When Love Locked by Mark Twain 2
Chapter 2 The Gifts
Chapter 2 The Gifts
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I’d been planning to share that good news during Thanksgiving dinner. I thought if Mom showed even the tiniest bit of concern for me, I’d immediately tell her I was just joking around, and then I’d surprise her with the gift I’d been saving up for.
It was a beautiful gold necklace she’d been talking about for months. The expensive kind.
Gold prices had been crazy high this year, but I wanted to see the look on her face when she opened it. So I’d worked overtime for an entire month just to afford it before the holidays.
But Stella reacted first. “Wait, so when are we gonna get that place renovated?”
Mom’s voice went up an octave. “Oh my god, what about the mortgage payments?”
Listening to them panic, I let out a bitter laugh and mechanically pushed the salad around on my plate before taking a bite of bread.
Mom slammed her hand on the table. “Ava! How can you just sit there eating right now? Stop eating and go update your resume! We can’t let those mortgage payments lapse!”
My chest tightened, and my eyes started burning. Because I knew the truth. If I actually lost my job, my family wouldn’t be there to help me.
I thought about Stella’s post again, that line that made me feel sick. “Couldn’t have done it without family support!”
I wanted that kind of support too.
But the reality was, I couldn’t even get a hug from them.
Some parents really didn’t love their kids the way they should.
I got up and went straight to my room.
Around midnight, Dad knocked on my door. “Ava, come on. Don’t be mad.
“You know how your mom is. She’s got a sharp tongue but she doesn’t mean it. She knows she messed up. She was just in the kitchen crying about it. We’re family, and families don’t stay mad at each other. Come out and talk to her, okay?”
Dad’s words made me think back to before Stella was born, when Mom really did love me. That was why I’d been sending money home ever since I started working.
10:05 Tue, Jan 27
Chapter 2 The Gifts
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My anger faded into something softer, and I felt a weird flutter of hope. If Dad came to apologize, maybe they were going to make things right?
I opened the door and saw two wrapped gift boxes sitting on the mantel above the fireplace. One was large and one was small.
I was still wondering which one was mine when Dad walked over, picked up the large box, and handed it to me. Then he gave the small one to Stella.
Stella, who’d been sitting by the fireplace, froze and looked up in disbelief. “Dad, did you grab the wrong one? This little one’s really for me?”
Mom reached over and patted her head. “How could we mess that up, sweetie? Your dad and I wrapped these ourselves.”
I took the large box from him and felt something soften inside me, mixed with guilt. Maybe I’d been acting like a brat earlier. They were thinking about me after all. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have given me the bigger gift.
The gold necklace in my pocket felt like it was burning a hole through the fabric. Should I give it to Mom now?
But when I eagerly opened the box, all I found inside was a pile of loose change and crumpled bills. Quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies. Some of the dollar bills were so worn they were practically falling apart at the edges.
I counted it all. The total came to 43.7 dollars.
By the time I finished counting, my fingers were dirty from handling the old money.
Meanwhile, Stella opened her gift and let out an excited shriek. “Audi keys!”
She threw her arms around Mom and kissed her cheek. “How did you guys know exactly what I wanted? I love you so much!”
Dad chuckled, “I barely drive it anymore anyway. Getting too old for that stuff. Figured I’d just give it to you.”
That Audi was the car I’d bought Dad last year.
I still remembered what he’d told me back then. “Sweetheart, Dad’s getting older and my legs aren’t what they used to be. I just want a car so I can drive around town whenever I feel like it.”
I bit the bullet and spent my whole year-end bonus on this Audi for him.
2/3
10:05 Tue, Jan 27
Chapter 2 The Gifts
And now the keys were in Stella’s hand.
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I watched Mom and Stella hugging each other and laughing, then quietly stuffed the cash
back into the box and set it down on the table.
3/3
10:05 Tue, Jan 27
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