Wind-Up Dolls and Holiday Hymns

1. You Can't Have Both

▬▬▬▬☆▬▬▬▬

disappointed; [adjective] Thwarted in hope, desire, or expectation.

▬▬▬▬☆▬▬▬▬

1. You Can't Have Both

"YOU GOT THE JOB!"

Upon hearing this news, a grin spread across Lily's lips as she beamed down at her shoes; her hand was shaking the phone out of excitement.

"When can you start?" Her aunt's voice giggled out of the speaker, obviously just as glad to have her niece working with her at all. At the ripe age of 19, it was her first, and the process of applying had been long and stressful. Sure, Lily was well aware of the fact that, as the manager,  Aunt June had already planned on giving her the job. However, sitting in a room filled with other applicants who were way more experienced and probably a whole lot more enthusiastic about working had made her a bit nervous.

When Lily's mother had found out that Top Toys was looking to hire a couple of new employees to help out during the holiday season, she had begun to endlessly nag her daughter about applying. The store occupied an entire floor of one of the most luxurious and renowned department stores in the entire world- Dale's. These stores made Bloomingdale's look like a Walmart, selling only the highest quality luxury items from all over the world- especially since taking their company international over the last few years and opening shops in Paris, Milan, and Dubai. This had clearly intimidated Lily to no end, however the fact that her father's sister was the manager had definitely helped.

"Umm I'm not sure? I'm already on break, so I guess any time really.." Lily thought out loud, reaching for her planner.

"Great! Then I'll see you tomorrow from 9:00 to 10:30 tomorrow night!" Aunt June chirped into the phone before immediately hanging up. Lily's eyes widened as she looked down at the phone in shock. "On a Saturday? There goes my weekend." She let out a sigh of annoyance and locked her phone, tossing it onto the bed behind her and flopping down next to it, staring up at the old, cracked ceiling of her apartment. As lucky as she was to have been able to find this place, she was also lucky enough that, in order to avoid needing a roommate, her father paid half the rent himself- under the condition that he could come and visit whenever he wanted, of course. It wasn't glamorous, but it offered everything she needed from it- specifically: a bed, a roof, a heater, and internet. Most of her days were spent with friends out and about the city, at school, or at choir practice.

The thought suddenly brought Lily to the realization that she was, in fact, late for said practice, and that she had been late for every single practice for the last month. Tossing her auburn waves into a bun and changing into a practical pair of navy pants and a pink striped dress shirt, she threw on her winter coat and boots before charging out the door and into the snow. Normally, the walk to practice was pleasant and quick. Today, however, was filled with the honks and yells of a traffic jam due to the horrendous weather conditions, and Lily tried her best not to slip and fall on the frosted concrete. Now a whole half hour late, she busted through the doors of the theater and gave the receptionist a worried look. The woman mouthed 'Run' knowingly towards her, and Lily immediately continued to charge towards the door and push it open, cutting off the group who had now turned towards her to flash an annoyed look.

"I'm here!" She chirped, throwing her hands in the air and offering them a weak smile. "And notably earlier than last time."