Darkness whispered outside, and frosty stars sparkled in the windows. Bits of fake snow and glitter were scattered here and there, with crumpled-up programs lying in the pews and the last strains of “Joy to the World” echoing in my head. The giáng sinh buổi hòa nhạc was over, and my family was off in the reception hall snarfing down sugar bánh quy, cookie with everyone else. Normally I’d be with them (I have an awful sweet tooth)...but this time, something had told me to stay behind.

I glanced around the sanctuary one last time. The dim lighting combined with Christmas-sparkle gave everything a sort of...