Ginny was washing the dishes from lunch when she heard the doorbell ring. She wiped her hands with a dish towel and went to see who it was. Through the window, she saw Mrs. Brown standing on the front porch with Lili. Lili's face was red, and tears were streaming from her eyes.

Concerned, Ginny opened the door.

"What's wrong?"

"Lili saw something in church this morning that upset her," Mrs. Brown explained. "I've tried, but I can't get her to calm down, so I had to bring her home early." She handed Ginny Lili's suitcase.

"Come on in!" Ginny pulled her daughter into her arms and led her to the sofa. "Now, what on earth has gotten you so upset!"

"I saw (sniff, sniff) a man (sniff, sniff), and...he had hooks instead of hands!" Lili began to sob loudly, and Ginny pulled her into an embrace.

"Oh, sweetheart! That's nothing to be frightened about. He probably lost his arms fighting in Vietnam. People without arms have to have something else to use instead. I promise, there's no way it can ever hurt you!"

Curious, Matthias came into the living room with Paula and Benny.

"What's wrong?"

"She saw a man with artificial arms for the first time," Ginny explained.

"Ah, you must have felt sorry for him," Matthias suggested. Lili nodded.

"It's very sad when someone loses their arms, but it's good there are artificial arms so they can still do some things," Mattias pointed out.

"But why do they have to be hooks? Why can't they just look like regular arms?"

"Well, I'm no doctor, but my guess is that hooks are more useful for grasping and holding things than plastic hands would be. Your dolls can't hold anything in their hands, can they?"

"No, of course not! I have to pretend."

"Well, that's why, then. I know artificial hands look strange at first, but they're actually very useful and necessary."

Lili nodded.

"There, now. Do you feel better?" asked Ginny.

"I guess so."

The following weekend, Matthias was doing some repairs around the house when he looked down and saw Lili standing there, holding a doll and watching him.

"Do you have a hook, Daddy?"

"I'd have to check my tool box. Why do you ask?"

Lili held the doll up. Matthias saw she'd pulled one of its arms off.

"I'm pretending Timey Tell lost her arm. Not the one with the watch, but the other one. She needs a hook so she can still hold onto things."

Matthias burst out laughing. "I'll have to see what I can do." He found a hook, but it was too small. "Guess I'll have to check at the hardware store."

"Oh, can I come too, Daddy? Please?"

"Sure!"

They got into the car and drove around the corner to Griffin's Hardware. Mr. Griffin was a petite, middle-aged man with only a little gray hair fringing his head and wire-rimmed glasses. He met them at the front counter.

"What can I do for you folks?"

Lili held the doll up to show him. "Timey Tell needs a hook!"

"A hook? For a doll?"

"Uh huh. She lost her arm."

"Let me see." Mr. Griffin reached for the doll, and Lili handed it to him. He stood there scratching his head for a few seconds. "Well, now, let me see what I have." He disappeared with the doll for a few minutes. When he returned, the doll had a cardboard tube taped into its empty arm socket. Taped in place at the end of the tube was a metal hook that was just the right size.

Lili beamed. "Oh, thank you!" she said as Mr. Griffin handed her the doll.

"How much do I owe you?" asked Matthias.

"No charge." Mr. Griffin winked at him. "I got grandkids."

Ginny was in Gayfers doing some Christmas shopping when she met up with Laura.

"I haven't seen you in ages!" she cried as the cousins embraced. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good," said Laura. "Mrs. Odom told me I'm one of her best students."

"I'm so glad," Ginny replied. "She could be strict sometimes, but by the time you've completed the course, you really know typing and shorthand!"

The two began to walk down the aisle, surveying the various housewares displays. Ginny picked up a casserole dish.

"My mother mentioned she could use a new one, and you can't beat this price," she remarked.

"I got my mother something similar at Kmart," said Laura. "I came here to have a look at the sale on kids' jackets. The twins have outgrown theirs from last year."

"Yeah, Benny needs a new one, too," said Ginny. "I was gonna head on over there after this."

"How are your kids?"

"They're fine! Paula just figured out the truth about Santa Claus. Matthias and I had to bribe her not to spill the beans to the younger two. They're growing up fast enough as it is. I'd like them to hang onto that childhood innocence for just a little longer."

Laura laughed. "I guess I've got a few more years before I'll have to worry about that!"

Ginny gave a rueful smile. "Enjoy it while you can."