He nodded. "Garden Grove," he said, tipping his head toward a nearby window, effectively indicating the actual direction of his family's homes. Thanks to years spent mapping out Orange County's streets on ambulance detail, even this vague and half-hearted attempt was impressively accurate. "Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are both pretty big deals at my house." He thought for a moment, knowing already what his mother would have him say. It was clear his neighbor felt far from home. Her quiet loneliness was easy to read, and this new and prickly information about her brother was quite a weight to bear. But Adam hardly wanted his sincere invitation to be read as charity or pity; he deliberated for a moment, sipping on a spoonful of soup. "You know," he said at last, "there's always an extra place setting, just in case an unexpected guest turns up. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."
He carried on after the slightest pause, allowing her the time to consider his offer without, he hoped, feeling put on the spot. "I'm sorry about your brother," he said. "Do you mind if I ask what happened?"