There was a knock at the door. Sheri stood there in her hospital gown, with her arm around her mother. Karl was standing behind them, his face unreadable.

"Daddy," my little girl (who wasn't so little anymore) said, "Mama wants to ask you something."

My ex-wife took a step forward, took in the picture of the four kids in the rocking chair with everyone standing around - and then looked directly at me.

"I realize we have a few months before we need to worry about this, but I don't want to have to force the kids to split their time between my place and yours when the holidays come....