Kevin winked his eye. “Alright now. You better stop flirting with me.”
I laughed. Yoshiro groaned.
I dragged myself into the kitchen and grabbed several trash bags. “Okay. Here’s the rules. Open everything one at a time so people won’t open up the wrong presents and there’s not a tornadoes of wrapping paper everywhere.”
Kevin called out from the kitchen. “I get to open my presents first, Mommy!”
“Not fair.” Poppy frowned. “The youngest goes first.”
“Kevin is just playing, baby.” Smiling, I brought over the bags. “Okay. When you unwrap, throw the wrapping paper in here.”
“Unless it’s super pretty paper.” Kia raised the gift that Yoshiro bought her. The box was bright red with gold glittery Japanese characters all over it. “I’m saving this paper.”
“Fair point.” I collapsed back down with Yoshiro.
He wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
Kia picked out her presents from the piles of gifts under the tree, counting them, and trying to guess what may be inside of what. Jalen joined in on the fun. Poppy hunted for her own and took them to a corner of the room as if someone was going to try and steal them.
Once they finished, the kids sat by the tree with eager eyes, waiting for the moment for me to say Go.
“Here we go.” Kevin walked inside and handed me a large cup of coffee.
I blew a little, took a sip, and sighed. “Okay. Begin, crew.”
It took two hours to get through everything. For some reason they opened up Yoshiro and Kevin’s presents first, probably the most intrigued with what the men might’ve got them. Yoshiro gifted Poppy with several dolls and a complete doll hair styling studio—bows, makeup, and other supplies. To my surprise, she jumped up and gave him a quick hug. He gave Jalen a leather-bound collector’s edition of the Assassin Striker series.
“Oh my God!” Jalen held up the new two books he hadn’t read yet. “Five and six! It’s on. It is so on right now. Don’t even look for me, everybody. Don’t even call my name for a week, please. I will not answer.”
Kia opened her elegantly wrapped box from Yoshiro. “This is so insane. Thanks so much!”
She lifted out several stacks of luxury parchment paper, several silver ink bottles with fairies carved over it, and silver carved quills with elaborate feathers.
I opened my mouth. “No, Kia. That’s my present right there.”
“No way.” She hid the box behind her. “This is so mine.”
Jokingly, I tried to get up and grab it.
“Mommy!”
Yoshiro held me down. “Don’t worry. I got her. I hope you write a lot of poetry with that.”
“Thank you, Yoshiro. This is perfect. And shame on you, Mommy.” Kia frowned at me and took her package upstairs as if to guard it.
Kevin bought all three kids various boxed games. “We have to try these. Monopoly, Operation, Aircraft Destroyer. These are all classics. I’ll show you how to play them tonight. These got me through my childhood, guys.”
After that, they tore through my presents. As a mother, I had to take the L with being reasonable. There were lots of clothes in the boxes as well as socks and undies.
“Really, Mommy?” Jalen raised his superhero underwear up.
“But, they’re so cute.”
“I’m a man now.” Jalen placed them back in the box. “But thank you.”
Kia laughed until she saw her rainbow undies. “Wow. . .I mean. . .wow.”
“You all needed underwear.”
They dug into my other presents. Toys and toys and toys. Science kits to create robots. Dolls that pooped on themselves. 3D animator devices. A telescope. Blocks as well as Legos. Play-do along with watercolor art kits.
Once they were done, I thought I could go upstairs and pass out. I’d forgotten that the adults never opened their gifts.
Kevin grabbed his boxes and giggled like a kid. “Finally!”
Kia got him a matching hat and scarf.
Jalen gave him a player’s Manuel for some game they’d played. “That way. I won’t beat you all the time.”
Kevin chuckled. “Gee. Thanks. However, I will read this, and I will beat you by the end of the week.”
“Deal.” Jalen grinned.
Poppy bought Kevin a brush and comb.
“Thanks, Poppy.” Kevin tossed those strands a little. “I should get my hair together.”
She beamed with pride. “Your welcome.”
Yoshiro opened up his boxes next. Pure happiness covered his face. I wondered how long it had been since he’d celebrated Christmas with anybody.
I was actually impressed with what the kids got him. All were pretty damn thoughtful and showed that they’d really been trying to learn about who he was. Poppy gave him a large teacup that was all black, but when heated shifted to white and said superhero. Jalen bought him a cheap pair of Bluetooth speakers along with instructions written on notebook paper to download Spotify. Kia grabbed him some James Bond 007 cologne and for some reason silver and black sunglasses.