Dominic's POV
Christmas Eve falls on a Tuesday.
Emma's shift ends at noon and I pick her up from the patisserie because it's cold and she'll argue about the subway and I've stopped pretending the argument is one I'm willing to have.
She comes out with a white box tied in string.
"What's that?" I say.
"Celeste let me take the extras." She gets in and puts the box on her lap. "Buche de Noel. Individual ones. She made forty-two and sold forty and gave me the last two because she was in a good mood."
"Celeste has good moods?"
"Twice a year apparently. Christmas Eve is one of them." She sets the box carefully on the back seat. "Don't ask about the other one."
I pull into traffic. She leans her head back and exhales the long exhale of someone releasing a week of accumulated effort.
"Don
