—*ALISON*—

Tomorrow is Christmas, and the city is alive.

Christmas trees blink in every window. Lights stretch from rooftops and coil around lampposts—red, green, and gold—spilling their glow across the snow-covered streets.

Somewhere nearby, jingle bells ring out, maybe from a speaker, or maybe from a real sleigh for a church event—I’m not sure.

The snow lies thick and fresh in some places, untouched, while in others it’s trampled by people hurrying home with armfuls of ...