The Christmas Secret

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1

OKAY, ALLIE, LISTEN TO ME,

I REALLY NEED YOU

TO BE HERE ON TIME TODAY.

THERE'S MACARONI AND CHEESE

IN THE FRIDGE FOR THE KIDS.

AND WHEN THEY GET HOME,

CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE SURE THA ZACH STARTS HIS HOMEWORK?

OKAY, ALLIE,

I REALLY NEED TO KNOW

THAT I CAN COUNT ON YOU.

ALL RIGHT, BYE.

MOM!

LOOK, MOM!

COME ON, KIDS,

WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE.

MOM, LOOK, I'M A BIRD!

OKAY, SWEETIE,

CAN YOU GE YOUR STUFF TOGETHER, PLEASE?

WE'VE GOT TO GO TO SCHOOL.

WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE.

MOM, GUESS WHA KIND OF A BIRD I AM.

GUESS, GUESS!

CAREFUL, SILLY BIRD,

YOU DON'T WANT TO

HURT YOUR WINGS.

I'M AN EAGLE,

LIKE ON A DOLLAR.

THOSE WERE SUPER GOOD

PANCAKES, MOM.

I THINK THE RESTAURAN SHOULD LET YOU BE THE COOK.

THANK YOU.

HEY, DID YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK?

LET ME SEE.

I HATE MATH, MOM.

I CAN'T DO IT.

HALEY, GO GET YOUR BACKPACK.

OKAY, I CAN HELP.

LOOK, THERE ARE

FOUR CUPS IN A QUART.

SO IF I BUY A QUAR OF ICE CREAM TONIGHT,

AND ALL OF US GET SOME,

HOW MUCH:

DOES EACH OF US GET?

MOM! MOM!

I WANT TO FLY:

LIKE PETER PAN,

TO NEVER NEVER LAND!

THEN START WITH:

FLYING TO THE CAR. GO.

YAY!

ONE AND A THIRD:

CUPS OF ICE CREAM,

FOR EACH OF US.

SEE? YOU'RE

A MATH GENIUS.

ONLY WHEN IT COMES

TO ICE CREAM.

BE CAREFUL ON THE STAIRS.

ZACH, CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE SURE

THAT YOU GUYS COME

STRAIGHT HOME AFTER SCHOOL.

ALLIE'S GOING TO MEET YOU HERE.

ZACH?

DEAL.

OKAY.

DO WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY

FOR ICE CREAM?

-MAYBE.

-UH-OH.

WHAT?

THE BAT LADY'S

WATCHING US.

WHAT?

HONEY, YOU SHOULDN' CALL PEOPLE NAMES, OKAY?

MRS. BAT LADY.

SHE'S SCARY.

MAYBE THAT'S WHY DAD

HASN'T COME TO VISIT.

SWEETIE, WE'RE STILL NEW

TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

MAYBE SHE'S JUST CURIOUS.

THIS IS THE TOWN WHERE GRANDPA

USED TO LIVE, RIGHT, MOM?

YES, IT IS.

I WISH I KNEW MY GRANDPA.

ME TOO.

NO, NO, NO, NO.

OH, NO.

CAN'T WE GET A NEW CAR?

OH, NO, NOT AGAIN, MOM.

WHAT DO WE DO?

WE'RE GOING TO BE POSITIVE,

BECAUSE WE'RE A TEAM, RIGHT?

THIS CAR IS A DUD.

BUT WE LOVE THIS CAR.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH

WITH THIS CAR.

IF IT DOESN'T START,

THEN WE'LL JUST...

WE'LL JUST GET A GOOD WORKOU WALKING TO SCHOOL.

YES!

IT STARTED, FINALLY.

YES. OKAY.

I'M ALMOST THERE.

HELLO?

SHOOT.

OH, GOSH, SORRY!

SLOW DOWN, YOUNG LADY!

WHATEVER IT IS CAN WAIT.

WHERE IS HE?

-I'VE GOT KIDS, TOO.

-I KNOW.

AND I HAVE TO:

FEED THOSE KIDS.

I'M SORRY.

NOBODY WANTS TO WAI HALF AN HOUR

FOR A CUP OF COFFEE.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE.

ORDERS UP!

LET'S GO!

WHAT TABLES:

NEED HELP?

OKAY, OMAHA.

OMAHA, READY...

SET... HIKE!

MARSHALL!

MARSHALL!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL.

I'M NOT DEAF.

YOU DIDN'T RE-ORDER THE

SWEET TUESDAY DOLL COLLECTION

OR THE HOODED SWEATSHIRTS.

I'LL DO IT NOW.

DON'T YOU LOVE I WHEN WE PUT THANKSGIVING AWAY

AND PUT UP:

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS?

WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED

THE COOKBOOKS,

OR THE CANDLES,

OR THE GLASSWARE

THAT I ASKED FOR.

DO YOU KNOW WHY:

THAT IS, SWEETHEART?

UH-OH.

BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T CALL IN THOSE

ORDERS EITHER.

MARSHALL, IT'S THREE

WEEKS TILL CHRISTMAS.

I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO MAKE

SOME CHANGES AROUND HERE.

WELL, I'LL CALL IT IN.

NO, IT'S TOO LATE.

I'VE DONE IT ALREADY.

WILSON'S IS MOVING INTO

THE 21st CENTURY.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

I BOUGHT A NEW:

SOFTWARE PROGRAM.

WELL, NOT ME, SPECIFICALLY,

JASON DID.

JASON DID, AND JASON IS ALSO

GOING TO INSTALL IT.

JASON?

HE'S NOT GOING TO COME

ALL THE WAY HERE

FROM HIS BIG-SHO WALL STREET JOB

TO INSTALL:

OUR LITTLE SOFTWARE PROGRAM.

HE CALLED, SAID HE HAD

A LITTLE TIME ON HIS HANDS.

HE'S ON HIS WAY HOME.

WHEE!

HI, CHRISTINE.

CAN WE TALK?

HI, ED. SURE.

YOU'RE A TOUGH PERSON

TO TRACK DOWN.

I KNOW,

IT'S BEEN HARD WITH THE KIDS,

AND WORK,

AND CHRISTMAS IS COMING SOON.

IT'S JUST,

I'VE BEEN REALLY BUSY.

TOO BUSY TO PAY YOUR RENT?

I KNOW I OWE YOU,

AND I'M GOING TO PAY YOU

AS SOON AS I CAN.

THE PAST TWO MONTHS?

ABSOLUTELY.

I NEED YOU TO PAY THE REN BY NEXT WEEK,

OR I'M GOING TO

HAVE TO EVICT YOU.

IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME.

ED, I'VE GOT TWO KIDS.

I'M DOING EVERYTHING THAT I CAN.

I WILL PAY YOU:

AS SOON AS I HAVE IT.

I CAN'T HELP IT, CHRISTINE.

I'M NOT A CHARITY.

YOU KNOW:

HOW TO REACH ME.

THAT'S GREAT...

YOU LIKE IT?

MOM! GUESS WHAT?

DAD'S HERE!

I SEE THAT.

WHERE'S ALLIE?

SHE NEVER SHOWED UP.

I CALLED YOU, MOM,

BUT NO ANSWER.

I KNOW, SWEETHEART,

MY CELL PHONE DIED.

I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY

IF YOU WERE SCARED.

I GOT HERE:

AS FAST AS I COULD.

YOUR LANDLORD WAS HERE.

SOMETHING ABOUT RENT.

NEED A HAND WITH THAT?

YOU LOOK GOOD, CHRISTINE.

YOU BEEN WORKING OUT?

MOM!

LOOK WHAT DAD GOT ME.

WOW, THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING.

I GOT A PAINT SET.

YOU DID?

WOW, PASTA, MAC AND CHEESE,

ICE CREAM.

YES!

CAN YOU GUYS:

GO UPSTAIRS:

TO YOUR ROOM FOR A LITTLE WHILE

SO DAD AND I CAN TALK?

DAD JUST GOT HERE.

I KNOW, SWEETIE,

BUT I'M GOING TO BRING UP

ICE CREAM FOR YOU, OKAY?

ONE AND A THIRD CUPS

FOR EACH OF US, MOM,

REMEMBER?

OKAY.

BYE, DAD.

COME ON.

YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO MAKE

UNSCHEDULED VISITS.

THE KIDS WERE ALONE.

THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE.

I MISS NOT SEEING MY KIDS MORE.

THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE THEM?

WAS IT RACHEL?

OR DEIRDRE?

OH, WAIT, SORRY, KELLY.

WAIT, WHAT WAS HER NAME?

WE-- WE WEREN'T GETTING ALONG.

I TRIED, FOR A LONG TIME, BRAD.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE KIDS,

AND YOU WANT TO SPEND

MORE TIME WITH ZACH AND HALEY,

HELP ME.

I NEED CHILD SUPPORT.

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME

ZACH'S HAD TO CALL ME, OKAY?

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