“I was twelve when I stopped believing,” Aaron said. “I was an only child; I always got what I asked for. Santa seemed like a reasonable explanation.”

Jean said, “I was four.”

“That’s pretty young.”

“I asked him for a normal family. Dad left the next day.”

“Oh,” said Aaron.

JC Brotsky is a history student who can usually be found reading comics, drinking iced tea, and procrastinating on writing her novel.