Ruth, my sister-in-law, Vanessa, kissed my cheek with precision. Perfect lipstick, perfect smile. Mark, my brother, clapped me on the shoulder like a colleague he tolerated. The house hummed with carols and clatter and the soft clink of dessert forks on china. I set the gifts near Madison and took the seat that always seems to be waiting for me. Corner of the table half-shadowed audience to the show.<\/p>\n
Madison reached for the smallest gift first, tearing the paper with the same careless hunger you see in blockbuster heroes diffusing bombs. She held the signed hoodie up by two fingers, checking the tag, not the signature. She tossed it into her lap like it might catch. Then she went for the hardcover collection, the set she\u2019d mentioned on an afternoon in September when we\u2019d crossed paths after school when she told me about a character who reminded her of someone in her class. She flipped the box open, shut it, shrugged. Finally, the sketch set. I\u2019d wrapped it carefully, the boutique logo tucked under the fold so she\u2019d see it when she pulled the ribbon loose. She didn\u2019t look for it. She didn\u2019t look at me.<\/p>\n
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