Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“We all have our superpowers,” I said. This was mine. I already knew what I was giving Teddy for Christmas. A drum kit.
In a couple minutes, plates and coffee mugs were replaced by presents on the coffee table in the living room, and I was admittedly curious about Sebastian’s gifts to him. I counted four of them.
Dylan and I occupied the chairs on the ends of the table, while Sebastian and Soph had Teddy between them on the couch, so they handed him the gifts. First one was from Soph.
“First up is a gift from Mama,” I said in my best sports commentator voice. “Let’s hope it’s not another 2017 fiasco.”
Dylan barked out a laugh at that one, which he immediately tried to silence upon noticing Soph’s glare.
“Momma, I love your gifts also!” Teddy was quick to say, and he enveloped Soph in a hug, football gear still on, before opening the gift. Though, the helmet had come off around the same time Dylan had put Isabella down for a nap upstairs. “Is it underwear?” Teddy shook the soft package.
I felt my shoulders shake with laughter. Such a typical mama gift.
It was, in fact, underwear. Soph defended herself, saying there were a few “necessities” before the fun started.
Two T-shirts, underwear, socks—for fucking real, sis—and a beanie and scarf. Then she upped the game a little with a pillowcase, an action figure, and a lunch box from Teddy’s favorite superhero franchise. He was all about the Flash, that one.
They were good gifts, no doubt, and Teddy was stoked. But Dylan hadn’t been swayed thus far; he still preferred to buy his own gift for Teddy.
“We welcome Daddy onto the field,” I narrated. “He knows it’s going to be hard to top last year’s gift when Teddy got his very own iPod.” Which, in reality, was Dylan’s old iPhone. But Teddy couldn’t really handle a phone yet, so they’d hidden the phone icon in the lower menu bar. He could send texts, listen to music, and play a couple games on it. He loved the thing.
“Funny you should mention that,” Dylan mused.
Teddy tore up the wrapping and ended up with two gifts in one. “Oh wow!” He recognized the phone case first.
“It’s waterproof, buddy,” Dylan told him. “Now you can listen to music in the bathtub.”
Teddy’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “I can have it in the water?”
“Yup. Neat, huh?”
“Neat!” Teddy echoed, nodding. The second gift was just as cool, a Bluetooth speaker, and Daddy had done it again. Full score. The imaginary crowd went wild.
“Daddy faces stiff competition from Sebastian Wilder, though,” I commentated. “I don’t need to remind y’all how he saved the day last year when Uncle Blake’s gift arrived late.”
Teddy giggled. “You’re so funny, Uncle Blake.”
Even Sebastian threw me a mildly amused glance.
The imaginary crowd went wild at that too.
Oof, Sebastian definitely earned his fifteen minutes of fame. He gave Teddy a pair of ice skates, a couple books, and a customized hockey helmet.
“It’s the Flash!” Teddy was over the moon. He inspected the red helmet and pointed to all the little details in the artwork. “It looks like he’s holding my name!”
“That’s so amazing, Teddy,” Soph murmured. “How on earth…? It looks painted on. I was cutting little vinyl pieces until my eyes were bleeding when I did his football helmet.”
Sebastian cleared his throat. “One of the kids at the Quad is a fantastic artist. I gave him free rein and a weekend job.” He’d given the kid more than that. It was what Sebastian did, I’d come to learn. He made those children believe in themselves.
Teddy put on his new helmet with a satisfied grin and declared he was ready for the last gift.
I obeyed and pushed the big box closer to him, and he stood up to be able to remove the bow from the top.
“Should we get the fire extinguisher ready?” Soph teased.
I merely grinned and scratched my nose.
She knew what the lack of an answer meant. “Oh God.”
“Teddy, do you remember Troy from Georgia?” I asked.
Teddy immediately looked my way, and his mouth popped open.
“I’m getting the fire extinguisher,” Soph said abruptly and rose from her seat.
I laughed.
“Who’s Troy?” Sebastian’s forehead creased with confusion.
“He’s so awesome!” Teddy literally shouted, waking up the dogs in the process.
“I’ve only heard rumors,” Dylan chuckled.
“He’s a buddy of mine from back home,” I replied. “Soph was best friends with his little sister in high school, and we try to get together whenever she brings Teddy to visit our folks.”
“He’s a bad influence!” Soph hollered from the hallway.
I shook my head in amusement. “Troy runs a business specializin’ in special effects for movies and entertainment.”
“He makes explosions and fires and wave machines and, and, and I ran through blue smoke on his ranch, Bastian,” Teddy rambled excitedly. “Blue smoke!” Then he returned to opening the gift, a bit more vigorously now, eager to see what was inside.