At Stone Mountain Park, Christmas was in full effect. Troy had been to the theme park and historical site before, but had never brought his family there during the holiday season, and he was floored by the extent of the decorations on display and the attractions available for children and adults alike.

Snow Mountain, a vast area full of cold, man-generated snow, offered tubing, a zone with activities such as a snowball shooting gallery and snowmen building, and slides. A market offered seasonal food from various vendors and holiday shopping. The Wonderland Walkway, a tunnel of thousands of lights, led to a snow palace and a show that took place during regular intervals. And there was the requisite visit and photo op with Santa Claus . . .

At four o’clock that afternoon, the overcast day had brought about a premature twilight. Troy advanced through the park, hand-in-hand with Monica. Picking her way forward carefully, wincing from time to time, she clasped his hand so tightly that his muscles tingled, but he needed the close contact as much as she did.

Troy gripped his iPhone in his other hand. He checked it continuously for text messages.

They got in line for perhaps the theme park’s most famous attraction, the Summit Skyride. At that afternoon hour on a weekday, there wasn’t much of a wait at all. After a delay of only a couple of minutes, they boarded the Swiss cable car.

Grace had told them to meet her at the top of Stone Mountain. There, they would execute her proposed trade: Troy would get back their two children; Grace would get Monica.

It was a deal with the devil, and he prayed that everything worked out in their favor.

Monica eased onto one of the benches bolted against the wall, while Troy stood, clutching a nearby hanging strap for balance. Rocking gently, the passenger cabin slowly ascended via the cables.

“Of all the places she could have picked,” Monica said under her breath.

“I know,” Troy thought.

Stone Mountain not only provided a stunning view of the Atlanta skyline, the north face of the rock also featured the largest bas-relief in the world, a depiction of three personalities from the Confederate Army. In the last century, the Ku Klux Klan had met there to revive their hate group, and the site had been home to various race-based controversies over the ensuing years.

In Troy’s mind, not even a billion sparkling Christmas lights could have erased the troubling history of that place.

Troy glanced out the window, and felt a brief spell of vertigo. The aerial tram took them more than eight hundred feet above ground. He’d never been comfortable at great heights. Swallowing, he looked away from the glass.

A text message came through on his phone. He showed it to Monica, and she smiled for the first time in hours.

The cabin slid into the end of the tramway.