“It was almost Christmas. And he loved Christmas.” The Randall family loves Christmas. But it’s hard to enjoy Christmas when your loved ones are missing. It’s particularly hard when you thought you’d have those loved ones for Christmas… but instead you find they’ll be gone for even longer. Texting just doesn’t cut it. Especially when the person you text can generally only reply when you’re asleep. It’s also hard to enjoy Christmas when you miss the safe, happy Christmases of before. And it’s hard when you know that the Christmas you want to offer your new family member is impossible, and that he doesn’t deserve the little Christmas you can afford him. And when the little bit of normal Christmas you can give him reduces him to frightened tears, Christmas seems particularly horrid. But can Christmas be a merry Christmas even if it’s not the Christmas you’re used to? After all… what really makes Christmas?