Wrong House

19: Holland

        I walk past him, and walk into the kitchen, setting the food bags down that I brought from my dads van. "It's good to see you Owen. How's everything?" Asher- Kane's father- asks mine, and he pulls him into a hug. I don't stick around for their little reunion.

        With all of our parents being close, we've learned to ignore their happiness when we all get together. It's always the same. The moms sequel and hug, then gossip about whatever it is they gossip about. The dads do a bro hug, and talk about sports or whatever it is thirty year olds talk about. When Ruth got pregnant, it became a whole thing. Every once in a while our big 'family' group chat, that has everyone, will be a million messages asking how Ruth is. Which reminds me I need to add Oaklynn and her family into it.

        "Do you need help?" Rebel asks me, and I nod. I'm not one to turn down help, and also it'll give us time together. According to Oaklynn, Rebel liked spending time with us guys when we were there for their nana's funeral, so we've planned to make an attempt to hang out with him while he's here. Just him and us guys.

        I can't blame him for liking spending time with us, all he's ever been around is girls. And that's fine, but I feel bad for him. His family did good raising him, and he's had a good male role model from his best friend's father, but I get wanting to be around more males.

        As we're getting the rest of the bags, we find a couple of totes full of bags and boxes, and the dads all but run out to us. "Don't look at those!" Mine yells and Rebel and I laugh. "They're Christmas presents." He explains, and we nod. Duh. Why else would he not want us to look at them.

        The dads grab totes, and Rebel and I head back to the house with the bags. When we get into the kitchen, we drop the bags. "What do you think you got for Christmas?" I ask Rebel, and he shrugs. I know what he got from Oaklynn, and it's pretty damn big, but she insists he has to have it.

        "Probably some clothes, and shoes like I get every year. It's all I ever want to be honest." He confesses, and I nod. We both know that's a lie. It's all Misty could afford, and that's why his present from Oaklynn is what it is. She wants him to have what she couldn't. "What do you think you get?" He asks me.

        "Some clothes, a pair of skates, maybe a phone case or watch." I shrug, and he nods. "What do you think they got you?" I ask. He makes a face, and I laugh, "All of our parents buy everyone at least four gifts. The girls usually get a few perfumes and lotions, maybe a pair of shoes, and something they've been wanting all year. The guys usually get a few colognes, something that deals with hockey, and some game tickets we go to together while the girls have a girl trip." I explain, and he nods.

        Based on his reaction, he doesn't know how to react to that information. I wouldn't know how to act either, but I'm used to it by now. It sends a pain to my chest that they've never had a big Christmas like the rest of us have had. "That's cool." He says, and walks away. Dammit! I didn't want to offend him.

        I chase after him, "Reb. I didn't mean to brag or rub it in," I confess, and he nods, "I thought you knew our parents buy everyone a few things. If you guys didn't, that's fi-" I stop, and shake my head. "Dammit. That's not how I meant that. I mean we don't expect anything. Like you don't. We just want everyone to have a good Christmas, and none of the parents want any of us kids to hate their presents. We all grew up different.

        "I didn't grow up with a lot of money. Wren and Ivy did. Kane grew up with hand me downs from cousins before his grandparents passed. Dustin's family is in between there. Levi grew up a lot like you and I did. And Bryce doesn't have a family." I explain a short version of everyone's life, and all I receive is a nod.