"I don't know. When do you think we should open our presents?" Charlie grinned.

"We always open them on Christmas morning at home breakfast," Sue said.

before

"Well, I guess we should have our own Christmas hore the night before."

"But I'm expected at my folks' on Christmas Eve," Suo exclaimed. my sister and her husband are going to Berkeley for Christmas dinner, so the only time we can get together is Christmas Eve."

Charlie's high spirits curdled into a hard lump in the pit of her stomach, Sho sighed, "I had thought we'd have Christmas Eve to ourselves and then go to our respective parents' on Christmas Day."

"But gosh, Charlie, it wouldn't be Christmas without the whole family being together."

"Well, you will be on Christmas Eve, so why can't we have Christmas morning together?"

"Because Christmas breakfast is a tradition with our family. Mother'd flip her lid if I wasn't there. As a mattor of fact, she will probably want me to spend the night."

Charlie slumpod into the overstuffed chair, "Families! What about our family? You and me! Don't we count?"

Sue perched on the arm of the chair and ruffled the wave in Charlie's hair. "Let's not get into a huff. Wo 11 work it out some way -really, darling."

For the five days until Christmas Eve, Charlie thought, brooded and plotted to no avail. She simply couldn't resolve the situation. Sho wanted to spend Christeas with Sue, but there were the two families, each with its own demands. What she wanted had little to do with what would be. Sue just accepted things as if it didn't matter. And Charlie was beginning to think that perhaps it didn't really matter.