With everyone's eyes on him, Alexander walked steadily up to Grandma Morrison.

"Happy birthday," he said calmly.

Then he held out a gift box with both hands and added, "I wasn't sure if you'd like the one I originally prepared, so I brought another. Hope this one suits you better."

Grandma Morrison honestly hadn't expected Alexander to show up. And when she saw him, there was no joy on her face.

What happened today—sure, it was mostly the ...