And how could she let the others down, and close her own business, and still keep any kind of loving relationship with Andy? She couldn’t. She didn’t even want to see Andy again, she never wanted to see any Bittlesman again, and that thought made her cry so hard she frightened the cat, whose fur stood on end as she raced from the room.

Christina’s windows were full of darkness. She didn’t turn on the Christmas tree lights, as if she was stubbornly rebelling against this season that was supposed to be so full of joy and instead was full of misery. It was an utterly childish So there! but she was too sad for the hope of light.

Why had she had to meet Andy? He was a man she could love, and now he was completely outside the range of possibilities. Sometimes it seemed like fate liked playing bitter jokes on people.

Her cellphone buzzed, but she ignored it. She trudged upstairs and ran a hot bath full of bubbles and perfume. She let her clothes fall right on the floor. She sank into the hot water with a sigh of relief.

Finally she was warm. She toweled off, pulled on her warmest fleece robe, and stepped into her fleece-lined leather slippers. She wasn’t hungry—she was simply limp. When she merely thought of Andy Bittlesman, her heart jumped for joy. But when she merely thought of Oscar Bittlesman, her heart sank.

What now? It was too early to go to bed. Christina supposed she could go back down to the living room and watch something on television. She would bet— No more betting, ever! dictated her Inner Christina. She supposed that the mushy movie It’s a Wonderful Life would be playing on some channel. It would probably make her cry, but even Zoolander would make her cry tonight.

She dragged her miserable self downstairs, settled on the sofa, and picked up the remote.

Someone knocked on her front door. What now?

She heard giggling. It was only a little after eight.

Wearily, she trudged to the front door. She opened it to the surprising sight of the three other Shedders, Mimi, Jacob, and Harriet, all of them trying to squeeze into her house at once.

“Christina!” Mimi cried. “Let us in! We’ve got an idea!”

Christina couldn’t help but laugh and hold the door open wide. “Come in, you crazy people.”

As the others stood in the hall divesting themselves of coats, hats, mufflers, and gloves, Christina hurried into the living room to turn on the Christmas tree lights. All at once, her room sparkled with magic.

Mimi came into the room and dropped down on a chair. Jacob and Harriet sat on the sofa. Together.

“Can I get you all something to drink?” Christina thought this was a perfectly reasonable question, but it set the other three off in gales of laughter.