“I never told my wife’s family I owned the $15.9M company that paid their salaries. To them, I was just the “broke handyman” they loved to mock9360

Silence.

“Sophie.”

“No.”

“What are you wearing?”

“Just my sweater.”

I looked at the temperature on the dashboard.

It was below freezing.

“Stay exactly where you are.”

“Dad…”

“I’m coming.”

“Please hurry.”

“I will.”

I hung up.

Then I drove.

I don’t remember much about the next twenty minutes.

I remember the headlights.

I remember my hands gripping the wheel.

I remember thinking that there were people sitting inside that house drinking wine and eating Christmas dinner while my sixteen-year-old daughter stood outside in the freezing cold.

When I finally pulled up, I saw her immediately.

She was sitting on the porch steps.

Her backpack was beside her.

Her arms were wrapped around herself.

She looked tiny.

Too small to be standing outside alone on Christmas Eve.

I jumped out of the truck.

“Sophie.”

She stood.

“Dad.”

I pulled off my jacket and wrapped it around her.

Then she broke down.

“I’m sorry.”

I held her tightly.

“You don’t apologize to me.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“You did the right thing.”

“But Grandpa—”

“Your grandfather was wrong.”

She buried her face against my chest.

I looked toward the house.

Warm yellow light spilled through the windows.

Inside, I could see the dining table.