“That,” she said, “is exactly why we’re not telling her yet.”

Before Christmas, Zoe made another drawing at the table. The house in the middle.

Claire in her red dress. Owen tall. George and Ruth standing near the tree. And Jason was still off to the side — but he was no longer shoved all the way to the ragged edge of the page.

He’d moved in a little. And this time, Zoe had colored him in.

“Daddy lives in a different house,” Zoe explained, matter-of-fact, when Claire asked. “But he’s still part of ours.”

Claire hung the drawing on the wall.