For paid subscribers: 'Holiday Window'

Be still (but not for long!) to read another 60-second story.

Photo by Andrew Malone

HOLIDAY WINDOW

by Whitney Matheson

Ada’s skill was stillness, and it yielded consistent work: She could pose for hours at a time as an artist’s model, keep continuity as a frozen background actor, or — as she did each holiday season — serve as a “live mannequin” in the window display of Roman’s department store alongside a plastic husband, a stuffed Boston terrier, and an artificial Christmas tree.