This year she has no one to help her take down the Christmas decorations (something that she knows is her own fault). The ornaments, bows, and wreaths are easy to box up and put away, but the lights on the outside of the house pose a problem.

She stands on the front lawn with her arms crossed, snow up to her calves, and stares at the lights. They’re pretty, sure, but now she also sees them as maybe more trouble than they’re worth. She glances at the ladder that’s laying in the snow next to her and hopes for two things: that her health insurance would cover an accident should there be one, and that Mittens remembers how to dial 911 like she taught him. She figures her life is in capable paws and pushes the ladder up against the house.

She’s halfway up the ladder when she feels it jiggle. Convinced that this is going to be the moment she meets her maker, her eyes squeeze shut and she throws her arms around the ladder. When she doesn’t fall, she takes a deep breath and opens her eyes. Pleased to find that she’s still alive, she decides to be brave and looks down.

She finds a local neighborhood boy and his border collie near the ladder; the boy is gripping the ladder tightly, steadying it.

“Joey, what are you doing?” she asks.

“My mom said I should come help you,” he replies. “And aren’t you afraid of heights?”

Angela looks across the street to where Joey lives and sees his mother in the front window. Joey’s mother gives a little wave then disappears from view.

Angela frowns and admits, “Yes. How old are you now, anyway? Are you even old enough to be crossing the street by yourself?”

“I’m fourteen,” Joey tells her.

“Do you promise to be very careful and not break anything?”

“Yeah, I swear,” Joey says and mimes crossing his heart.

“Do you promise that dog isn’t going to chew the lights up?”

“Yes,” Joey says. “He’s a really good dog.”

Angela doubts that any dog has the capacity to be good, but decides it’s nice to have a bit of help. She checks that Joey has a good grip on the ladder then climbs to the top and begins taking down the Christmas lights. As she pulls them down, she carefully begins lowering the strand down to Joey.

“Careful!”

“I am, I am!”

Once all the lights have been taken down, Angela climbs down the ladder and begins helping Joey wind them into neat coils.

“You wrap it around your elbow like this,” she instructs, “then keep wrapping it around.”

Joey wraps the strand of lights around his arm, obviously being very careful not to ruin them. “Do you need help with anything else?”

“No,” Angela tells him. “This was the last of it.”

Joey hands her the strand of lights and puts his hands in his pockets. “What about the ladder? Do you want me to put it in the garage or anything?”

“Well... yes, okay,” she says. “Thank you.”

“No problem!” Joey replies. He carefully grabs the ladder and makes his way to the garage, his dog trailing after him.

Despite herself, Angela smiles softly.