The office closes at 8 o’clock, yet the time reads 8:47 P.M. on his computer screen.  Christmas Eve has arrived in Manhattan.  Snow begins falling, street lights shimmer against the snow, the moon lets off a bright glow, and no traffic is heard.  The office remains bare, cold, and dark.  He sits at his computer finishing paperwork from earlier that day, in no hurry at all.
“Have a Merry Christmas, Mr. Jones!” a coworker calls while grabbing her coat and hurrying out the door.  Mr. Jones gave no reply, too focused on the work at hand. The frigid winter breeze slammed the door shut, it echoed.  The office became silent.  The only sounds heard were the clicks of the keyboard and the calm breaths of Mr. Jones. 
The clock now reads 9:00 P.M.  All the paperwork has been finished, all the doors tightly latched, and it is time to go home.  Mr. Jones throws on his black overcoat, black, fur-lined gloves, and deep grey ushanka, and begins to walk home.  The streets of Manhattan look as if a feather pillow has just exploded.  The powdery, white snowflakes were the biggest he has ever seen. 
While strolling down 34th Street, he passes Mr. McGregor’s Toy Shop.  The window is full of wooden marionettes, porcelain dolls, toy drums, and a choo-choo train surrounding the beautifully dressed Christmas tree.  While staring into the window, something catches his eye.  A small piece of paper was flapping from the heat vent underneath the toy drum.  He notices something written in tiny black ink.  The note reads the following message:  “Head north on Broadway.”  Curious as to what this means, Jones did exactly as the note suggests. 
Once Jones reaches Broadway, the snow begins falling heavier and heavier, the flakes the size of cotton balls.  The street lights glimmer through the snow, one light in particular.  The stoplight at the intersection of Broadway and 34th Street endlessly flashes a bright yellow.  Mr. Jones thinks nothing of this and continues making his way towards home. 
He then passes Lacey’s Department Store fully dressed in Christmas décor.  White Christmas lights line the bay windows, paper snowflakes drape across the ceiling, and clothing racks sparkle with sequin dresses.  As Mr. Jones peers through the left window, a mannequin located in the back of the store fascinates him.  It wears a bright yellow dress shirt with a black suit over top.  On his head lays a charcoal black fedora.  The mannequin grasps a cane in his right hand, pointing across his body to a sign that reads a phrase:  “One Time Special.”  Mr. Jones wanders to the window on the right to check out the special.  In doing so, he notices the moon beginning to shine brighter and the snowflakes enlarging in size.  He then looks back and the sign disappears.  A yellow tag attached to a pinstriped Armani suit located in the breast pocket did not list the price, but lists the address of the Manhattan Harbor.  “Why would there be a note stuffed inside of a suit pocket with the address to the harbor written on it?” he deeply questioned.  Mr. Jones has become more confused than ever before.  “Maybe this means something.” he thought.  Jones, in no rush at all, proceeds to do what the note instructs.
The Manhattan Harbor is located on the East coast.  Once Jones reaches his destination, a wooden post stands with two signs.  The first read, “HAVEN UP AHEAD.”  The second read, “SOUP SHOPPE IN ONE MILE.”  Not all of the letters in these signs were lit up, many bulbs were burnt out.  The letters that remained read, “HAVE HOPE.” These words seem quite familiar to Mr. Jones.  He thinks for a while and then he remembers where he once heard them.  His grandmother once told him, “Forget what happened in the past and enjoy the things in life that are worth enjoying.  Most of all have hope, slow down, and be happy.”  While reliving this moment, Mr. Jones notices that the sky shines brighter than ever before and the world around him looks as if a snow globe has been rapidly shaken.
The window shudders from the cold winter breeze, waking Jones.  He sits pondering, then remembers dozing off while finishing paperwork.  It is now 8:50 P.M. and Jones is anxious to go home, still no plans, and still nobody to celebrate Christmas Eve with.
Jones starts on his way home, when all of a sudden he saw someone.  He shakes his head, thinking his mind is messing with him.  As he comes closer, the person becomes clearer.  It is a woman standing in the cold. Her hair happens to be coated in snow, her lips purple, and her face as pale as a ghost.  She had no coat and just stands there, shivering.  He decides to meet this woman and talk to her.  They begin conversing and he later finds out she also has nowhere else to go.  Jones offers to give her his jacket and take her out for a Christmas Eve dinner. 
As they stroll towards the restaurant, Jones asks the girl, “Now that I have offered you dinner, I think it’s about time I learn your name.  What is it?”
“My name is Marissa Addams,” she mumbled.
“What a lovely name.  My name is Jones, Carter Jones,” he stated.  “Pardon me for asking, but what is a lovely woman like you doing by herself, freezing in the wintertime snow on Christmas Eve?”
“I am a widow.  I don’t have any family or any pets, and I also happen to be unemployed.  I just recently got kicked out of my apartment building because I was unable to afford rent,” she muttered.  “I think it goes without saying that this Christmas holiday isn’t going well.”
“Oh my, Miss Addams, I thought I was having a rough night,” Jones said.  “Let’s forget about everything that has happened in the past for just one night,” he decided.  “Let’s enjoy the nice dinner that awaits us.  Just relax, and appreciate the fact that we met each other at the perfect time.”
“I could not thank you enough Carter.  Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Miss Addams.”  The two of them enjoy their night together, both thankful that they are capable of brightening the other’s night.
It is then when Mr. Jones realizes the words that his grandmother said really do mean something after all.  The slip of paper at Mr. McGregor’s Toy Store, the flashing yellow stoplight, the yellow tag in the breast pocket of the suit, and the remaining letters aglow on the signs of the wooden post, each and every one of them with a meaning.   The paper at the toy shop led him to the yellow stoplight.  At the time, Jones did not think too much about the yellow stoplight.  He then realizes that when the light is yellow during traffic, it means to slow down.  “Was the yellow light telling me to slow down?” Jones questions, “Was it telling me to take my time and slow down?  Do I need to take a moment to realize how delicate and wonderful my life actually is?” he reflects his thoughts for a while.  He then agrees and realizes that “Yes, I should take a moment to realize how wonderful my past, present, and future have and will be.  I need to take a moment to slow down and enjoy my life instead of constantly being flustered and overwhelmed with work.  “The tag in the suit led me to the harbor.  The harbor then had a post with two signs.  Those signs made me remember eight very important letters from the inspiring words my grandmother said to me, words I will never forget; have hope.”
Jones accepts the meaning behind these words, realizing how accurate they actually are.  They really do mean something.  Whenever Carter comes across a tough spot in his life, he reflects back to his grandmother’s words and takes them into consideration.  He always knew hope would find its way the end.