their respective business emails, and the budgets for potential series were oable, along with the merdising orders to be made in colboration with Lucasfilm. As she stretched her arms and finished her work, she looked forward to enjoying the Christmas dinner. She didn’t fet to send out memos about the New Year’s meeting on January 23rd, along with the submission of all financial reports, which were mostly handled by Raimon and the often-overlooked Felicity, who managed all the id toy distribution.

  She sighed deeply, her Christmas bonus wasn’t bad, and now all that was left was to get home.

  Anne’s house was enormous, with three floors, a rge garage, a baly on the sed floor, and a garden occupying 30% of the space. It was huge, and duriudent years, she almost lost this house left to her by her parents, bought 20 years ago... With her formal job at Lux Animation, she mao pay the overdue taxes and renovate it. The renovation was pleted st year, updating the old structures.

  Wheered, she noticed a certain plicity on her aunts’ and grandmother’s faces.

  -What? - she responded, with some bravado.

  -Nothing, dear, it’s just that your Christmas gifts have arrived, - her grandmother said.

  -Christmas gifts? - Anne asked.

  -Hahaha, a man, dear. I wish my ex-husband had been so generous, - one of Anne’s aunts muttered slyly, causing Anne’s cheeks to flush. Just reading the card could make one assume many things, but that wasn’t Billy’s handwriting. "A Merry Christmas to someone indispensable to me." The boxes were partially open, but she could only open them fully. Inside were neckces, bracelets, chokers, earrings, and brooches of silver, and gold, some with pearls, emeralds, topazes, rubies, and many others—a beautiful jewelry set that made her eyes widen. If only the handwriting had been Billy’s, but no, it wasn’t him. This slightly dimihe gift’s value for her, but it was still enough thten her night.

  -That’s not all, dear. They also sent a red dress, - Anne’s grandmother said joyfully. She rarely wore dresses, and seeing it there left her feeling a bit flicted. But the ached left a bittersweet taste, "Go to the store to have it tailored to your size. A hug," she heard from her aunts. Adding things up, it easily surpassed 100,000, that’s for sure... the whispers only made her more unfortable.

  ***

  Richard Carson wheeled himself from the kit to the living room, moving bad forth, asking everyone if the food was ready. Occasionally, his gaze would linger on Billy's new girlfriend, and he'd open his mouth to speak, making her ugh before he retreated to the kit.

  -Thomas, who’s Billy’s new girlfriend? - Richard asked, loud enough for the e to hear.

  -She’s Italian, and she must be a wild one in bed, - Ivi ented.

  -IVI, we don’t talk about that, - Thomas responded.

  -Oh, e on, Thomas. You’re no different; even when she's pregnant, you ’t trol yourself. It seems like that's something the Carsons have in on—lots of kids, lots of kids, - Ivanova ughed, along with Savannah, who also had three children but knew of a half-brother of hers with a cowgirl.

  -Ahhh, you all are unbearable, - Richard muttered.

  -Haha, you little old man, she’s Italian, and you should ask her yourself. I’m surprised that a model like her chose to spend her holidays on the farm; I thought Min and a night out would be more her style. I did it when I was single, - Ivanova replied.

  But she never mentiohe topic that made everyone in the house unfortable—the age difference. A woman ten years younger is bothersome to some, but Helen didn’t dare bother Billy about it, preferring to keep quiet. Ivanova didn’t feel she had the authority to ent on Billy's love life, uanding that life should be enjoyed. However, Thomas was about to lose his temper, and Richard’s probing only added fuel to the fire.

  -We’ll be serving in 25 minutes. Go wash your hands and face, - Ivanova instructed Thomas.

  A long table with 14 seats ended up with 18, tightly packed and unfortable, but the food lentiful. The adults were mostly silent, while Cassidy engaged in a deeply ied versation with Monica, who answered all her questions. The brue wore a white, low-cut blouse that left much to the imagination, paired with a gray scarf tied like a bandana—everything she needed.

  -Thanks for the gifts, dear, - Savannah murmured.

  -o thank me. I tried to get it right for most of them, - Billy replied.

  -We all appreciate it, - Jeffrey Carson added, though he was relut to admit it. His wife’s scolding had been enough to make him swallow his pride. The envelope with 10,000 was a drop in the o for Billy but a lifeline for Jeffrey’s debts, which he had given to each family member. Helen carefully hid her money under a mp in her room, among some books, her jewelry, and other fotten pces.

  This small relief lightehe heavy burden a bit. Last year brought drought, followed by livestock disease and frost, which devastated the Texas ranchers. The iment was there, but rec from so many tragedies is difficult. Savannah went back t as a nurse, c shifts to pay the house rent and put food oable, while the younger ones worked outside, except for the oldest, who worked with his father on a feng tract, 200 kilometers for a rancher, which covered some expenses while they mahe farm in the m. The problem was that they had ed Helen and Richard, using all the money from the store, which Cassidy supplemented with afternoon shifts, with Helen occasionally appearing.

  -It was very thoughtful, - Savannah responded, her rge dark eyes showing a gratitude that no Carson would ever express so openly.

  -I see, - Billy sighed. The situation was deeply plicated aangled with the family. So many things were left unsaid. Now that he was giving gifts to others, he realized he o be a bit more siderate of his immediate family. A few thousand wasn’t mu, but seeing the state of the family gave him a better uanding of their problems.

  Monica squeezed his hand; the gifts had been her idea.

  -I have a dress that you’ll love, Savannah. It’s beautiful, - Monica said, her Italian at with its clipped English was enough to lighteeares from her father and Jeffrey.

  ...