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"I should be co small talk

"So you’ll be settled before Christ your stuff over to the apartment anytime after that"

She nodded

"What about Christ she didn’t have children

"What about it?"

"What are your plans?"

"I…I’ to California to be with Larry" She see him for a reaction

"That’ll be nice for theether"

"It will, and I’ht man for her and…"

He’d be alone at Christmas Olivia’s family would include him, but much as he loved his sister and Justine and everyone, he couldn’t help feeling like an obligatory guest Uncle Will, who had nowhere else to go

"And," Miranda said, interrupting his thoughts, "well, this is totally selfish of un to feel that this i point in his relationship with Miranda

"Well, Shirley almost always had me over for Christmas"

"So you’ll be alone this year"

"I have other friends," she said defensively

"Of course you do But as it happens, I’ll be alone, as well"

"You?" Miranda seemed stunned at the prospect "What about Olivia?"

"She’ll inviteon her family time" They’d all make an effort to involve hi a fa the worst years of his ed

"I knohat you lanced down at the carpet, and Will realized she wasn’t just saying that, she really did understand how he felt, because she’d experienced the saan "No, never mind"

"Suppose what?" Miranda asked

"You’re alone I’ative coet together here at the house, ether, share Christmas Day?"

"The two of us?" she asked, as if she couldn’t quite believe it

"Well, yes If you’re ga, the whole nine yards?"

"Whatever you want" He’d never been ive it a try

She see over the idea "I think we could do that," she finally said

"Then it’s a date You and me and Christmas"

"You and me and Christmas," Miranda said with a s popcorn and put it around the Christmas tree?" Jolene asked, her voice elevated with excitement as she climbed into the front seat of the car

"I reed to thread" Snition

Jolene giggled "Where are we going to buy the tree?"

"Where else? On Christmas Tree Lane" That was their tradition "But first, we’reRachel"

"We are?" Jolene instantly sobered

"We invited her, remember?"

"Yeah, sort of To decorate But it’s always just been the two of us ent to get the tree"

Bruce did his best not to sho disappointed he was in her response "I want her to couess" But she let it be known that she wasn’t completely happy

It was tiroan with frustration Just when it see would happen to reo

He drove to the terminal, where the foot ferry from Bremerton docked Rachel had texted hi the eleven o’clock ferry He’d texted back that he’d be there, with Jolene, to pick her up Then they’d drive to the Christot home, they’d set it up; after that, they’d spend the rest of the afternoon decorating it As a family

Jolene had received a special ornament every year since her birth Stephanie had started that tradition, and he’d continued it Each year it was those ornareat ceremony Jolene would place them on the tree

As soon as he’d rabbed her cell phone and started texting

"Who’re you texting?" he asked, glancing over at her in the passenger seat

"Carrie"

"Do I know Carrie?"

"Dad, she was over yesterday"