Footsteps and voices alerted us to new arrivals, in time for Dad to step away and turn me around, pushing me gently toward the door. I plastered on a smile just as the entry swung open, letting in a little swirl of fresh snow onto the protective mat covering the immediate stretch of hardwood. The two men who entered did so with alternating shows of respect. The younger, leaner and taller of the pair, his thin shoulders hunched under his dark blue pea coat, scuffed his feet on the ...