“Even better.”

PART 17: Christmas on Maple Court

I had expected Christmas without Roger to hurt too much to celebrate.

Instead, Trevor and Elise came from Denver, and Patty carried over an enormous tin of cookies.

We put up the old tree in the living room.

Trevor found the ceramic ornament he had made in third grade, his small painted fingerprints still visible on the back.

For years Roger had been in charge of untangling the lights.