Page 197 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
“Good luck on your test–do you need me to take you?” he offered.
“It’s fine. Tonight we’ll open my dad’s presents together?” I was a little worried.
He hugged me tight. “Of course.”
“Thanks.”
I would deal with it all later, because it was time to take a test.
“Anyone home?” I called when I walked into the apartment. I wasn’t sure if Clark was back yet. Something smelledgoodthough.
Snowball gazed at me from her cat tree, but didn’t move.
“What. The. Fuck.” I put my stuff down and stared at thegiantbox on the coffee table.
“I got your packages from the desk.” Clark stood in the kitchen, stirring something.
“Are you making dinner?” My heart burst with happiness. It made up for Tenzin not showing up at family skate. I should have asked him if he was coming before getting my hopes up.
Clark beamed at me from the kitchen. “I am. You got a delivery on the counter. It’s been hard not to open it.”
On the counter was a box from a very fancy local cupcake bakery. I opened the card.Happy Birthday, Zia G, love Giulia, Davey, the twins, and Baby G.
Awww. Matty said he gave the kids my address.
I opened the box. Inside were a dozenbeautifulhockey-themed cupcakes. They had little sticks, pucks, and helmets on them. One of which had a little sign that saidhappy birthday.Picking it up, I sent Giulia a selfie of me and the cupcake along with my thanks.
“Those are so cute. They’ll make a great dessert. Well, if I can have one.” Clark came up beside me and kissed my neck. He wore a hockey-themed apron.Adorable.
“Eat as many as you want.” I leaned over and kissed him. “Do I have time to open them now? Do I even want to?”
“We can open them now. One’s from Matty.” He covered the pots and turned down the heat.
Grabbing some scissors, I went over to the table and grabbed the small box that said it was from Matty. Inside, packed in a bunch of paper shreds, was a delicate necklace.This was Mom’s,the note said.
It was a cornicello, a horn meant to ward off evil. I’d gotten one once. I didn’t know Mom had one, and it was much daintier than I ever saw her wear. It also looked old. There was also a gift card to the bookstore. Nice.
I texted him thanks as Snowball chased the paper shreds around. Taking a picture, I sent that, too.
Sighing, I stared at the box from my dads and opened it.Happy Birthday, Buttons. Here’s to another winning season,the card said.All four of them had signed it.
What? Tossing out some paper, which Snowball attacked, I pulled out a box.
Inside was a sparkly goalie mask done in all different shades of pink. Little hot pink ladybugs with rhinestone ladybug trails decorated it.
“Wow,” I breathed. “They’ve never gotten me hockey gear before. It was Mom or Nonna or someone. Pink isn’t my color anymore, but it’s pretty.” I used to wear pink all the time, not only since it once had been my favorite, but for my mom.
“They know we call youLadybug,” he said as he traced the ladybugs with his finger.
I found the next box, which was from a very fancy ice skate brand that only did custom skates. Inside were hot pink, quilted goalie skates, complete with fur trim and rhinestones.
“Fourteen-year-old me is squealing. I didn’t know Cordelle made goalie skates. Sometimes I’d get their figure skates to match my different competition outfits.” I held them up.
“They’re adorable,” Clark agreed as he inspected them. “And very well made.”
“What else is inside?” I pulled out another box. “Viper?” They were one of Bowman's boutique brands and a lot of their work was custom. I withdrew the hot pink, sparkly goalie catching glove and blocker that matched the skates and mask perfectly.
My eyes teared. Why couldn’t they have done shit like this when I was a teenager?
