Wink grinned. “Thank you, Mrs. Janice.” She started to sit up and knocked her head into a low branch, sending needles into her hair. “Oops.”

“You have to crawl backward,” Janice told her. “Like this.”

Christina crawled backward, too, hoping Andy wasn’t looking at her bum. This was not the most attractive position. She was glad when she was out from under the tree and could stand up.

“Well done,” Andy said.

“The next job is all yours,” Christina told him with a grin. “Stringing the lights.”

Because the lights were brand new and tucked tidily into slots in their boxes, they weren’t as irritatingly tangled as usual. Andy found an aluminum ladder in the kitchen pantry. Using that, he climbed to the top of the tree, settling the lights among the short branches. He handed them down to Christina, who wound the string around the high middle branches, then handed them to Janice, who wound them around the fat lower middle branches, and finally Wink circled the tree, placing the lights on the abundant low branches.

“It’s like the tree’s wearing a green tutu!” Wink laughed.

“I’m glad that’s done,” Andy said.

“Now we have to let it fall out,” Janice said.

“Fall out?” Wink repeated, her forehead wrinkled.

“You saw how its limbs were compressed, pushed together? The tree needs time to relax.”

“She’s right,” Christina agreed. She put her arms up, hands touching, then slowly brought her arms down to show how the limbs would fall.

“Oooh,” Wink said, repeating Christina’s movement.

“We’ll decorate the tree tomorrow night,” Janice told the little girl. Turning to Christina, she asked, “Would you like a drink? Some hot cocoa?”

“Thanks, but I’ve got to get home,” Christina said. “Tomorrow’s another busy day.”

“And after work, we’re going to bake cookies!” Wink added.

“I’ll drive Christina home,” Andy said.

“I’ll come, too!” Wink cried.

“No, young lady, it’s late for you,” Janice said. “Let’s go brush your teeth and get in bed. I’ll come tuck you in and read you a story.”

Wink made her shoulders sag dramatically in a show of disappointment, but she spoiled the act by breaking into a jaw-cracking yawn.

Christina kissed Wink’s forehead. “Good night, sweetie. See you tomorrow.”

In the car on the way to Christina’s house, Andy said, “You’re so nice to Wink. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me! I like that little girl a lot. I’m having fun with her.”

“I can tell. But when her mother returns to the island…” Andy didn’t finish his thought.

“Are you afraid I’ll be abandoned?” Christina asked lightly. “Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of friends, although none of them is nine years old.” She chuckled, but something stung her heart at the thought of losing the little girl’s company.