“It’s a diamond,” I say. “That one’s pink, but I found some blue ones, and a lot of boring clear ones.”
Coral’s jaw drops.
Jade squeals.
“Are you saying all these bags are full of diamonds?” Liz’s mom asks.
I blink. “Well, I would’ve gotten something else, but the only thing I recall Liz saying women liked was diamonds.”
“Did you get me one?” Coral asks.
“Well, sure.” I hand her one of the bags.
“Wait.” Liz snatches it back. “I thought you said these were for me.”
“I can get you more,” I whisper. “It seems like she wants one.”
It turns out, Coral, Jade, and Liz’s mother all want one. Or more than one. My diamonds are a big hit.
“But does this violate the terms of our agreement?” Liz is staring at one of the diamonds, the clearest, sparkliest one. “Because I’d hate for Australia to get upset.” She doesn’t look too concerned they might be upset. The bond doesn’t feel like she’s upset.
I answer her anyway. “No, we only promised that all the diamonds we found in the Argyle, Merlin, and Ellendale mines would go to them. They haven’t even found the best areas for those rocks.”
Sammy’s whispering something.
“Sure,” Gordon says. “I can find you some. You like them too?”
Liz’s smallest sibling’s eyes light up. “I’m going to be rich! Rich as a pirate!”
Everyone laughs, at least, all the humans do. I’m not sure we quite understand the joke. I thought pirates lived on boats and stole from people. I was unaware they were rich.
Then Liz hands me a small, wrapped package. “Here.”
“What is it?” I run my hands over it. It’s so small, I’m not sure what it could be.
“Open it.” She’s watching closely, so I have to at least pretend to like it even if I don’t. It’s especially hard to fool her, with our bond.
I do unwrap it, careful that I don’t destroy whatever’s underneath.
It’s a book, a small, brown book. When I open the first page, I realize it’s all in her handwriting.
You may have been wearing strange clothing, but the first time I saw you, I thought you were the handsomest man I had ever seen. In spite of that, I immediately began devising ways to kill you.
None of them worked.
I did manage to stick the end of a broken umbrella, which is a device we use to protect ourselves from getting wet when it rains?—
I look up. “This is—what is it?”
“I wrote down all our best memories,” she says. “I know you’ve forgotten them, but I haven’t.”
I’d been mocking everyone else, but now it’s my turn to leak. The others aren’t merciful about it. I find that I don’t even care. As we all sit down to eat scrambled eggs, bacon—over Liz’s mother’s protests— and biscuits, I feel. . .overwhelmed. “I love Christmas,” I say.
“Me too,” Asteria says. “It’s my favorite day of the year. And thank you, Liz, for the best present of all.” She doesn’t say she wouldn’t have enjoyed or understood it if she had to wait outside.
We all know it’s true.
“I agree,” Hyperion says.
