"So what's the best present you got for Christmas, Nick?"
"Um," Nick looked down at his feet. He wasn't sure how to answer his aunt's question. He knew what she probably wanted to hear so he said, "the sweater you gave me, Aunt Noel."
Aunt Noel beamed, "Oh that's just great, Nick. I spent a lot of time figuring out what to get you. I know sweaters aren't always the coolest gift, but I think it suits you."
Nick thought of the sweater that was too big for him and just a little itchy and wasn't so sure. But he was old enough to know that he shouldn't say that to his aunt, so he just smiled and gave her a hug. "It's great. Thanks, Aunt Noel."
Aunt Noel gave him a tight hug and then rejoined the rest of the party. At the age of ten, Nick was the youngest one there by about ten years, so it wasn't exactly his favorite kind of party. However, he always loved the impressive pile of cookies that his dad made and a ton of relatives contributed to, so he wasn't going to complain. He went to refresh his cookie plate and ran into Grandpa Klaus.
"Shh," Grandpa Klaus said, holding up a finger to his lips, "don't tell your grandma I'm getting more cookies, she wants to me watch what I eat."
Nick smiled conspiratorially with him, "As long as you don't tell my mom this is my third plate of cookies."
Grandpa Klaus laughed. "My lips are sealed, Nicholas."
Somehow, Nick never minded that Grandpa Klaus called him Nicholas. It usually bugged him because he didn't think it sounded cool, but when Grandpa Klaus said it he felt special and adult. "Thanks, Granpda Klaus."
Grandpa Klaus took a bite of a sugar cookie and then asked, "So what was your favorite Christmas present this year?"
Nick stuffed a gingerbread man into his mouth all at once to buy him some time. Why did adults think this was a good question to ask? Did they all want to trap him? Nick swallowed the cookie and replied, "The copy of The Lord of the Rings that you gave me."
Grandpa Klaus paused mid-bite and then wrapped Nick in a giant, warm hug. "We'll read it together, Nicholas. Sound good?"
"Sounds good," Nick said into his grandpa's shoulder before releasing from the hug. "As long as you don't tell my mom about the cookies."
Grandpa Klaus chuckled, "You strike a fair deal my young friend." He looked back to the crowd gathered around the tree and said, "Well if I'm gone too long your grandma is gonna come looking for me here so..." Grandpa Klaus stuffed a few cookies into his mouth before slowly making his way back to the tree.
Nick moved away from the cookies so he could get himself a mug of hot chocolate. His sister, Mary, saw him and came to his side and served him the hot cocoa for him. "Hey, I'm old enough to do that," he said, pouting a bit.
"Sure, sure," she said. Mary was home from college and liked to think she was very adult, or so Nick thought. "So what's the best gift you got this year?"
Would this never end? "The board game you got me," he said.
Mary looked at him with a bit of a quizzical look, "You're a sweet kid, you know that?"
Nick sipped the hot cocoa before saying, "I'm not a kid."
"Oh yes you are," Mary replied. "But I'll tell you a secret." She bent down and jokingly scanned the area for someone listening. "I am too."
Nick smiled. He hoped it was true that he wouldn't stop being a kid. Mary ruffled his hair and then headed back to the tree. Nick watched his sister join the laughing family around the tree. His aunt, grandpa, and sister all seemed a bit happier and somehow brighter after he talked to them. He looked at his family and suddenly knew what the best Christmas present had been.
(Prompt by me)
Photo source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Christmas_present_on_white_background.jpg
"Um," Nick looked down at his feet. He wasn't sure how to answer his aunt's question. He knew what she probably wanted to hear so he said, "the sweater you gave me, Aunt Noel."
Aunt Noel beamed, "Oh that's just great, Nick. I spent a lot of time figuring out what to get you. I know sweaters aren't always the coolest gift, but I think it suits you."
Nick thought of the sweater that was too big for him and just a little itchy and wasn't so sure. But he was old enough to know that he shouldn't say that to his aunt, so he just smiled and gave her a hug. "It's great. Thanks, Aunt Noel."
Aunt Noel gave him a tight hug and then rejoined the rest of the party. At the age of ten, Nick was the youngest one there by about ten years, so it wasn't exactly his favorite kind of party. However, he always loved the impressive pile of cookies that his dad made and a ton of relatives contributed to, so he wasn't going to complain. He went to refresh his cookie plate and ran into Grandpa Klaus.
"Shh," Grandpa Klaus said, holding up a finger to his lips, "don't tell your grandma I'm getting more cookies, she wants to me watch what I eat."
Nick smiled conspiratorially with him, "As long as you don't tell my mom this is my third plate of cookies."
Grandpa Klaus laughed. "My lips are sealed, Nicholas."
Somehow, Nick never minded that Grandpa Klaus called him Nicholas. It usually bugged him because he didn't think it sounded cool, but when Grandpa Klaus said it he felt special and adult. "Thanks, Granpda Klaus."
Grandpa Klaus took a bite of a sugar cookie and then asked, "So what was your favorite Christmas present this year?"
Nick stuffed a gingerbread man into his mouth all at once to buy him some time. Why did adults think this was a good question to ask? Did they all want to trap him? Nick swallowed the cookie and replied, "The copy of The Lord of the Rings that you gave me."
Grandpa Klaus paused mid-bite and then wrapped Nick in a giant, warm hug. "We'll read it together, Nicholas. Sound good?"
"Sounds good," Nick said into his grandpa's shoulder before releasing from the hug. "As long as you don't tell my mom about the cookies."
Grandpa Klaus chuckled, "You strike a fair deal my young friend." He looked back to the crowd gathered around the tree and said, "Well if I'm gone too long your grandma is gonna come looking for me here so..." Grandpa Klaus stuffed a few cookies into his mouth before slowly making his way back to the tree.
Nick moved away from the cookies so he could get himself a mug of hot chocolate. His sister, Mary, saw him and came to his side and served him the hot cocoa for him. "Hey, I'm old enough to do that," he said, pouting a bit.
"Sure, sure," she said. Mary was home from college and liked to think she was very adult, or so Nick thought. "So what's the best gift you got this year?"
Would this never end? "The board game you got me," he said.
Mary looked at him with a bit of a quizzical look, "You're a sweet kid, you know that?"
Nick sipped the hot cocoa before saying, "I'm not a kid."
"Oh yes you are," Mary replied. "But I'll tell you a secret." She bent down and jokingly scanned the area for someone listening. "I am too."
Nick smiled. He hoped it was true that he wouldn't stop being a kid. Mary ruffled his hair and then headed back to the tree. Nick watched his sister join the laughing family around the tree. His aunt, grandpa, and sister all seemed a bit happier and somehow brighter after he talked to them. He looked at his family and suddenly knew what the best Christmas present had been.
(Prompt by me)
Photo source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Christmas_present_on_white_background.jpg
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