Maybe this little trailer was too far off the map for God to hear her. Who knew how much longer they’d be able to live here too?

Fear had a way of suffocating her when she invited it in.

As she opened the squeaking door to leave the trailer, then opened another crunching door to her Nissan, Lynn realized the jacket covering her wasn’t really warm at all. She shivered as she sat in the cracked seat and started the car.

The ignition switch wouldn’t turn.

She tried a dozen times, then looked around the car as if a little gremlin might be sitting there with a devilish laugh.

“Are you serious?” she said out loud.

She kept trying but she had no luck. It wasn’t the engine this time. She couldn’t even turn the key an inch to try to start the engine.

She gripped the steering wheel and then pulled it as hard as she could.

“Come on!”

Hitting the seat next to her only filled the air with dust. She kept trying until the key broke off in the ignition.

That allowed her to let go of a couple of curses.

Then Lynn rested her forehead against the steering wheel and began to cry.

In the silence of that still morning, she wept.

Tears she barely recognized as her own kissed her cheeks and dropped into her lap. It was still dark and so eerily quiet that this old car felt like a coffin.

She didn’t realize she was sobbing until the knock on the window startled her.

Outside in the shadows stood the tall shape of her son.

For a moment she was surprised at how tall he was.

You’ll always be my little one, no matter how big you become.

She opened the car door.

“Mom?”

“It’s okay.”

“What’s wrong?” His hair stuck up like it always did after Thomas woke up.

She sighed.

What isn’t? Tell me that, Thomas.

“The car.”

“Come on,” he said, taking her hand.

“What?” Lynn just sat there in the car, trying to act like nothing was wrong.

“It’s cold out here.”

“I’m fine.”

“Mom.” He pulled her toward him.

“What?”

“Let’s go inside.”

She took her hand back and faced the windshield of the car. She was embarrassed that he had seen her like this.

“For what?” she asked.

“It’s better than being out here doing nothing.”

She glanced at him. He wore shorts and a T-shirt.

“Right?” Thomas asked.

She climbed out of the car and followed him back into the trailer.

After they’d been inside for a few minutes, Lynn decided to tell him.

“Your presents didn’t come.”

For a moment Thomas appeared unsure of what she was talking about.

“You mean the Christmas presents?”

She nodded as she held on to what was left of her car key, as if massaging it might help it regrow its other half.

“What happened?” Thomas asked as he got a glass of water from the sink.