"Connie Willis - Just Like The Ones We Used To Know" - читать интересную книгу автора (Willis Connie)

The snow started at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time just outside of Branford, Connecticut. Noah and
Terry Blake, on their way home from a party at the WhittiersтАЩ at which Miranda Whittier had said, "I
guess you could call this our Christmas Eve Eve party!" at least fifty times, noticed a few stray flakes as
they turned onto Canoe Brook Road, and by the time they reached home, the snow was coming down
hard.

"Oh, good," Tess said, leaning forward to peer through the windshield, "IтАЩve been hoping weтАЩd have a
white Christmas this year."

At 1:37 a.m. Central Standard Time, Billy Grogan, filling in for KYZTтАЩs late-night radio request show out
of Duluth, said, "This just in from the National Weather Service. Snow advisory for the Great Lakes
region tonight and tomorrow morning. Two to four inches expected," and then went back to discussing
the callersтАЩ least favorite Christmas songs.

"IтАЩll tell you the one I hate," a caller from Wauwatosa said. " тАШWhite Christmas.тАЩ I musta heard that thing
five hundred times this month."

"Actually," Billy said, "according to the St. Cloud Evening News, Bing CrosbyтАЩs version of тАШWhite
ChristmasтАЩ will be played 2150 times during the month of December, and other artistsтАЩ renditions of it
will be played an additional 1890 times."

The caller snorted. "One timeтАЩs too many for me. Who the heck wants a white Christmas anyway? I sure
donтАЩt."

"Well, unfortunately, it looks like youтАЩre going to get one," Billy said. "And, in that spirit, hereтАЩs DestinyтАЩs
Child, singing тАШWhite Christmas.тАЩ "

At 1:45 a.m., a number of geese in the city park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, woke up to a dark, low,
overcast sky and flew, flapping and honking loudly, over the city center, as if they had suddenly decided
to fly farther south for the winter. The noise woke Maureen Reynolds, who couldnтАЩt get back to sleep.
She turned on KYOU, which was playing "Holly Jolly Oldies," including "RockinтАЩ Around the Christmas
Tree" and Brenda LeeтАЩs rendition of "White Christmas."

At 2:15 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, Paula Devereaux arrived at DIA for the red-eye flight to
Springfield, Illinois. It was beginning to snow, and as she waited in line at the express check-in (she was
carrying on her bridesmaid dress and the bag with her shoes and slip and makeupтАУthe last time sheтАЩd
been in a wedding, her luggage had gotten lost and caused a major crisis) and in line at security and in line
at the gate and in line to be de-iced, she began to hope they might not be able to take off, but no such
luck.

Of course not, Paula thought, looking out the window at the snow swirling around the wing, because
Stacey wants me at her wedding.

"I want a Christmas Eve wedding," StaceyтАЩd told Paula after sheтАЩd informed her she was going to be her
maid of honor, "all candlelight and evergreens. And I want snow falling outside the windows."

"What if the weather doesnтАЩt cooperate?" PaulaтАЩd asked.

"It will," StaceyтАЩd said. And here it was, snowing. She wondered if it was snowing in Springfield, too. Of
course it is, she thought. Whatever Stacey wants, Stacey gets, Paula thought. Even Jim.