“That’s enough, you two.” Dad looked up from his phone and gave me a funny grin. “Hey, how about compassion?”

My token heated up a little. “Compassion?”

“Yes. We already know you’re a kid who likes to help people. So somewhere in that eleven-year-old heart of yours are the seeds of great compassion. Maybe you’d like to grow in that area this year?”

Zoe pulled up the definition of compassion on her phone. “Compassion. A feeling—”

“Oh, here we go with the feelings! I told you—”

Zoe put her phone under my nose. “Ahem . . . a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” She looked up at me. “I agree with Dad. Compassion would be a good character goal for you.”

I waited for her to end with a joke. A tease. An insult. Anything.

But there was only silence. With everyone just staring at me.

“Okay! But I don’t know anyone who is . . . what did it say exactly? Stricken by misfortune?”

Dad approached the window and looked out over Manhattan. “Hmmm. I suppose that there might be someone out there in this city who’s been stricken by a little misfortune, don’t you think? And knowing you, son, you’ll run right into them.”

“Yep, knowing you . . .” Zoe snickered.

I elbowed her. “Fine. I’ll take compassion.”

Dad typed “compassion” into his phone.

“And how about the fun goal?” Mom breathed in deep as she took in the view. “Hey, check it out. There’s Rockefeller Center. That’s where they decorate the huge Christmas tree every year.” She draped her arm over Dad’s shoulder. “We should go to the tree lighting this year.”

That gave me a fun goal idea.

“I’d like to experience New York City.”

Zoe looked around. “Uh, duh. We’ve been living here for six months, Arcade.”

“Yeah, but we haven’t done any of the fun stuff. You know, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square . . . and this is the first time I’ve been to the top of the Empire State Building. I haven’t even seen a Broadway show yet, and Dad works on Broadway!”

Dad dropped his chin. “I’m sorry, Arcade. Your mom and I have been so busy working. I guess we haven’t been the greatest travel guides.”

The Triple T Token sent a little shock through my body.

Not now!

Dad typed in my fun goal: See New York City. “Okay, that’s it. We’re done.”

“That’s it? No wise speeches? Or famous quotes? How about a story from your youth?” Those things had been a big part of all our goal-setting meetings in the past. I scratched my head. “No prayer?”

Dad cracked a smile. “Oh, yeah, we’re definitely going to have a prayer.”

“Oh, good.”

“And you can do it.”

“ME?”

“YEAH.”

“HERE?”