"Can you stand to be forgiven?"

"No," he said. "Basically, no. I can't. It's better all around if I pay you."

Still kneeling, Denise bent over and tucked in her arms and made herself into an olive, an egg, an onion. From within this balled form came a low voice. "Do you understand what a huge favor you'd be doing me if you would let me forgive the debt? Do you understand that it's hard for me to ask this favor? Do you understand that coming here for Christmas is the only other favor I've ever asked you? Do you understand that I'm not trying to insult you? Do you understand that I never doubted that you wanted to pay me back, and I know I'm asking you to do something very hard? Do you understand that I wouldn't ask you to do something so hard if I didn't really, really, really need it?"

Chip looked at the trembling balled human form at his feet. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm having trouble on numerous fronts," she said.

"This is a bad time to talk about the money, then. Let's forget it for a while. I want to hear what's bothering you."

Still balled up, Denise shook her head emphatically, once. "I need you to say yes here, now. Say 'Yes, thank you.'"

Chip made a gesture of utter bafflement. It was near midnight and his father had begun to thump around upstairs and his sister was curled up like an egg and begging him to accept relief from the principal torment of his life.