Dad whipped the blindfold off Abbie. She stood there staring, her face frozen in a smile. “Wow. Thank you.” But both her voice and her smile wobbled. I caught Mom and Dad glancing at each other over her head. “It’s got everything,” Dad said, now doing the hard sell. “Leather interior, navigation system, speakers so good you’ll lose your hearing by the time you’re my age.” “It’s great,” Abbie said as fat tears squeezed from the corners of her eyes. “And it’s so . . . shiny.” I looked at the car. Dad hadn’t skimped a penny. This baby was tricked out. As tricked out as any silver Toyota Camry sedan could be. Complete with an installed car seat. “I don’t mean to be crying,” Abbie said, wiping away tears. “I’m not even sure why I am.” I gave the car another glance. I could venture a guess. “Here you guys did this incredibly nice thing for me, bought me a beautiful, expensive present, and . . .” Abbie said more, but her tears strangled her words beyond recognition.
