The stocking.

Kara and her mother are making coffee. Urchin #1, Kara's delightful 10-year old daughter, comes down and nibbles on a cookie from the table where I'm typing.

Urchin #1: "Did you look in your stocking?"

Me: (peering from over he laptop screen) "No, baby... I've seen it, and I think it's great, but I haven't looked inside it yet."

I go back to typing. The room is quiet for a brief moment as Urchin #1 sits on the couch and stares at the stockings.

Urchin #1: "... I think it was Rod's stocking..."

blink

I stop typing. I look up.

Me: "...Why do you say that?"

Urchin #1: "Because your name is on it in marker where Rod's name was and all the other stockings have our names sewed on them."

blink blink

Me: "...Honey, are you telling me that I have the Current Boyfriend And Let's See How It Goes stocking?"

The parlour smells like fresh coffee. She munches on her cookie. The snowy morning sun makes her lovely little face radiant and charming as she, without a flinch or expression, her eyes as bright as jewels, slowly nods her sweet little head.