“So I’ll pick you up tomorrow night a little after six?” Andy asked.

Christina’s brain froze. “You will?”

“So we can go out and get your tree.”

“Oh, right! Yes. Good. Thanks! See you then. Thanks for the ride!”

—

The next morning while she ate a bowl of hot oatmeal sweetened with honey, she texted her friend Louise.

Can you come over Friday evening to help me decorate Christmas cookies? Bring Dora!

Dora was only seven, but she was a self-assured child who wore her curly black hair au naturel, sticking out of her head like spikes.

Louise texted back: What time?

Encouraged, Christina invited another friend who had a son. Before she left for work, she made several batches of sugar cookie dough, put them in the refrigerator, and did a quick wash and rinse of the cookie cutters. Then, while she was still charged with Christmas cheer, she sent a mass email to her friends, inviting them to a tree decorating party on Saturday night.

—

At lunch with the other Shedders that afternoon, Mimi said, “Christina, thanks for your invitation. I’ll be there!”

“Yes,” Jacob said. “I’ll come, too.”

Christina swallowed a bite of her tuna fish sandwich before asking Harriet, “How about you? Can you come?”

“Who else is coming?” Harriet asked, busily tearing the crusts off her sandwich.

“What you mean is, is Andy Bittlesman coming, right?”

Harriet didn’t even blush. “Right.”

“I don’t know. I haven’t invited him yet. But he probably will come, with Wink.”

Harriet asked, “Wink’s his niece, not his daughter, right?”

Christina grinned. “You don’t want to have any stepchildren?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Harriet snipped. She added, “Okay, I’ll come.”

—

When Andy picked Christina up that evening, it was pouring rain.

She shivered as she slid into the car. “I’m so glad I already chose the tree. We won’t have to wander around in this downpour.”

“I put the backseat down. I think we can put the tree in through the back hatch. We won’t have to worry about tying it on top of the car.”

“Didn’t Wink want to come?”

“She’s doing FaceTime with her mother.”

“Oh…how is Delia?”

Andy shook his head. “Stubborn. So is Jeff, her husband. I don’t see this ending before Christmas.”

“But Wink…”

“Wink will be fine. If necessary, my sister can send Jeannette to help with Wink.”

“Jeannette?”

“Delia’s housekeeper and babysitter. Wink probably sees her more often than she sees her own mother. Don’t scowl. Delia is on a lot of charitable boards. Wink, as you can tell, is just fine.”

“Wink certainly has a lot of people in her life…”

“Try thinking of Mrs. Harris and me and Jeannette as the daffy aunts and uncles.”

Lighten up, her Inner Christina ordered. Wink was not her responsibility. “Yeah, that works.”