Doctor Said No Cliff Jumping

17| Gifts

I could barely sleep last night after we got to the hotel back from my parents. Nala liked where I grew up. She didn't judge or seem disgusted at all and it sent a warm feeling in my chest.

It was what was the conversation my parents had with me right before we left that keeps replaying in my head.

"She's a good person" Ma had said.

"With a warm heart. Don't be stupid kiddo" Pa had said.

"You got everything ready?" I shook my head to get back to reality and finished zipping up my suitcase. We were planning on staying at my house for the holiday and meet everyone at the airport when we're supposed to be leaving.

"Where are you two headed?" I asked Jeremy and Isla who were in the hallway when we were leaving our own room.

"Jer's parents live around here. We're going to spend the holidays with them" Isla said with a smile and asked us the same question.

"Noah doesn't celebrate holidays so I'm going to go liven up his house for a couple of days" Isla gave us a big smile.

We started moving into the lobby when we saw Alex on a desk computer.

"Whatcha doing kid?" I asked him and he looked up from the concentration he had on the screen.

"I'm trying to apply to colleges for next year but I just can't figure out what I want to do or where to go yet," he complained while rubbing his face roughly.

"I can help you with that" Nala said, patting him on the shoulder.

He looked at the suitcases I was holding and shrugged "it's fine you two look like you have somewhere to be anyways."

"You're not going back to your parents for the holiday?" I asked him and he shook his head.

"My little sister has a chess competition across the country and I'll be damned if I go to another chess competition. Not a fun activity to watch at all" he mumbled and I looked over to Nala who gave me a puppy dog look.

"Alex go pack up your stuff and let's get a move on. You're going to come spend the holiday with your young Mom and Pops" he looked up with a hopeful gaze and I clapped my hand. "C' mon kid we need to get on the road so we can buy decorations and I need to go pick up an old geezer." I looked down at my watch and tried to calculate how much time I had after I picked up Randall later to do something important.

"Aw, thanks Pops!" He squealed as he ran to the elevators to get his stuff.

"This'll be fun. You, me, Alex, and Randall." Nala said, wrapping her arms around my waist and pulling me into a hug. "I'll make sure to make this a fun holiday"

***

"I'm not paying money for that."

"Noah, it's a Christmas tree"

"Nala, I'm not buying into the consumerism that is buying a dead tree. A dead tree that we need to get rid of before we leave. You saw where I grew up Nala! You know how I feel about the environment and I don't support this!" The adults in the store we were standing in gave us the side-eye as Nala and I both stood staring at each other while I had my arms crossed over my chest. I could catch Alex sneaking more things in the already full cart and I shot him a look that froze him.

"You're really not going to pay money for the one part of the holiday that is the symbol?" Nala asked, jutting her hip to the side and placing a hand on it.

"Oh no the symbol is an old fat guy sneaking in and leaving stuff you asked him for," I muttered an apology to a mother who practically slapped her palms over her child's ears at the sound of me.