I watched him for a minute, enjoying the moment. I’m sure most teenagers would have resented all the time they had to spend with their younger siblings, but I had been taking care of Kevin since he was born when I was eight. He was such an easy baby, hardly ever crying or demanding attention, so it was easy to bond with him. I could never remember a moment in my life when I had resented him. Even when I suffered Lucinda’s wrath, the payoff seemed worth it if Kevin was protected.
“Katelyn, open yours,” Kevin demanded, breaking me reverie.
Focusing on him, I saw that he had already opened his presents. “Oops, sorry bud, I guess I’m still sleepy. What did you get?”
Kevin showed me all his gifts that ran along the same theme as the night before, including a baseball, cleats, a football and a basketball.
“Wow, seriously? I guess you were right, Lucinda must be trying to give you a hint,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Yeah, I’m glad she thought to get me this, though,” Kevin said happily, holding up a new ske
tch book and drawing pencils.
“That’s true and those are sweeeeet,” I said, dragging out the word.
“True dat,” he said. “Now, open yours,” he added impatiently.
“Sheesh, keep your shirt on. I’m doing it now.”
My gifts were a little better than Kevin’s in the respect that Lucinda got me items I could at least use. I got a makeup case filled with Elle makeup, a hairbrush set that would come in handy and a hair dryer. I set the makeup case and hair dryer to the side and opened my last two packages which turned out to be a book that I had already purchased the night before for my Kindle and a giant can filled with miniature chocolate candy bars. I was disappointed I didn’t get the heat iron for my hair I asked for, but the tin of chocolates was a nice treat.
“Should take Mom her presents?” Kevin asked, munching on one of his own chocolates while I rounded up the wrapping.
“Nah, no reason to poke the sleeping beast,” I joked, trying to take the abnormality out of our Christmas. “I’m gonna take out the trash, and then I'll make us some breakfast, okay?”
“Okay,” he said, propping his new sketch pad up against his scrawny knees.
I pulled my hoodie on over my thermal pajama shirt and grabbed the light bag off the floor. My forward momentum out the front door was stalled from a huge gift basket sitting on the top step of the trailer. I looked around for who had left it, but saw no one. The sheer weight of the basket was more than I expected as I grunted, trying to pick it up.
“Holy Toledo, where did that come from?” Kevin asked as I staggered in.
“I don’t know,” I said, setting it down on the table so we could both peer inside.
“Wow, that’s a pie,” Kevin said, pulling an item out of the far side of the basket. “Sweet, it’s cherry. Wait, is that a ham?” he asked with wide eyes as I pulled the main item out of the center of the basket.
“Yeah it is,” I whispered, wondering if Old Man Wither was once again responsible for swooping in and saving the day.
“Oh my God, mashed potatoes,” Kevin said, holding up a container of ready-made spuds.
“And corn and green beans,” I added, handing him two more containers to add to his stack.
“And rolls,” he said, holding up a package of rolls. “Oh, and presents,” he said, discovering two packages at the bottom of the basket.
Now I was really confused. If Old Man Wither had given us our gifts the day before, who was the basket from?
“Katelyn, look, it’s an Angry Birds t-shirt and a game for my DSI,” Kevin said, holding up his loot.
Clarity instantly sank in as I looked at his gifts, feeling a mixture of both gratitude and mortification.
“Here, Katelyn, this one’s yours,” Kevin said, handing over a small gift-wrapped box attached to a card.
Pulling the package away from the envelope, I carefully set the gift-wrapped package on my knees while I opened the card with trembling fingers and read the contents.
Katelyn,
My family’s Christmas wish was to make sure you and
Kevin had a nice meal to enjoy on Christmas Day. I know how