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sighed. “Poses a bit of a logistical problem for me. I can't really take a day off.”
    “If you need a quick sub, let me know. I got more than enough vacation time coming.”
    “You serious? They're being on their best behavior right now. But their true personalities could easily emerge being snowbound.”
    “Please, I used to work in Homicide. I can handle anything they throw at me. I'll just ply them with movies, games, junk food, vast quantities of sugar. If all that fails I'll just write each of ‘em a check.”
    This cracked Evan up. “Whatever works.”
    The dinner plans were changed due to inclement weather. Evan dug through the pantry, trying to come up with something, while Matt and the kids sprawled out in the living room, laughing hysterically over the movie Matt had sworn wasn't too PG-13ish.
    “What did he just say?”
    “Dad, chill out,” called Miranda. “It's nothing the kids haven't heard before.”
    “Who are you calling a kid?!” yelled Kathleen, tossing a pillow at her sister, who quickly returned the favor.
    “Hey, I'm trying to hear the curse words, learn a few new ones... if you don't mind,” yelled Matt, sending Elizabeth and Danny into hysterics.
    Evan set to work making pasta, smiling as he thought what a pleasure this day was turning out to be.
    The snow piled up to the window by ten p.m.
    “You're not going home in this.” Matt joined Evan at the back door, surveying the blizzard in progress.
    “Aw c'mon, I'm sure I could get home in like six or seven hours.”
    “There's no way they'll have school tomorrow— it doesn't look like its slowing down.”
    “I told you, it's not a problem for me to spend the day.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Lord God, but you're slow!”
    “Okay, okay. If they tie you up and take your credit cards, well, you were warned.”
    Danny and Elizabeth fell asleep on the floor, bookending Matt. Evan carried them up, one at a time, feeling strangely sentimental. The kids had all seemed so lighthearted today, laughing and teasing. He'd forgotten to feel desperate and empty, so filled with their sweet smiles. He loved the bantering. Loved the way they fell asleep so easily, cuddled against Matt.
    He tucked his little ones in, herded Kathleen off a few minutes later— she claimed to just be resting her eyes but Evan gently pointed out that resting one's eyes for an hour is considered sleeping.
    Miranda wanted to stay up and watch Gladiator , so the three “grown-ups” settled down and put the movie in.
    “How are you getting up in the morning?”
    Evan didn't meet Matt's eyes. “I'll be fine. I usually stay up this late anyway.”

    * * * *

    Sitting in the dark, watching the flickering of the television set, Matt Haight swallowed repeatedly, trying to keep his emotions in check. This day— this long, loud, crazy day— made his heart ache. For all their devastating hurts in the past year, the Cerellis were a beautiful family. They radiated love for one another. Even Evan, whom Matt knew was feeling despair and pain every single day. He wondered what it had been like with Sherri around. He assumed, given how much each of her survivors grieved her, that she'd been nothing like his own mother.
    He'd grown up with so much anger and hate and neglect. He remembered the slaps, the vicious slams— verbal and physical. Couldn't recall a day like today in his whole childhood.
    The other part of his anguish came from being around Evan. Being around a depressed Evan had been bad enough— inciting all sorts of feelings to begin with— but a happy Evan? Jesus Christ. Matt had spent the whole day trying desperately not to stare at his face. He glowed. He laughed heartily. And smiled. Truly smiled. His eyes— those silver-blue eyes that woke Matt up from a dead sleep— were something to behold when he was happy. Something was happening in Matt's solar plexus that he couldn't put a name to but it scared the ever-loving crap out of him.
    “Night.” Miranda yawned and