Christmas Day came and went with very little fanfare. Darren and I exchanged gifts that we both agreed would be singular and not terribly expensive. I got him a very nice Shinola watch that he loved—and that totally blew the modest budget we’d set for ourselves. He got me a pair of Bose noise-canceling headphones that I’d wanted but hadn’t gotten around to buying. I saw my parents during a brief visit to their house mainly to see my sisters and drop off gifts for my nieces and nephews. My mother had invited me over for dinner, but when I’d asked if Darren was invited also, she hesitated.
“Well, I just figured he’d want to spend Christmas with his own family,” she said.
“So he’s not invited? Is that what you’re telling me?”
I heard her sigh through the phone. “Why do you always have to b
