Danny found himself outside, wondering what he was doing i walking on the freezing street in a tom shirt and without his i shoes or gloves. He turned around and went back into the house, shocked to see Jim in the doorway staring at him as if he were crazy.

Danny looked past him and saw the toppled Christmas tree and the broken presents. He felt a sudden fear.

“I didn’t mean to knock your tree over,” Jim said, startled by another incredible change in his brothers face. The cold rage had vanished, and now Billy was cowed, trembling.

“You broke my Christmas tree,” Danny sobbed.

“I’m sorry.”

“I hope you have a very merry Christmas,” Danny whined, “’cause you spoiled mine.”

Kathy, who had been waiting in the car, came rushing in, her face pale. “The police are coming.”

Seconds later there was a knock at the door. Kathy looked at Jim and then at Billy, who was crying like a little boy.

“What are we gonna do?” she said. “What if they—”

“I’d better let them in,” Jim said. He opened the door and admitted two officers.

“We got a report about a disturbance,” one of them said, looking past him into the living room.

“Your neighbors called in a complaint.” said the other.

“I’m sorry, Officer.”

“Its Christmas Eve,” the first one said. “People are with their kids. Whats going on?”

“Just a family quarrel,” Jim said. “Its over. We didn’t know we were so loud.”

The officer made a notation in his memo book. “Well, cool it, folks. Just keep it down.”

After they were gone, Jim got his coat. “All right then, Billy. I guess I’ll have to say good-by. I’m only in Lancaster for another couple of days, then I’ve got to go back to the base.” As Jim and Kathy left, their brother was still crying.

The door slammed shut and Tommy looked around, startled. His hand was bleeding. He picked the pieces of glass out of his palm and washed the cuts, wondering where Kathy and Jim had gone and why the place was such a mess. He had worked so hard on that Christmas tree, and look at it now. All the presents he and the others had made with their own hands— not a single one bought. He had a painting upstairs for Jim—a seascape he knew Jim would love—and he’d wanted to give it to him.

He picked up the fallen tree and tried to made it look decent again, but most of the ornaments were busted. It had been such a beautiful Christmas tree. He just had time to arrange Marlene’s present before she arrived. He had taken it on his own to call her to come over for Christmas Eve.

Marlene was shocked at the mess in the apartment. “What happened?”

“I don’t really know,” Tommy said, “and to tell you the truths I don’t give a damn. I just know I love you.”

She kissed him and led him to the bedroom. She knew that at times like this, when everything was confused in his mind, he was most vulnerable and he needed her.