One Wish In Manhattan (A Christmas Story) Read Online Free Page A

person who had always been there for her. And she had been there. In body, if not in spirit.
    Rita wasn’t coming because she had a hospital appointment on Christmas Eve. She’d been waiting over six months to see one particular consultant about her ongoing arthritis that she didn’t dare reschedule. Hayley felt guilty for two reasons. The first was that perhaps she should be here to take Rita to the appointment and the second was that it had been a perfect excuse to not invite her on the trip. She swallowed as the last thought hit home.
    Hayley put her arm around her daughter and drew her into her body, kissing the top of her head. ‘I think Nanny is going to be just fine on her own. Haven’t you seen the salmon head in the freezer? And she’s hidden Bendicks at the back of the larder.’
    ‘Are those the minty dark chocolates?’
    ‘Yeah, the ones she usually keeps by the side of her chair under deep security at Christmas.’
    ‘If I have more than three they make my mouth spicy.’
    ‘Reasons Christmas is going to be better in New York number 49. Not having to share chocolates with Nanny.’
    ‘But we will have to share them with Uncle Dean, Vernon and Randy.’
    ‘Are you sure Randy’s a dog?’
    ‘Yes …’ Angel paused. ‘Well I heard something barking in the background on Skype. And there was definitely a leather collar on the coat rack behind Uncle Dean.’
    Hayley swallowed. ‘Dogs are allergic to chocolate,’ she said quickly. ‘Just like Nanny’s allergic to clothes from the charity shop.’
    Angel let out a sigh. ‘Nanny’s a good person. She’s just different to you that’s all.’
    That simple sentence from the lips of her offspring cut deep. Because it was the truth. Her mother wasn’t an ogre. She hadn’t beaten her, or deprived her of material needs, she just hadn’t ever been spontaneous with emotion. That didn’t make her bad. They were just opposites.
    ‘Sorry,’ Hayley said in little more than a whisper.
    ‘So, can I take my dictionary?’ Angel batted her eyelids up and down, poking out her bottom lip and looking suitably like a cast member of Annie .
    Hayley sighed. ‘You can take the dictionary as long as you promise not to take that ancient old Christmas storybook. I can’t take another year of Alfie falling into the toymaker every night for a week.’
    She looked at Angel, waiting for her to relinquish the dictionary. Her daughter’s face was expressionless.
    ‘OK.’
    ‘OK?’ Hayley checked. ‘Are you sure? This must be one special dictionary.’
    ‘The dictionary comes and, for being an awesome mum, I think you should have some fizzy wine,’ Angel said, checking her watch. ‘It’s past eight o’clock and it’s nearly Christmas.’
    ‘Quick! Where’s the nearest bodega?’ Hayley smiled. ‘Come on, it’s late. Let’s move the case off the bed and tuck you in.’
    She strained to pick the case up lengthways but managed to slide it down onto the floor without losing any contents or banging the floorboards too hard. It was a double Coronation Street night. When she straightened herself back up, Angel was slipping down under the covers, eyes wide open, but the first signs of sleep showing. She yawned.
    ‘Time for sleep,’ Hayley said, brushing a hand over Angel’s hair.
    ‘I don’t really mind if they don’t have Yorkshire puddings in New York you know,’ Angel said.
    Hayley looked at her daughter’s expression. There was concern in her large blue eyes. She didn’t want that. Whatever life threw at them none of it should ever come to rest on Angel’s shoulders.
    ‘I have good news.’ Hayley smiled. ‘Google tells me they do have them and they’re called popovers.’
    ‘Really?’ Angel looked less than convinced.
    ‘Really. And the best news of all is they sell them in a ready-made mix.’
    Angel broke a smile then and clenched her fingers into excited fists.
    ‘Reasons Christmas is going to be better in New York number 84 – they have