Chapter 9

“Camilla!” Yvonne scolded.

“No, no, she’s quite right,” Lee said, helping the little moppet somersault off of his head. “What sort of a person comes for Christmas and doesn’t bring presents?” he asked Camilla.

“See?” she said to her mom. “So what’d you bring us?”

“Yeah,” Derrick said, squirming from behind Lee into something more akin to an upright position and surrendering the college fund to his anxious nephew. “Do tell. What did you bring us?”

“Not you, Uncle D!” Camilla squealed. “Us, the kids! He’s already your friend, that’s your present!”

Both men laughed. “That’s all I get?” he asked his niece.

“All?” she repeated. “He’s a pretty big present. Bigger than anything you could wrap. I once got a tricycle, and my mom couldn’t even wrap that.”