The snow had already started when the arena lights went dark. Most people headed for their cars. Toby didn’t. Near the loading dock, a volunteer stacked donated coats into boxes. Toby lifted one, felt its weight. “Who are these for?” “Families who didn’t make it home.” He nodded, wrote a name on the box. Then another. Not his. Someone asked if he was in a hurry. “Not tonight.” Nearby, “I Only Want You for Christmas” played low on a radio — a song that doesn’t ask for more, only for the right people to stay. Toby waited until the boxes were sealed. When he finally left, the song didn’t follow. It stayed — doing what it was written to do: keeping the night whole by choosing people over everything else.
“Scroll down to the end of the article to listen to music.” Introduction “All I Want for Christmas” by Toby…