it's Christmas Eve

I wasn't especially aggravated about the fact that my company is open today. I do realize that some of my co-workers celebrate Christmas today and understand how they might be annoyed. But those people won't be in, so it doesn't matter.
But I am here... and there are bagels and Mimosas in Conference Room B and I suspect we won't get much done, and the city was populated by people with a little spring in their step.
While riding the subway downtown I was sure I saw Eleanor and her family because, did I tell you? She is staying one block away from my desk! ONE BLOCK.
It wasn't them.
I was going up the steps from the subway, musing on Eleanor's trip and what it must have been like for them to arrive here last night. There's a lot of snow here right now (dirty in town but twinkling in my garden at home) and the city, while grubby and slushy, has an air of holiday expectedness. (I'm quite sure that is a word.) While I was musing, coming up from the train, my toe caught the very edge of a step and I started to fall. It was at precisely that moment that I saw a Giant on the step just below me and to my left. He put out his huge, warm hand, palm up, and with no effort at all, caught me and prevented my fall. It was a breath of a second. We may not have even lost our pace on the steps.
I whispered thank you.
He was silent. Huge and silent.
We came to the top of the steps and just as I was at his eye-level I remembered and said,
Merry Christmas.
His very big face smiled and he softly replied, To you too.