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It was Jamal’s intent to unwrap the gift even slower, but once he caught a glimpse of what was on top after he removed the tissue paper from off the top of the present inside the box, he couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled the blanket out of the box, stood up and spread it out on the floor in front of him.
“Where in the world did you get my high school jersey?” he asked Cassie softly.
“Irma kept it. She said you had thrown it in the trash when you first moved in with her, so she went behind you and snuck it out of the trash when you left the room.”
Jamal laughed. “But what about the rest of them? Where on earth did they come from?”
“Irma,” Cassie replied. “She’s saved them all. She just never had any idea what to do with them. She gave them to me when I was asking her what to get for you. Do you like it? Be honest. I know it’s kinda corny but there’s not really much you can’t buy for yourself. So I went the cheesy, sentimental route.”
“That’s way better than the perfumeItold her to get you, dad.”
“How many times have I told you, kid? Men wear cologne,” he replied.
“Whatever. That is still way cooler than smelling good.”
“You haven’t said if you like it or not,” Cassie interjected, wringing her hands in front of her body. “Iknewit would be too cheesy!”
Jamal grabbed her hands, ceasing their wringing, and pulled them to her chest. “I love it, Bambi. It’s seriously the best gift I’ve ever gotten. It’s sweet and sentimental, just like you. Thank you,” he said, kissing her knuckles.
“But don’t even think of using it to sleep with, Jaydence Jenkins,” he said, pointing his finger at his daughter. “This is going in my sports memorabilia room.”
“Who said anything about sleeping with your blanket, dad?”
“You didn’thaveto say anything. You’re a blanket hoarder. You have more blankets than any kid I know.”
Jamal turned to Cassie. “She had one blanket she carried with her as a baby and toddler until it was nothing but tatters. It then became her obsession to find a blanket at every store we ever went to and beg for it to replace her old one. She’s worse than Aria with her sucker hoarding.”
He turned back to his daughter. “But this is one you’re not hoarding. Got it?”
JJ held her hands up in surrender. “Calm down, daddy-o. I won’t take your blanket.”
Jamal grinned. “I don’t think I’ll be able to top your present now. You out-presented me. You still want them?”
Cassie gave him a ‘duh’ look. “Uh, yes.”
“Alrighty. I guess I can give it a go.” Jamal ran to the tree and grabbed the two presents he had found for her. Sending up a prayer that she would like them, he placed the two items in her lap.
“Which should I open first?”
“The small one!” JJ said excitedly. “You’ll love it.”
Cassie tore into the wrapping paper and revealed the contents of the package. Smiling in confusion, she held the DVD up and said, “Who is “Pistol” Pete Maravich and why is he going to teach me basketball dribbling skills?”
“Cuz you were sobadwhen my dad took you to the gym we thought it would be funny to buy you a DVD about getting better at basketball!” JJ laughed. “That’s funny, huh?”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Har, har, har, you two. I can’t help it that I wasn’t born with an athletic gene in my body.”
“Look on the back,” Jamal said.
“I know what’s on the back of a DVD, Ja-” Cassie started to say. But her words drifted off as she saw, taped to the back of the DVD case, a key.
“Is this a-”
“Key to our house?” JJ said excitedly. “Yep. It was my idea. That way, you can come over any time you want. Cuz you’re alreadypracticallyfamily anyway. Good idea?”
Jamal smiled as he saw Cassie’s eyes water with tears. “Great idea,” she replied, pulling JJ in for a hug.
“You still have one more,” Jamal told her quietly.
