She had felt judged, especially when she compared her household to her successful sister’s.

She had asked Daniel to arrange Christmas without me, assuming I would accept another day instead.

Then Daniel had neglected to tell me.

When I arrived, they had panicked about an argument in front of the family.

None of that explained the cruelty of calling me nobody or laughing afterward, but it offered a picture of how thoughtless people can construct an entire evening around avoiding discomfort and end by hurting someone they claim to love.

“You could have told me you wanted a different day,” I said.