After a brief house tour, Abra, Ellie, and Sasha had immersed themselves in kitchen work, with Bianca's guidance on where to find everything. Meanwhile, the three brothers and Abigail had retreated to the deck, awaiting their mother's arrival. Cooper lay on Abigail's blanket, gazing absentmindedly at the sky as Abigail's tiny, grasping hands did their best to yank out his hair.
The sound of a car pulling up in front of the house caught his attention, followed by the clacking of women's shoes ascending the stairs and a flurry of excessively polite greetings. As Abigail was lifted from the blanket, a few strands of Cooper's hair were liberated from his scalp in the process.
Cooper sat up, running his fingers through his hair to tame the unruly strands. His mother, however, was preoccupied with the baby in her arms. "Oh, look at you!" she cooed, bouncing the little girl gently. "Your daddy didn't even dress you up in a pretty little dress for the party! It's a good thing Grandma came prepared with some special outfits just for you."
Logan offered her an indulgent smile. "That's precisely why I didn't bother dressing her up myself."
From his spot against the deck railing, Mason watched them, his face etched with unmistakable hostility. "I've heard you've gotten better at giving gifts, but if you think a baby wants dresses, I have my doubts."
"Ever the ray of sunshine, Mason," their mother remarked. "I'm well aware that the dresses are for my own enjoyment. Babies don't want dresses. They want everything and nothing, all at once. As my real Christmas gift to her, I've set aside some money in an investment for when she's older."
"I can't even give you shit for that. The beautiful might of compounding interest is an excellent gift. I hope my gift is also money that's been invested for me since I was a baby."
"Well, maybe not, but I think you'll like it anyway."
"Hm," was Mason's only response, his expression clearly sceptical.
And Cooper!" their mother exclaimed, leaning down to give him the best one-armed hug she could manage while holding a baby. "Are your roommates here as well? I brought gifts for everyone!"
"They're here," Cooper said.
"Sasha, too?"
"Sasha, too," Cooper confirmed.
"Oh, good. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to him at the wedding. It would be nice to get to know him better."
Cooper tried to keep his reaction to that statement off his face, but he wasn't sure how successful he was. "He's shy, mum."
"And if you upset him, nobody will ever forgive you," Mason added. "It's not worth it. Leave it alone."
"I wasn't going to do anything to upset him!" their mum protested, setting Abigail back on the blanket as the little girl began to squirm and fuss, clearly bored of being held. "I can be nice."
"Uh huh," Mason said, his tone dripping with scepticism.
"I can! I haven't said anything unkind to anyone since I got here, have I?"
"Mum, it's been two minutes," Mason pointed out. "Being nice for two minutes shouldn't be considered an achievement."
"Well, let's see you do it," their mum retorted.
To Cooper's surprise, a smile tugged at the corners of Mason's mouth. "Fine. If you're going to play nice, I will too. But only for as long as you do."
"That sounds lovely. And, because I'm such a nice person, I'll even forgive you if you falter."
Mason's expression remained impassive. "If that's a hint for me to do the same, I'm not taking it. You've had enough chances. Be better, or I'm going to be mad. This isn't me breaking my word and being mean. This is just me being honest. I'm tired."
A hint of sincerity crept into Mason's voice at the end, and Cooper could see from the way their mother was watching Mason that she'd noticed it too. When she responded, her voice held an uncharacteristic softness. "Okay." She bent down and scooped Abigail back off her blanket. "Anyway, I'm going to get this little angel changed into a pretty dress. Would you like that, Abby? A pretty dress with flowers on it?"
"I'm so glad I wasn't born a girl," Mason muttered as he watched their mother carry Abigail into the house.
Cooper trailed after them, ensuring their mother's path didn't lead her near the kitchen before heading that way himself to warn his housemates.
"Mum's here," Cooper announced as he entered the kitchen. Abra was wiping down the countertops, but otherwise, they seemed to have finished their tasks and had gathered at the bar stools along the back of the kitchen counter to chat.
"We heard," Ellie said, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "She has a particular cadence to her voice. It carries."
Cooper settled onto the stool beside Sasha, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You know, she was actually nice. I mean, yeah, she was a bit sassy with Mason, but I don't think he minds as long as she's just matching the energy he's giving off."
"That's a good sign," Ellie said, watching as Sasha gently took Cooper's hand, placing it palm up on the counter, and began to meticulously examine his fingers as if they held the secrets of the universe. "Logan seems to have faith in her, so... maybe there's hope?"
"Yeah, I guess so. He always kind of has, though. But we'll see. I'm trying to stay as neutral as I can."
A sudden weight on his palm caught Cooper's attention, and he glanced over to see that Sasha had sneakily placed a cupcake, its top piled high with buttercream icing, onto his open hand. A smile tugged at Cooper's lips as he leaned towards Sasha, gently touching the sides of their heads together in a quiet 'thank you.' He brought the cupcake to his mouth, finding comfort in the simple act of licking the sweet, creamy icing.
The sound of approaching footsteps made them look up, and Cooper's mother walked in, holding Abigail in her arms. The little girl was dressed in a cute flowery dress with a puffy tutu-style skirt, and a matching scarf was tied around her forehead like a tiny, fashionable headband.
For a split second, Cooper's gut reaction was to get annoyed, seeing it as his mother treating Abigail like a living doll. But then, Sasha's soft "Aw" and the genuine smile on his face as Cooper glanced his way completely changed how he saw it. The dress might have been a bit over-the-top for a family get-together, but it was fun. Maybe things would be different once Abigail started crawling around and developing her own opinions that could potentially clash with his mother's, but for now Abigail had just barely mastered sitting up on her own and a slightly extravagant party dress wouldn't hold her back much. It was fine.
"Isn't it pretty?" Cooper's mum asked, coming over to them with a proud smile. She stopped next to Sasha and held up part of the skirt for him to admire.
Sasha nodded as his fingers gently caressed the fabric of the dress, tracing the intricate patterns of sequins and printed flowers that adorned the delicate material.
Cooper watched closely, half-expecting his mother to push Sasha for a proper response. But to his surprise, a comfortable silence settled between them as his mother kept showing Sasha the dress, seeming content with his nonverbal reaction.
It was only now, watching her silently acknowledge and accept Sasha's disability, that Cooper realised he wasn't so sure she hadn't been like that towards him when he was a child. Of course there had been frustration and expectations he could never meet, but she'd also held him when he'd cried for reasons he couldn't explain and patiently listened to his endless rambling about his latest obsession. Despite the ups and downs in their relationship over the years, Cooper couldn't imagine his mother ever stooping so low as to call him stupid. It might have been a low bar, but unfortunately, not every disabled person could say the same about their parents.
"Well, shall we head outside?" Cooper's mum suggested, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "I can't wait for you all to unwrap your presents! And of course, to sample some of these marvellous treats. They look delicious!"
Cooper braced himself for the usual dose of his mother's unnecessary negativity, but as they gathered the treats and headed outside, she kept up a pleasant and friendly chatter. Abra even seemed to be enjoying talking to her, though it was always hard to tell with him, especially since he had achieved a level of zen where he really didn't mind having bad experiences.
She wasn't the only one who had compliments for the biscuits and little cakes they had prepared, and Abra dutifully tanked them. Sasha put almost as much work as Abra did into the things they made these days, but he didn't really like compliments. Or rather, he didn't like the expectation of mirroring the energy people put into compliments. He was quite happy to hear what people liked about the food, but he preferred to hide in the background and pretend that all he did was wash dishes while Abra dealt with responding to them.
To an outsider, it might have looked like Sasha was lost in his own world, oblivious to the conversations around him as he sat on the blanket, exploring Abigail's toys with her. But Cooper knew better. He understood that beneath Sasha's seemingly detached exterior, he was taking in every word, every subtle nuance of the interactions happening around him.
"Well then, is everyone ready to open presents?" Cooper's mum asked after the baked goods had gotten their fair share of attention. "I'll be seeing Logan and Bianca on Christmas day, so I'll save their gifts until then, but I have presents for everyone else!"
"Whoopie," Mason remarked dryly, sitting back against the deck railing, his arms folded over his chest.
"That's very rude, Mason, but I understand that you're feeling vulnerable right now, and we have to support you through that with love and patience."
Mason wrinkled his nose. "I hate Therapy Mum."
"Well, I love you," their mum countered, which only made Mason scrunch up his face even more. "Anyway, if you don't mind, I've planned out a specific order for giving each of you your gifts," she continued, hefting the massive Christmas gift bag she'd brought with her. She reached in and pulled out a perfectly wrapped present, holding it out to Ellie. "The first gift is for Ellie, because ladies first, of course."
"Finally, sexism that benefits me," Ellie said, taking the gift. "Thank you."
Ellie carefully peeled back the paper, trying not to tear it. His mother's gift wrapping always brought out that instinct in people. Cooper didn't know how she did it so perfectly. Whenever he wrapped gifts, it looked like the kind of wrapping a ten-year-old rushing through the task to go play PlayStation would do. Well, okay, maybe he knew how she did it. By being patient and careful. Cooper was definitely not those things.
Beneath the wrapping paper lay a case, and inside the case was make-up.
"Oh, wow!" Ellie exclaimed. "This is high-quality stuff. Thank you!"
Cooper could see the pride in his mother's eyes as she beamed at Ellie. "You're welcome! I hope you like everything. You probably know more about make-up than I do, but I brought some pictures of you from the wedding to the store with me, and the ladies helped me pick out some things that would match your colouring, so hopefully it meets your needs."
"I'm sure it will. You have now bestowed upon me the gentle curse of nice things, however."
"Oh? What is that?"
"It's when you're perfectly happy with what you have until you experience the fancy version, and then you forever know what you're missing out on."
"Well, there's always future Christmases and birthdays, and other special occasions!"
"Hm," Ellie said, pondering for a moment before turning to Abra. "Do you want to get married so that we have a wedding anniversary?"
"Sure," Abra said. "But I don't think that's an event that anyone but me is supposed to get you gifts for."
"Ah," Ellie said. "Nevermind, then."
"You two are so funny," Cooper's mum commented in a way that gave him the impression that she was aware they'd been joking, but she didn't quite get it. She fished around in her bag for her next gift, holding it out to Abra. "This one is for you."
"Thank you," Abra said, taking the wrapped gift from her. He was much less careful about not ripping the paper. "I'll take the wrapping with us when we leave and shred it to put on the garden," Abra explained. "The worms won't mind if it's torn."
Cooper was a little confused by how sloppy Abra was being with it, given his usual nature, until he realised that Sasha would have a turn soon, and feeling like he wasn't allowed to tear the paper would give him all kinds of anxiety, especially since his fine motor skills weren't the best.
Abra discarded the paper and held up the box that had been inside. On the front was a picture of a set of kitchen knives in a wooden block. "These are really nice. Thank you. We didn't have a proper knife set. I'll definitely put these to good use."
When Cooper glanced over at Mason, he found him watching their mother with narrowed eyes. Mason didn't say anything, but Cooper could guess what he was thinking. Their mother had either put a great deal of thought and care into her gift-giving or none at all. The gifts she'd given would be greatly appreciated by the people she had given them to, but there were definitely some pretty shallow ways you could come to the conclusion that the best gift for a girl was make-up and the best gift for a guy who did cooking for his job and main household chore was something for the kitchen.
"Don't look so sour, Mason," their mother said as she reached into her festive bag once more. "This next gift is for you."
Mason hauled himself up and reluctantly accepted the wrapped gift she held out to him. There didn't seem to be much left in the bag anymore. Had their mother given up on gifts for Sasha and Cooper and bought them gift cards? Cooper wouldn't have minded that, honestly, though after the gifts so far, he was a little curious to see what his mother might think he wanted.
Mason pulled out a chair and sat down, then started tearing the paper open slowly but with no particular care, his face a mask of neutrality. Once all of the packaging had been pulled away, Mason was left holding a strange, bulky camera.
"Now, I wasn't quite sure this was the right choice," their mum admitted. "You always wanted a polaroid camera when you were a child, and they make some fancy ones these days with all these apps and modern features, but this is a restored retro one which is closer to what would have actually been available when you were a child. We can return it and buy a new one instead, if you prefer."
Mason offered only a simple shake of his head as he turned the camera over in his hands, examining it..
"I should have bought you one when you were a child. You had such a talent for photography. I just didn't see the point. I still don't, honestly. They seem worse than a conventional camera in every way. You can't even save copies of the pictures on that one."
"That's the point." Mason opened one of the film boxes and inserted the little squares into the camera. "With a digital camera, you can take a hundred pictures and pick out your favourites. You can tell whatever story you want. You can make a thousand copies and give them to everyone." He stood and approached his mother. "But not with a polaroid camera. Not an old one like this. You take just one picture and get just one copy." He leaned in close to their mother, put an arm around her shoulder, and held the camera out in front of them. With a press of a button, the camera spat out an undeveloped image. Mason handed it to their mother. "Don't you think that means more?"
"Oh," their mother said, staring down at the slowly developing image in her hands as Mason walked back to his spot against the railing. "Thank you. I understand."
"Uh huh," Mason said, his attention focused on the camera.
Their mother continued to stare down at the picture as an image slowly took shape, the colours and details gradually emerging from the blank white rectangle. "I was going to save this news until after we were done, but..." she hesitated for a moment, her voice wavering slightly, "you may have noticed that your father isn't here."
Mason glanced up just to shoot her a look. "It didn't cross my mind for a second that he might be here, and if it had, I might not have come."
"Well," their mother continued, taking a deep breath, "we've decided that it might be time to go our separate ways."
Mason set the camera down in his lap, giving her his full attention. "You're getting a divorce?"
She nodded. "You boys aren't children anymore, so we felt it was the right time."
"Wow, a Christmas miracle," Mason remarked, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "I don't know what value you thought he brought to our lives when we were kids, though."
"I was raising three little boys. Having a male figure in your lives to look up to is important."
"I mean, it would have been nice, but I'm not sure what that has to do with dad."
Their mother sniffed, and Cooper realised she was close to tears. "Well, I suppose a lot of things didn't work out like I'd hoped. I did try, though. I always tried for you boys."
Mason let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I fucking know, okay? But you wanted everything to be perfect, and I wasn't."
"I loved you anyway," their mother said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Do you know how that sounds to a kid?" Mason shot back, his tone more pained than angry. "To me now? Love can be mixed with a lot of different emotions. When you say you loved me anyway, it still sounds like you would have rather had a different kid."
"Babies are born so perfect. Even their skin is soft and blemish-free. You have so many plans for them. You have so many plans for them. You'll do everything perfectly, and they'll be so smart and well-behaved and successful. Only..." she paused, a sad smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "it doesn't work out like that. It never does, because as they grow, they become their own little people who don't fit with your perfect plans anymore.I know I haven't always been the most graceful about accepting that, but it's never been because I didn't love you. There is no love in my heart for that abstract idea of perfection. Every bit of love I feel is for the sons that I have."
It was Logan who got up and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her as she took deep, steadying breaths. Cooper felt like he should do the same, but he wasn't there yet. He just didn't know how to have that kind of relationship with his mother.
She gave Logan a pat on the shoulder and cleared her throat as he returned to his seat. "Anyway, Cooper, I have a hundred dollars from your father for you. I tried to get him to join me in a year of thoughtful gift-giving, but of course, he's busy with work. Unfortunately, he only had one large note in his wallet, but he didn't think Mason or Logan would really need the money."
"Oh," Cooper said carefully, trying to mask his disappointment. "Is that my gift? It doesn't look like there's much left in the bag."
"From me? Oh, no," she said, waving off the idea like it was absurd. "No, your gift was just too big to bring with me." She reached into the bag and pulled out an envelope, which she passed to Cooper where he sat on the blanket with Abigail and Sasha. Abigail immediately tried to take it from him, her chubby little hands grasping at the envelope, but he held it out of her reach. "I'll have Logan arrange delivery of it, assuming you want it. It is a bigger gift than some of the others, but it's for everyone to share, really."
Sasha leaned his head against Cooper's shoulder, and Cooper assumed he was just being friendly or perhaps curious until Sasha whispered, "Big vase."
The strangled sound of a repressed laugh forced its way out of Cooper's throat as he pressed his lips together, doing his best to maintain his composure.
In the envelope, there was a Christmas card with a picture of a festive cartoon reindeer on the front, a hundred-dollar note tucked inside. The card was clearly from his mother, but he appreciated the effort to try to soften the cash into something a little less impersonal. There was also a folded-up piece of paper, which Cooper unfolded to reveal a printed-out image of a trampoline.
Cooper turned to his mother, his eyes wide with surprise and excitement. "You got me a trampoline?"
Their mother offered a helpless shrug. "You always wanted one when you were a child, but I said they were too dangerous. But you're an adult now. You can have a trampoline if you want one."
"Damn," Mason commented. "And that was the most legitimate 'no' you ever gave us, too. Trampolines are so dangerous that you can actually get refused for home insurance policies because of them."
"You won't be taking a turn, then?"
"Oh, fuck no, I'm going to break so many bones on that thing," Mason said with a grin. "How soon can it be delivered?"
Cooper looked at his mother, a genuine smile on his face. "Thanks, Mum. This is a good gift. You did well."
"You're lucky we haven't matured since we were ten," Mason added. "'Things you said no to when we were children' is a rich vein to mine for gift ideas."
"And finally, Sasha's gift," their mum said, reaching down to fish the last item from the bottom of her bag.
"Oh, I thought—" Sasha started to say to himself, and then when he realised Cooper's mum had actually stopped to listen to him, he finished in a murmur. "I thought that my gift was to share Cooper's trampoline."
Their mother's face softened as she looked at Sasha. "No, sweetheart, I got you a gift as well," she said, producing another envelope. "Though it's also not actually here. Like Cooper's gift, it's something a bit more pricey for all of you to share, but it's important to have a clear owner for certain things so that there aren't any dramas if the four of you ever go your separate ways."
"There would still be drama, just not over ownership of stuff," Cooper said. "I'm very dramatic."
"Well, a little bit," Cooper's mother acknowledged as she handed the envelope to Sasha. "You've always been a very sweet boy, though, so you get away with it."
Sasha opened the envelope, revealing his own Christmas card, this one with a picture of a happy snowman on the front. When he opened it, a piece of paper slipped out onto his lap. Sasha retrieved it and held it up so that Cooper could see. It was a photo printout of a yellow Labrador puppy.
"I heard you were thinking about getting a pet and, well..." Cooper's mum gestured to the piece of paper in Sasha's hand. "Now, I know it's not good to buy people pets as surprise gifts. I have a deposit on that puppy, but it's fully refundable. I chose a Labrador because they're popular as service dogs and as family pets, but if you'd prefer something else, I'm happy to make other arrangements."
Sasha's mouth was halfway open and had been for several seconds now as he sat in shock, trying to figure out how to respond. He turned to Cooper, his eyes pleading for help.
"Maybe we could talk about this inside for a moment?" Abra suggested before Cooper could say anything.
"Of course. In the meantime, I'm going to have another one of these delicious biscuits," Cooper's mum said, reaching for the plate of treats.
Sasha, Cooper, Ellie, and Abra headed inside, shutting the sliding glass door behind them, and gathered in the kitchen. Sasha held the picture up for everyone to see.
"Cute," Ellie commented, looking at the adorable puppy. "Is this a good choice for us? You're our animal guy, Cooper. What do you think?"
Cooper took the picture from Sasha, studying it carefully. "I think... cute," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "Labradors are really smart. They're gentle and friendly, too. That's something I've been thinking about, with Sasha still having that scar on his leg from that dog bite. We don't want anything that might be a higher bite risk. They're athletic, too, as long as you don't let them get too tubby, which is something I really want in a dog. I really can't fault the choice."
"What do you think, Sasha?" Abra asked, turning to face him. "It will be your dog, officially."
Sasha offered an enthusiastic nod, his eyes shining with excitement.
Cooper couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head in amusement. "Man, Mason's going to be so mad that she went five for five on gifts. Unless either of you two were faking your gratitude," he said, looking at Ellie and Abra.
Ellie let out a dramatic sigh. "Unfortunately not. She nailed it. I may now have to tell her when my birthday is so that she keeps me supplied with makeup. A twisted yet brilliant plot on her part."
"And I'm already thinking about going home and chopping things," Abra added.
As they headed back outside, Sasha kept looking at the picture, his fingers tracing the outline of the puppy's face. Cooper could tell he was already enamoured with the little ball of fluff.
"Well?" Cooper's mum asked as they filed back onto the deck, her eyebrows raised in anticipation.
Sasha held up the picture of the puppy. "This is the best dog."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Cooper's mum said, a softness to the edges of the smile on her face. "You do want her, then?"
Sasha nodded as he sat back down on the blanket. He showed the picture to Abigail, and then immediately had to pry it out of her little fists when she tried to eat it. "Thank you," Sasha added belatedly, his voice quiet but sincere.
Cooper's mum beamed, seemingly not at all put off by Sasha's unconventional mannerisms. Considering how many times she'd lectured Cooper over his manners, he really hadn't expected her to be so forgiving of Sasha. "You're very welcome, sweetheart. I'll make arrangements with Cooper so that you can pick her up in time for Christmas."
Hugging his mum hadn't felt right earlier, but now Cooper found himself reaching out and wrapping his arms around her before he'd even realised he'd made the decision to do it. As she returned the embrace, Cooper heard a click, and he looked up in time to see Mason's camera spit out another picture.
The smile his mum gave him was fragile as Cooper pulled back, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You know, I always worked so hard to make everything perfect, and nothing ever was. It never came close. But now that I've given up on all that and I'm focussing on just loving people on their own terms, I'm starting to realise that if that picture I had in my head looked nothing like this, it can't have been all that perfect."
Mason let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping as he leaned back against the railing. "You know, I don't even hate Logan anymore, but I do still kinda hate when he's right."
"You're willing to work on this, then?" Logan asked, his eyes searching Mason's face. "On being more of a family?"
"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Mason grumbled, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Logan frowned, his brow furrowing. "No, of course you have a choice. You always do."
"Shh," Mason told him. "It's easier for my ego this way. Anyway, enough of this mushy stuff. Where did those Lamingtons end up?"
As they settled down to eat some more, Mason wandered around taking pictures with his new camera while Ellie set herself to the task of doing some truly elaborate eyeshadow on Abra to test out her new make-up and Cooper's mum showed Sasha some more pictures of the puppy on her phone.
As Cooper licked the icing off of another cupcake, he came to the quiet realisation that this had been both the best Christmas and the best year of his life. And the best part was, he truly believed there were more bests to come.