Page 48 of Free to Fall

“My cousins and I. Kalie—Uncle Keene and Aunt Ali’s daughter—was in law school. Grace—Uncle Joe and Aunt Holly’s oldest—was finishing her master’s in anaplastology. Then there was me spending more time at the hospital than I was sleeping at home.” I turn around and look for the reason I’m standing here. “Where’s Bailey?”

His lips twitch. “She asked me to keep you busy out here for a moment. Tell me about the place you and your cousins bought.”

I scan the open first floor and remark, “Similar feel. Craftsman, open, airy.”

“You’re satisfied with your final choice?” He gestures for me to follow him into the kitchen after we hear a shrieked, “Daaaaaady!”

“More than that. We’re happy because it’s the first home we bought, and we did it with people we love.”

“Even though there are three of you, it’s still a big purchase. I imagine your families were comforted by the fact you had each other.”

I lay my hand on his arm to stop his movement. I tell myself it’s not acceptable to pet my boss, despite the overwhelming urge to. Instead, I offer up a simple, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not doing what everyone else did.”

“Which was?”

“Assuming three young women couldn’t afford a home in Darien, Connecticut on their own, or worse yet, assuming our parents bought it for us.”

“From what it sounds like, you’re three successful professionals who made a wise business investment. Besides, the mortgage insurance must help around tax time.”

I can’t help but tease, “Watch out. I sense an accountant in the vicinity.”

He’s about to retort when Bailey rolls up. “Hey, Laura!”

I squat down to be on her level. “Hey, Bailey! How were the cupcakes?”

“Soooo good. Thank you again.”

Liam butts in. “We froze some of them. Thank your aunt for the instructions.”

Bailey pouts. “I could have finished them.”

His wry, “I’m sure you could have,” causes all three of us to laugh.

“Well, it was my pleasure. What are we going to do today?”

“I started a ‘What to do this summer’ list, and I made something for you.” She glances up at her father shyly.

“Go ahead and give it to her, Buttercup. I’m certain Laura will love it,” Liam encourages, but there’s a tightening around his lips I don’t quite understand.

“I adore gifts because they come from someone’s heart,” I reassure her. Then I shudder. “Except Christmas.”

Both Paynes shoot me identical looks of shock. “You won’t get it unless you’ve lived through the horror of the annual Freeman Holiday White Elephant Gift Exchange.” What had started out as a joke between my mother and her siblings when they were too poor to buy actual gifts has remained one of our most cherished holiday traditions.

And our most feared.

I wave a hand back and forth. “All it will take is me sharing just one of the horror stories about our family Christmas gift exchange. Then you’ll understand. That’s something you can add to your list, Bailey. You can help me pick something truly terrible out.”

“Terrible?” Liam eyes me like he’s questioning my sanity.

“You have no idea what the stakes are.”

He scoffs. “They can’t be that bad.”

I nod solemnly. “The power behind the gift has the potential of impacting the mood of the recipient for an entire year.”

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