Two sons and their mother on Christmas Eve

And so it happened that we were driving down one road that led to another that wound past a sign that announced the college my Salvadoran mother-in-law attended years and years ago.

"We have to go see it," we said, at once, and so there we were, my husband, brother-in-law (visiting from Texas), and yours truly, walking through the lovely campus on a brisk day.  We were the only ones there, but somehow Nora was there, too—giggling with her girlfriends, running through the halls, begging for forgiveness.  I listened to the stories the brothers conjured and told.  I listened to them laughing.  I'm not sure it matters if any of their stories were true.  It only matters that two sons—one transplanted to Philadelphia, one transplanted to Dallas—were spending Christmas Eve day with their mom.