Mom clapped her hands together and said, “See, everyone got something.”
I glanced around the room.
Melissa’s kids tapping away on their new iPads. Tyler showing off his headphones. Dad leaning back in his chair with that smug smirk that only appears when he thinks he’s teaching someone a lesson.
Then he looked right at me and said, “Be grateful he got anything, Felix. Not every year can be fancy.”
For a moment, I just stared at him.
Be grateful he got anything.
I wanted to ask if being the only grandchild to receive a dollar store toy while the others got electronics was part of this “money’s tight” situation, but I didn’t.
I just smiled, because I’ve learned over the years that arguing only feeds them.
Melissa noticed my silence, of course.
“Oh, come on, Felix,” she said, unwrapping another present for her kids. “It’s not about the gifts.”
