“Good,” he said.

“Because I don’t want to be rude at Christmas.”

Olivia giggled.

Soon all four were laughing, and I laughed with them, though my eyes were wet.

After they fell asleep, I sat beside the window and looked at the snowy parking lot.

Daniel’s message still glowed on my phone: Make sure you’re there.

He had expected an audience for my humiliation.

Instead, he had met four children who wanted no performance from him.