CALIFORNIA PARADISE
Chapter Twenty
Around the Christmas tree sat Jack, Rose,
Molly, and Ruth. They were all still in their pajamas, with warm robes wrapped
tightly around each of them. Looking around the room, it reminded Ruth of when
she was a little girl on Christmas morning, too excited even to dress before
running to look at all the presents under the tree.
"Rose, I guess you’ve already seen your
Christmas gift from me, but I still want to give you something." Jack
handed her a small box wrapped in blue and white tissue paper and tied with
twisted ribbon. She opened it.
"Oh, Jack. They’re beautiful." She
held the silver and sapphire dangling earrings in one hand and hugged him with the
other. "These must have cost you a fortune."
He chuckled softly, and whispered, "I
really don’t think that’s a problem."
"Rose?" Ruth came up tentatively
behind her. "I also brought you something." Ruth went over to the
large purse she had brought with her and pulled out a plain white box. Rose
perched on the edge of her chair with the box balanced on her knees while she
opened it.
Her jaw dropped. "Oh, my God, Mother,
where in the world did you get this?" In her lap she now held a
beautifully decorated notebook with a silk cover and gold-tinted pages. It was
her diary from when she was a little girl.
"At our old house," Ruth managed to
say, even though Rose had practically smothered her in a hug.
Next, Molly reached underneath the tree and
handed a present each to Jack, Rose, and Ruth.
"Oh, it’s just lovely," they said,
as they all opened it together.
Jack held up his black, gold-buttoned tux for
all to see. Rose took out the wine-red, flowing dress with burgundy backing.
And Ruth carefully ran her fingers along the detailed white designs on her
forest and lime green dress.
"Molly, is this your way of telling us
that we have no fashion sense of our own?" Jack joked.
"Oh, gosh, no. They’re for the surprise
dinner I have planned for the four of us. I hope none of you made other
plans."
"No. This is a great gift."
Once she had made sure that all of the other
gifts had been exchanged, Rose finally pulled out her present to Jack from
behind the Christmas tree. She looked around the room. "I’m not really
sure how appropriate it is to give you this present right now, but I love you
and I know that it’s something that you’ll love."
At first, Jack tried to open the present
carefully, but he couldn’t contain himself any longer and ripped the present
open.