The Wintermutes' Christmas
- On Christmas morning, Dr. Wintermute wakes up and realizes that it's going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad holiday. It will just be him and his wife.
- He remembers how, last year, Clara wanted to decorate the house, but her mother hadn't let her because it wouldn't be appropriate for a house in mourning.
- When Dr. Wintermute goes to see his wife, she tells him that they have to go to the mausoleum to visit their dead children, just like they do every single Christmas.
- Dr. Wintermute tells her that he doesn't think it's a good idea, and that ever since Clara's disappearance, he's been wondering if they were wrong to go to the cemetery so much.
- It obviously made Clara unhappy, and perhaps they should have done their best to bring joy to their only living child.
- That's when Mrs. Wintermute gets upset, saying that he blames her for Clara running away. Dr. Wintermute says this isn't true—he believes Clara was kidnapped by Grisini.
- Then, Mrs. Wintermute admits that she was a bad mother and that she didn't love Clara in the same way she did the others who died because she was always afraid that the girl would be taken away, too.
- Dr. Wintermute assures her that it's not her fault and says they need to find a way to bring Clara back to them. And when they do, they need to move on as a family so that their daughter isn't miserable and always thinking of death. Sounds like a good plan, right?