9781250209153

“Here, you little brat,” Thora says, pressing a mug of coffee and a
cinnamon cookie into my hand. “Chug that. Turn your Grinchy frown
upside down.”
We open presents in turns. Daphne gasps over her first perfume, a gift
from Thora and me. Mom squeals over a new gardening hat Dad picked out
for her. Thora actually tears up when she unwraps the hand-knit bonnets
Daphne made for Pickles and BooBoo.
When I pick out a big, lumpy present, Mom leans forward in her
armchair. “Ooh, this is our favorite!”
I shred the paper open to reveal a vintage denim jacket, copper buttons
and all, with a white fleece lining along the top.
“Wow,” I say, running my hand over it. “I really love—”
“Turn it around!” Dad says.
The back is embroidered with a cartoon basketball. In cursive script, the
words I Bounce Back flow around it.
“We had it custom made!” Mom says.
“Isn’t it cute, Scottie?” Thora says in a voice that means Don’t burst
their bubble.
I trace my fingers over the embroidered script. To my embarrassment,
my throat grows thick and my eyes well up. The tears drop before I can
hide them.
“Scottie?” Mom says. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
It takes everything I have to get myself under control. I will not ruin
Christmas morning by admitting my resilience has been a facade, that I
literally bought this confidence they keep congratulating me for.
“I’m just very touched. Thank you, guys.”
Mom and Dad beam at each other. My sisters trade a curious look, but
they don’t say anything. I force a smile and pull the jacket on over my
pajama shirt. It fits almost perfectly.
The last three days of December are when the Earl-Hewetts knock down the
price of their Christmas inventory, so Danielle and I make plans to shop the
discount aisles at the Emporium. We’re halfway down the specialty aisle,