Page 98 of Slap Shot
“I told you I notice things. Your coffee order is one of them.”
Madeline blinks, holding a couch pillow close to her chest. “Thank you.”
I make quick work with the coffees, and by the time I get back to the living room, Lucy is buzzing with energy. I hand over the coffee to Madeline and knock my mug against hers as I take a spot on the couch.
Lucy’s patience runs out seconds later, and she drags the largest present to the center of the room. She opens the first gift, and it’s a new bike, bright pink with sparkles on the spokes and ribbons hanging from the handlebars. She rides it down the hall, giggling when Gus and Millie chase after her.
“Genius idea,” I say to Madeline. “Now I don’t have to take them on eight walks a day. Give them an hour with her, and they’ll be wiped out.”
“It goes both ways. Twenty minutes of playing with them, and she’s exhausted. I’m glad they’re not going to daycare as much these days. It makes putting her to bedwayeasier.”
The rest of the gifts follow. Lucy gets some school clothes, a new backpack, and a Barbie doll. Santa brought her a board game and a puzzle, and soon the floor is covered in wrappingpaper and bows. The dogs are having a field day with the discarded boxes, ripping them to shreds and littering the rug with chewed up cardboard.
“Holy shit.” Madeline laughs and shoves a red and green plaid bow into a trash bag while Lucy checks out her new pencil case. “It’s like a tornado went through here.”
“Don’t worry about it. I like it.” I toss Gus a ball of rolled up paper, and he fetches it. “Besides. I have gifts for each of you.”
“What?” She looks up from where she’s sitting on the floor and narrows her eyes. “You do?”
“Yeah. Can you have Lucy check the back side of the tree?”
Madeline wraps her arms around Lucy’s middle and kisses her cheek. “I think there’s a surprise hiding for you under the tree from Hudson. Can you find it?” she asks, and Lucy sorts through the remaining gifts.
When she finds the two bags I snuck out here after everyone went to sleep, she nudges the smaller one to Madeline and keeps the larger one for herself.
“I hope you like them,” I say.
“You first,baby,” Madeline tells Lucy, and tissue paper is already flying in the air. Lucy digs through the bag and pulls out the first gift. Her eyes go wide when she sees the two stuffed animal dogs that resemble Gus and Millie. “Oh,how cute.It’s the doggies,Lucy.”
Lucy runs over to the dogs with her gift. She holds up the stuffed versions of them next to their heads and laughs. She looks at me while she signs, and Madeline interprets as she says, “Thank you, Hudson.”
“You’re welcome,” I say back. “There’s one more thing in there.”
“Check the bag again,sweetheart,” Madeline says, and Lucy pulls out an Etch A Sketch. “That’s fun.Why don’t you give it to Hudson so he can show you how it works?”
Lucy walks toward me and jumps on the couch. With her head on my arm and the side of her body pressed against mine, she hands over the toy and watches with wonder as I write out her name with the knobs.
“It’s another way for us to communicate,” I say, and Madeline interprets for me again. “Or to draw pictures.”
Lucy flings her arms around my neck, and I smile at the affection. I set the present down and hug her back, running my hand through her hair and squeezing her tight.
“Thank you for her gifts,” Madeline says, and when I look at her, she’s wiping a thumb under her eye.“They’re such thoughtful presents, and this means so much to me. To her. Thank you for thinking of her.”
“Open yours next.”
Madeline reaches into her bag. A cackle escapes her when she pulls out the gift inside. “You’re not serious.”
“Dead serious. Comic Sans and everything,” I say, and she holds up the plain white T-shirt I had printed earlier this week.Fuck Farkis written across the chest, and she covers the curse word so Lucy doesn’t see. “Probably shouldn’t wear it out in public, but if you feel like breaking plates or something, I think it’ll be perfect.”
“This is…” She lets out another laugh and fans her face. “I want to frame it.”
“We can do that. We’ll put it in the foyer so everyone can see it. Forget my jerseys. This will be a great conversation starter.”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever gotten something so funny. You’re a good gift giver, Hudson Hayes.”
“I’m glad you like it. All jokes aside, I was going to buy you some new cookware because I know mine is shit, but I don’t know what the hell the best brand is. The internet is extremely divided over colors and sizes and that sort of thing, so I’mleaving it to you. There’s a five-thousand-dollar VISA gift card at the bottom of the bag, so pick what you want.”
“That’s too?—”
