“What? You said nothing big, that’s not big,” she insists.
I sigh and shake my head as I open it. It’s a gold chain with a charm on it. The charm a small moth with several diamonds in it. I hold the charm between my fingers. It’s so...delicate.
“It’s Mom’s charm. I know I got most of her jewlery when...well... and you’re not exactly the string of pearls type, but I thought I’d put the bracelet charm she always wore on a necklace for you,” Rosalie explains.
My throat is tight. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, especially my uncle. Those prying eyes...always trying to find a weakness in me. Always waiting for a moment of emotion.
I swallow it down.
“Thank you, Rose,” I say simply, and reach over to touch her hand for a second.
She nods.
I put the necklace back in the box, and leave the paper on the floor.
“Your present is under the tree.” I motion to the excessively large Christmas tree with crystal ornaments across the room. The presents look dwarfed under it.
Just as she gets up to get it, Julian walks in the room, still wearing his guard’s uniform of all black, looking flushed from the cold.
“Babe, you made it!” Rosalie smiles. She sits back down with all the gifts with her name on them.
“Oh, should you give Soren your gifts first?” she asks our uncle and aunt.
“We thought giving Soren the opprotunity to show he can handle relations between us and the Dresvannis is gift enough,” Eivor replies.
I believe him. There’s nothing about his voice or face that tells me he’s lying or pretending. It wouldn’t be the first time my “gift” was something completely out of my control or a test.
I just look at them, and then toward the fireplace, remembering why I’d much rather be in bed.
“He’s kidding,” Patricia says after a moment.
I blink and look at them, unable to hide the surprise in my expression completely.
Patricia hands me an envelope.
I open it up, where there’s a card. A fairly basic one, with a church and wreath on the front. Inside, my aunt has written in perfect cursive.
To our adopted son and nephew, you are irreplacable and incredibly brave.
Below that, their names were signed. I can tell my uncle had no hand in actually writing the message.
I look up at them, mainly Patricia, as if to gauge whether or not the message is genuine. I can’t tell.
Along with the card, is a gift card that readsfor coffee, with a picture of various mugs of coffee and tea printed on the plastic card, along withthree hundred dollarson the corner.
“For coffee...yeah, I’m gonna need this the next few weeks,” I agree. “Thanks.”
“You could show a little more appreciation there,” Eivor insists. “That’s several months’ worth of coffee at least. Unless you plan on wasting it on all the pansy ass milk coffee you like.”
My face falls. I don’t reply to him. I just stick the gift card in the inside pocket of my jacket and set the card to the side.
“Anything else?” I ask after a moment.
The next second, Beau and Nikolas come in together, just seconds after the other. Looking a bit flushed, but mostly well dressed.
“Did we miss anything?” Beau asks.
“Nothing much. Come sit down,” Rosalie insists, patting the seats next to her.
