Each year, my family gathered at my uncle's brick Tudor for Christmas dinner. It was an elegant affair, my uncle and aunt, generous hosts. Surrounded by several generations' worth of holiday décor, my aunt would lay their dining room table with rosy hams and a Rockwellian turkey, fruit pies that glistened, and all manner of chocolate treats. As a mother of three young children, I treasured the chance to sit, surrounded by those I loved best. We'd eat while reminiscing over the past, sharing our news from the present, and, occasionally, our hopes for the future.

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Backstories come to us courtesy of the Backstory blog, where authors share the secrets, the truths, or just the illogical moments that sparked their fiction. Brought to you by authors M.J. Rose and Jessica Brilliant Keener. Click here to read more articles by .