Page 101 of For Fox Sake

Mindy chuckles. “She’s used to working late nights, but she knew it would be an early morning.”

Holidays have always been especially tender, for all of us. Aria’s absence is loud. But with Ari here, her youthful exuberance and innocence somehow provide a layer of relief.

“When can we open them?” Ari stares up at the tree, covered in multicolored lights and homemade ornaments mixed with store-bought bulbs in various colors.

It’s not one of those perfect, catalogue-ready trees.

The tree itself was chopped down from the other side of the property. It’s a little on the thin side, and there is a janky spot where the branches were uneven that Finley faced toward the wall.

Most of the decorations were made by all of us at various points in our childhoods. There is a clay mold of Aria’s handprint up there, a drawing Piper did in kindergarten that someone poked a hole in and slipped through a string to hang on the tree, and a tinfoil star Aria and I made together. We wanted it to be a tree topper, but it wasn’t sturdy enough.

It’s not a perfect tree. It’s messy. It’s a tree full of life and memories, both good and sad.

It’s perfect.

“Do you want to play elf and start handing out the presents? You can just put a pile to the side for when Taylor and Atticus get here, it should be any minute.”

Ari jumps to her feet and races to the tree, vibrating with excitement at the permission to dig into the gifts.

I perch on the arm of the couch next to Ryan while Ari proceeds to sort and pile presents all around.

“I need an IV of coffee, stat!” Taylor calls from the kitchen, the door opening and shutting with their arrival.

“Hurry up, we’re about to get started without you,” Mindy yells back, shaking the gift in her hand that Ari just handed her.

Everyone has a small pile in front of them by the time Taylor and Atticus emerge from the kitchen, mugs in hand. They sit on the floor near Finley.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Dig in.” Finley motions with a hand.

The sound of ripping paper fills the air as everyone opens at once, tossing ribbons and bows onto the floor.

Oliver has Benjamin in his lap, and he’s holding up a T-shirt that reads The Original in block letters. Piper, laughing, holds up a baby-sized shirt that says The Remix in the same lettering.

“Jake, this is too much.” Ryan’s hand lands on my leg. She’s staring down at the new laptop I bought for her.

“You need it for school.”

She leans her head against my side. “Thank you.”

I open the package in my lap. It’s from Archer. It’s a T-shirt with a photo on it. The photo is of me, sleeping, wrapped in the giant Archer face blanket.

I chuckle and look over to find him grinning at me. “You’re a di—uh,” I glance over at Ari, clearing the bad word from my throat, “not nice person.”

He just laughs, the dick.

Ari is still sorting through presents and handing them out, so interested in everyone else’s gifts, she hasn’t opened any of her own.

I make my way over to the tree to find a very specific box and bring it over to her.

“Here. Take a break from your elf duties and open this one.” I set it in her hands and then crouch down next to her while she tears it open.

“It’s a new backpack!”

“Open it up.”

“There’s more?”

“Yep.” I swallow.

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