Strung lights. Played music. Nathan looked up at me.
“Dad, are we going to Grandma and Grandpa’s this year?”
“No, buddy. We’re staying here.”
He nodded. “That’s okay. I like it better this way.”
Later that night, after he went to bed, I sat by the tree watching the lights flicker. My phone was silent. No frantic texts. No guilt trips. No reminders about continue reading …
