New York City, December 25, 2016

★★★★★ Shining smooth patches lay on the river, and the vent steam went in no particular direction. People ventured out onto the roof deck across the avenue and stood there for a brief while in their puffy coats. The five-year-old agreed to wear full-length track pants underneath the shorts he’d been planning to wear for the holiday. The playground was comfortable and all but vacant; the puddles were not anywhere it mattered. The five-year-old whacked tennis balls around the handball court till his head was sweaty under the hood of his coat. The direct sun and the interest in tennis eased off at approximately the same time. Tulips were out on the plants-and-flowers shelving on the side of the supermarket. The twin spires of the San Remo were lit warmly and softly by the late sun till they looked a little too real for this world.