Beneath the village Christmas tree was a throne for Santa and a roped-off section where the children could form a queue to talk with him. Eve took Harry’s hand in hers as they headed down the town’s main street, wading through the crowd of pedestrians, searching for a place to stand along the parade route.

The quaint Connecticut town had been decorated with Christmas lights that twinkled against the snow, and the store windows were beautifully staged to tempt shoppers. Eve paused to look at a display of the latest aluminum kitchen appliances and coffeepots for modern housewives, along with aluminum ladders, Thermos bottles, and saws for their husbands. These were items that belonged in a home —a real home with a mother and father and children.

She closed her eyes, fighting off the familiar emptiness when she considered her and Audrey’s makeshift family. At least Audrey had a respectable reason for being a single mum. And Eve should be thankful that her friend had invited Eve and Harry to share her home. She had lived off Audrey’s insurance money and her husband’s inheritance for nearly four years, living in Audrey’s house, driving her car. And although Audrey wasn’t demanding a penny of it, Eve was determined to pay it all back.

“Wow! Look at that airplane, Bobby!” Harry pointed to a large propeller plane, also made from aluminum, dangling behind the store window from a wire. “Was there a big airplane like that in the Wish Book?”

“I don’t think so. I want it!”

“Me, too. We’ll tell Santa tonight. What’s the name of this store, Mommy? We need to tell Santa where he can buy it.”

“Santa will know,” Eve said, tugging his hand. “Come on.”

No matter how far they walked, the sidewalks were so crowded with families and children standing three- and four-deep to watch the parade that Eve couldn’t find a place where all of them could stand. The cadence of drums sounded in the distance. The parade was about to begin.

Harry hopped up and down in frustration. “I can’t see! I can’t see!”

“Mummy, look,” Bobby said. “They have daddies to help them.” He pointed to the families in front of them, and Eve saw that many of the fathers had lifted their small children onto their shoulders or held them in their arms so they could see. Eve and Audrey were both petite, and besides, the boys were too heavy to hold for the entire parade.

“I need a daddy so I can see,” Harry told Eve. “Everyone else has one.”

“It’s not fair,” Bobby pouted.

“Oh, dear,” Eve murmured. She met Audrey’s worried gaze.