Her children are doing great, one is an accountant, another in law school, the last in Central America on a break from college,resumes folded in her purse to show me if I asked. I turned away from the contest, knowing I would have to say that, of mine, three are happy and one not so much but that probably changes day by day. I stopped keeping track of their accomplishments or not and now settle on whether I want to have lunch with them and whether they can tell a decent joke or get one, which one of them I would trust to show up if I was stranded, no questions asked. This is hard to explain standing amid the Christmas candles in the department store so I just keep it to myself and say goodbye.