Cassidy moves in next, holding a twin in each arm. “Here, take one.” Plopping a baby in my arms, I look down to see I have little Laura. Instinctively, I begin to sway with her to the melody of the music. “These babies are going to be so spoiled. No one ever puts them down,” Cassidy sighs.
“Better too much love than not enough,” I remind her.
Her face brightens. “True enough.” Her dark hair is braided and tucked under a Santa hat. Laura’s twin, Jonathan, is fascinated with the pompom bounces back and forth against her dark hair. “There can never be enough love.”
“Speaking of that…” I frown. Obviously, Laura doesn’t like the look on my face as she flails a little hand and smacks me on the lips. I grin down at the precious bundle in my arms, who has not a clue what she’s doing. It’s not long before we hear Corinna call out, “Breakfast is up! Come get it while it lasts!”
Caleb comes over just as I’m making my way to the long farm-style table. “Hand her over, Jason. I’m used to eating one-handed,” he says ruefully.
I shake my head. “Go ahead and eat, Caleb. As long as I get one of those cinnamon rolls and coffee, I’m good.” Corinna, hearing me, begins to load my plate for me.
“There’s nothing you can’t just eat with a fork, Jason. You sure you don’t want anything else?”
I shake my head. “I’m saving room for later.”
Everyone groans. Food isn’t something in short supply on Christmas Day. We’ll have trays of cold cuts and cheese, and every kind of chips and dip imaginable. For dinner, Corinna goes all out with a roast prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, cornbread casserole, stuffing with bacon, and an assortment of other side vegetables. Not to mention her infamous desserts, now made more famous since she recently appeared on an episode ofCaketasticon Food Network.
We don’t waste time lingering over breakfast before we refill our drinks of choice and head over to the presents. Phil and Cassidy exchange glances.
Oh, God. Here it comes. The Freeman White Elephant Exchange. I begin to brace.
“Do we need to go over the rules again?” Phil drawls over the hooting and hollering of his siblings. Caleb and Keene groan as loud as I do.
“I don’t know about going over the rules, but I think we put whatever the hell that thing is”—Cassidy flicks her finger in a wonky circle at Phil’s parrot entry—“in a stationary spot. Whoever gets stuck—I mean, blessed, with it, should move to it.”
“Since it took two of us to move it without ruining the wrapping, I vote yes,” Caleb concurs. Keene nods his assent, eyeing the package as if it might strike.
Since I know for a fact it attacks the male anatomy when it gets too close, Keene’s wariness is not unwarranted.
Phil claps his hands together. “All right then, someone give me a hat.” Em whips off the red and green striped hat she’s wearing. “This is to make certain my darling sister doesn’t accuse me of cheating.” Phil eyes Cassidy.
“Listen, there was no damn way you didn’t cheat by pulling your own name the last three years in a row.”
Phil looks affronted when his siblings snicker. “To be fair,” Phil sneers, making me want to jump him and kiss the pout off his lips, “everyone will place their own folded card in the hat, and someone else will place my name in. Every round someone else will choose the next victim—I mean recipient.”
Everyone laughs.
He claps. “Okay! Are we ready? Let the games begin!” Phil yells. The hooting and hollering pick up to an epic level. All I can think is it’s a good thing babies sleep well, as I look at the warm bundle of sweetness still in my arms.
And boy do they begin.
This year, people are even more vicious in stealing perceived “better” gifts, even from their spouses and significant others. And no one wants Phil’s parrot. It’s like watching musical chairs as people shift in and out of the chair next to that beast of a package as quickly as possible. I’m humored to see Cassidy clutch her bundle to her like it’s the Holy Grail.
Suddenly, inspiration strikes. I eye Phil’s monstrosity again. Leaning over to Corinna, I whisper a few words in her ear. She looks at me and says, “That’s superb.”
Phil’s eyes narrow. I can practically see the wheels turning. He has no idea what’s about to happen.
I just hope it works out.
Finally, it’s just Corinna, Phil, and me left. Caleb calls out, “Corinna.”
She winks at me. Standing with her gift in her hand, she walks around the room, playing a wicked game of Duck, Duck, Goose with her family. Finally stopping in front of Ali, her brilliant smile comes out. “Hand it over, sister.”
“Damn,” Ali mutters. “I thought I was safe.”
Corinna cackles. “It’s never safe until it’s over.”
Ali curses her sister under her breath and reluctantly exchanges gifts.
