Dinner was about halfway through, and it seemed that the evening would pass without incident. The falling snow had put everyone in a jovial mood, and everyone was exchanging stories about winters from their childhood. And for the moment, all was forgotten, and there was only this moment. Even Clark seemed to have forgotten his bag of toys.

But then Nathan’s brow furrowed, and he turned to Crystal. “Why didn’t you answer my phone call from earlier?” His tone was cold. “And why didn’t ...