He felt her thin arms go around his waist. “If I were her, I’d choose you,” she said. “But maybe she’s not as smart as me.”

He kissed the top of her head. “How’d it go with your grandma Brooks last night?”

“She was nice,” she said. “Even to Dad!”

“A Christmas miracle,” Maddox joked.

“Let’s just hope it lasts,” Jada said in an aside to him.

Tobias got the presents he’d brought out of the bag his mother had insisted on carrying in for him—probably so that she wouldn’t feel so bad showing up without anything. “Time for the gifts,” he said. “It’s my first year doing this, so I want to see how well I did.”

“Let’s go in by the tree,” Jada said. “We have gifts for you, too.”

“What’s Uriah up to today?” Maddox asked as they moved into the living room.

“I talked to him this morning when I got back from my hike. He said he’s spending the day with Carl.”

“Just the two of them?”

“Who else can get along with Carl?”

Maddox didn’t argue. “We got Uriah a new flannel shirt. That one he’s been wearing needs to be retired. Will you take it back to him?”

“Of course. I got him a new chess set. I’m going to ask him to come over and play a game with me tonight. I’ll give him your present then, too.”

“Perfect.”

Jada and Maddox thanked him when they opened the water purifier he’d purchased for their house. He was getting so interested in healthy eating and living he’d wanted to buy one for everyone, but they were pretty expensive.

They seemed to like it. And Maya squealed and jumped up to hug him when she opened the three beaded ankle bracelets that were meant to be stacked. “Thank you, Uncle Tobias!” she cried. “I love these! All the girls are wearing them.”

He made a big deal about the mug she’d made him in ceramics at school and then tore the paper off a big box from Jada and Maddox. “What could this be?” he asked. “It’s huge!”

They just smiled and looked on while he tossed the wrapping paper to one side and ripped off the tape securing the flaps on the box. “It’s…it’s a backpack?” he said as he pulled out a carrier similar to what he’d been eyeing at various online backpacking sites.

“Not just any backpack,” Maddox said. “It should fit Atticus.”

“We had to have it custom-made,” Jada volunteered. “To be sure.”