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responsibly, she had rebelled at their restrictions and run away. Not telling them where she was going, she had simply left a note saying she loved them, but she had to try her wings. Her grandmother had only learned that she was still in the New York area when she showed up at her grandfather’s funeral in November 1922.
    “That was such a stupid note. I had to ‘try my wings,’ I said. It’s going to be very uncomfortable.”
    “Forget about it, sis.” Phil pulled his hand out of his pocket and put it around her shoulder. He drew her closer and turnedand whispered, “It’s going to be great. You’re going to have a fine Christmas.”
    Amelia leaned closer and let herself enjoy the pressure of his arm. She needed a strong right arm, for her heart told her it had been wrong of her to leave. Now she looked up at Phil and said, “I’m just worried that Grandmother does not approve of me, Phil.”
    “Well, just stop worrying. Grandmother loves you. It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”
    Amelia shook her head and glanced up. “There’s the house.” She straightened up and watched as the car pulled into the long, curving driveway. “Why can’t I be good like you, Phil?”
    “That’s nonsense!” Phil snorted. “You’re just finding your way, that’s all.”
    The car came to a smooth stop at the front door. Robert hopped out and opened the door for Amelia. She climbed out and said, “Thank you, Robert. You’re a fine driver.”
    “Thank you, Miss Amelia. I do the best I can.” He turned to Phil. “It’s good to have both of you here for the holidays.”
    “We’re just glad to be able to spend some time with Grandmother, Robert.”
    The two turned and, leaving Robert to bring the small bags, walked up the steps. “Be careful. Don’t slip on the ice,” Phil cautioned. He took her arm, and the two slowly made their way up to the front door. It opened before they got there, and much to their surprise, they were greeted by their parents. “Mom! Dad!” Phil exclaimed. “We didn’t know you’d be here!”
    Smiling and laughing, Andrew and Dorothy came out to meet them. Phil shook his father’s hand, then gave him a hug. His mother had embraced Amelia and was holding her tightly. He heard her say, “It’s so good to see you, Amelia!”
    Amelia let go of her mother and lifted her arms to her father. Andrew put his arms around her, squeezed her, andkissed her on the cheek. “Come in by the fire, daughter,” he smiled. “That’s a long, cold trip from the city.”
    As the four of them went inside, Phil and Amelia plied them with questions. They hadn’t expected to see their parents again so soon, since they had just been to the States the previous year for their grandfather’s funeral. Dorothy explained that their church in Nairobi had taken up a collection to help them make a return trip this year, so they could spend Christmas with Andrew’s mother and their children. Another surprise was that their uncle Barney and aunt Katie and their daughter, Erin, and her husband, Quaid, had also made the trip with them while their son, Patrick, stayed in Africa to look after the mission station. The four of them were expected to arrive on Christmas Day.
    Now Dorothy said, “Let’s go see your grandmother. She’s waiting for you.”
    “How is she, Mom?” Amelia asked quickly.
    “Well, she doesn’t say much about how she’s feeling, but I know she misses your grandfather more than any of the rest of us.”
    The four of them made their way down the wide hallway and turned left into the big drawing room, which had been Mark Winslow’s favorite place to spend time. A freshly laid fire blazed cheerfully in a massive fireplace, showering sparks up the chimney from time to time. The flames licked eagerly at huge logs, releasing a pleasant woodsy odor into the room.
    “So, you’re here. Come and give your grandmother a kiss, both of you.”
    Lola Winslow, even at the age of seventy-six, retained