In 1991, Tony Stark's mother, Maria, played the piano and sang. Sunlight streamed through the sheer white curtains, illuminating her tightly pinned blonde bun and the pearl necklace around her neck. White-haired Howard lifted the blanket draped over the sofa, revealing Tony Stark beneath it. Maria stopped playing and looked at them with an amused smile. Howard Stark had called Tony back from MIT to watch the house. In truth, Tony liked the job—provided his parents stayed home, or he had no idea what was about to happen.
"Who's this Homeless Man on the sofa?" Howard Stark asked with a teasing grin. Tony sat up from the sofa and adjusted the Christmas hat on his head. It was how he created a festive atmosphere, though it looked terrible now.
"That's why I came home for Christmas—because you two just happened to be away during this time."
"Watch your attitude, dear," Maria scolded in response to her son talking back. But then she turned to Howard. "He's been away studying all this time. It's not easy for him to come home even once."
Howard Stark merely raised an eyebrow, unmoved. "I need you to do me a favor." He tossed the Christmas hat onto the sofa. "Try not to burn the house down before Monday."
Tony Stark nodded with mock solemnity and got to his feet. "All right, Monday. Got it. I'll adjust my poker party plans accordingly. Where are you going?"
"Your father is taking me to the Bahamas for a vacation," Maria said.
"We may need to stop somewhere first," Howard added.
"The Pentagon?" Tony could not help asking. He could never resist poking fun at Howard's secret military business. Leaning down toward his mother, he said, "Don't worry. You'll love the holiday menu in the cafeteria."
Yet the