“When will your folks put up a Christmas tree?” Nick was digging through the cupboards and poking his head in the fridge. He came out of the fridge with a cookie between his teeth, one in his fingers but then he was still piling things on the counter.
“When I lived home, the first weekend of December. Now it’s usually a few days after I get back. We’ll do a big family sleigh ride to go get the tree. It’ll be our family and my aunt’s family. My mom was an only child, and her parents are both gone now. Dad’s parents are still very much alive. Granddad underwent a bypass a few years ago and Granny was sick two years ago. It gave them both a new lease on life. He and Granny do world tours now. They’ll be home for Christmas for sure, but they’ll be cutting it close.”
“Your cousin didn’t seem
