CNU-My daughter-in-law said Christmas would be easier if I stayed away, and my son did not even raise his eyes to defend me. So I stayed home, alone, exactly as requested. …

in uncertainty. Raymond freezing with a roll in one hand. Vincent looking at the tablecloth. Linda shifting back in her chair and fixing me with the kind of composed expression some people mistake for manners because they have never seen contempt polished to a shine.

“Oh, Harold,” she said. “We really need to be honest about that.”

She glanced at Vincent.continue reading …