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"My turn! My turn!" Ro had moved to sitting on her knees. She snatched up the small, square, white with a solid red ribbon box that Tea had provided. Looking inside, she threw her head back and howled in merriment.
"Are you going to share with the rest of the class?" Luca prodded.
"It is alcohol scented and flavored soap!" Ro held it up for everyone to see.
"Nice!" Octavius said, reaching over to give Teagan a high five.
"I am so confused!" Evie's eyebrows were wrinkled together.
"Sometimes, well, I, uh," Ro stuttered.
"And me too," Teagan added.
"We," Ro started again.
"Oh no." Evie waved a hand at them. "I know you two get your mouths washed out. I'm not stupid. I've heard all about that. I meant I'm confused about the game." Teagan wondered how red her face was and if anyone noticed her blush.
"What do you mean?" Ro asked.
Evie glanced around the room before looking back down at the scrap of paper she was now twisting around her fingers. "Never mind," she mumbled.
"Do you want to keep your present or take the poop pillow?" Octavius asked Ro, getting them back on track.
"I'm keeping the beer soap!" she answered.
"Good choice; who has number three?" Octavius took the game host position.
"I do!" Teagan clapped her hands. "Hmm, which one should I pick?" She looked at the gifts on the table and then at the three people who were left—Jason, Luca and Evie. Curious about what Evie would pick to bring, she grabbed hers.
"Oh no!" Evie hid her face in her hands.
"What's wrong?" The concern in Jason's voice had them all turning to Evie.
"Nothing, go ahead," Evie answered, waving her hand toward Teagan. Teagan didn't want to tear the wrapping paper, paper she was sure was quite expensive. Slowly, she slipped her finger underneath the tape and unfolded each triangle of paper until she revealed a tiny, perfect, white crystal elephant.
"What is it? What is it?" Ro eagerly asked from across the table.
"It's an elephant! Are you happy? I brought a fucking elephant. I can't do anything right," Evie said, pushing her chair back as if to leave the table.
"Fancy! Wait, where are you going?" Ro cried out desperately.
"I'm no good at this," Evie said, waving her hand around the table.
"At what? Family stuff? Nah, you've got the wrong triplet. I'm no good at family stuff. I'm the one who never had a family," Teagan corrected.
"Yes. No, I mean, I don't know what I mean!" Evie threw her hands in the air again. "I never had this kind of Christmas growing up, and I don't know what I'm doing. We never made cookies together or exchanged gifts around a table. My parents hired people to shop for us. I never had a present picked out for me personally. I'm out of my element here, and I was raised to always know what to do in every social situation, so I just feel like I'm screwing it all up."
"Oh poor, pitiful Fancy had the best clothes, makeup, toys, and education that money could buy, but Mommy dearest didn't pick them out for her personally," Teagan mimicked. She didn't sound bitter; she was teasing. The timing wasn't right, and the tone was lost on Evie.
"You know what? Fuck you, Teagan."
"Hold on now, Evie. Teagan was teasing you," Luca said.
"I'm sorry, Evie. I really was teasing. We've all had to survive so many things in our lives; none of us have had it easy. I know you had your own struggles as a child and now with Branson. Ro has battled infertility for years with Octavius, and you know what I went through. We've all been to Hell and back, but the important part is that we are here, together. This is a silly game, and you know what? I fucking love this white elephant. Something you don't know about me, is that elephants have always been my favorite animal. They are overlooked. They are pack animals; the women lead, and they protect each other and their young. No one better take this from me," Teagan said.
"I know what I am taking," Luca said, looking straight at Teagan and then to the bar of soap sitting in front of Ro.
"Oh! I'm sorry I cursed," Teagan said, looking as remorseful as she possibly could. "Besides, you can't steal the soap! You already had your turn." Teagan giggled at the look on Luca's face.
