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After Finn sits in the armchair, Oakley takes his lap.
“So we have some news,” Finn says.
“We’re engaged!” Oakley quickly announces before I can even guess.
“I proposed last week, but we wanted to tell you in person,” Finn explains.
“Congrats!” I stand to give Oakley and Finn each a hug. We’re all smiles as Oakley explains exactly how it all happened. It’s impossible not to notice how they look at each other—with intense love and admiration.
After we’ve finished our first round of spiked eggnog, Finn gives us refills.
“I guess it’s time to tell all the embarrassing stories about Levi,” Finn taunts when he returns with fresh drinks.
“Oh, yes please,” Fallon quips. “Though I have a couple of my own already.”
I shake my head. “Bad idea.”
“Perfectidea,” Oakley counters.
“So there was this one time when Levi’s parents went out of town for a day right around Christmas—”
I quickly interrupt him. “Come on, man. You don’t have to tell this one.”
Based on the look he gives me, the rum is already making its way through his system.
“Anyway, Levi asked if I wanted to come over after school, so I did.”
Oakley snickers like she’s heard this story before.
I narrow my eyes at her, silently warning her to stop engaging.
“What?” She shrugs. “I know how this ends.”
Fallon eagerly waits for him to tell the rest.
“So I have my mom drop me off, and what does Levi do? He makes me keep watch for his parents as he meticulously opens several gifts under the tree. He was so good at it, too. He’d slip the boxes back in the same paper, and you couldn’t even tell they’d been touched.”
“Wait, how old were you?” Fallon asks me.
“Twelve.”
She smirks. “So…old enough to know better.”
“Oh yeah,” Finn agrees. “Anyway, he’s in the living room playing this game when his parents drive up. When his mom walks into the living room and sees the box on the table and the toy in Levi’s hand, she nearly loses her shit.”
“Oh no.” Fallon laughs.
“Levi tries to lie his way out of it, but Mrs. White doesn’t take the bait. She demanded he donate all his gifts to charity so he’d learn a lesson.”
Fallon’s eyes widen. “Ouch.”
I sigh. “Trust me when I say I have never been able to live it down. All these years later, Lucy brings it up anytime she can.”
“Speaking of Lucy, she’s the one who snitched so their mom would come home early.”
“Wow, she plays dirty.” Fallon chuckles.
“We’re twins…it’s not fun without a little pranking. To be honest, I deserved it. I read her online diary and then told all her crushes what she wrote about them.”
