Her response irked him, and he frowned prodigiously at his desk. Why did she think he cared a bit about what the children were doing today? So it was Christmas — so what? The fact of the holiday did not change the situation he found himself in. No Christmas miracle was restoring to him the use of his legs. He was still just as crippled as he had been the day before — as he would be tomorrow, and the next day, and indefinitely, until he fixed this.

"You'll understand if I'm not particularly feeling the Christmas spirit today, Rufina," he answered, just as harshly.