The kids chattered nonstop on the drive up the mountain. They seemed excited and, to Logan’s relief, not terrified that their mother was about to leave them.

“Mama has to go away for a job,” said Angelica.

Logan glanced at her in the rearview mirror. The little girl looked guileless. He didn’t blame Maya for fudging the details. No point in scaring the kids by telling them their mom was headed for a frightening place. A quick scan of André’s face revealed a different story. Logan suspected the boy wasn’t fooled for a minute. André’s skin was stretched taut across his cheekbones, and his eyes were narrowed as he watched out the window.

“So, Charlie is really excited about having Christmas with you guys,” Logan said. “He can’t wait to see you. He’s coming all the way from Oklahoma.”

“He’s moving to Japan,” said André. “He wrote me an email about it.”

“That’s cool that you guys email each other.” Logan was glad to hear it. He received regular emails from his son, too, filled with briefly stated facts—the world according to Charlie. “I got a haircut today.” “There was a field trip to the Vehicle Operations Center.” “Sushi was invented in Japan. I ate one sushi roll and it was yucky. When I move to Japan I will not eat sushi.”

Logan always wrote back promptly. It was not the same as being with his son, but with the emails and daily video phone calls, they managed to stay connected.

“Why did you move to the mountaintop?” asked André. He kept staring at the winter woods out the window. The black lines of the bare trees etched the hillside.

“It’s not exactly the top,” said Logan, “but close enough. I live there because it’s near my work, a resort called Saddle Mountain.”

“What kind of resort?” asked Angelica.

“In winter, it’s a place to go skiing or snowboarding, or sledding. You can also take a nature hike if you bundle up and stick to the trails. We can put on the snowshoes.”

“That sounds like fun,” said Maya. “Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“How will Santa Claus know where we are?” asked the little girl.

“Kids always wonder that,” Logan said. “He just does, that’s all. It’s one of the special things about Christmas.”

“Really?”

“When I was your age, my parents took me to Florida at Christmas. And Santa always found me, and I always found what I was wishing for under the tree.”

“I don’t get how that works,” said Angelica.

“It just works,” said Maya.

“Your mother is right. Sometimes it takes a miracle. What do you want from Santa?” Logan asked.

“I’m not telling,” André said. “I’ll only tell Santa.”

“Good plan,” he said.

“I’ve heard if you tell too many people, it might not come true,” André pointed out.