Chapter 6
When Danny gets home, he finds Cal wrapping presents. Cal gives everyone he has ever met a Christmas present. Coworkers in the forest service? Absolutely. That nice cashier at Safeway? Why not!
“Oh,” Cal says, “I’m glad you’re back. Did you have fun?”
“Yeah. Really nice time.”
“See! Home isn’t so bad, huh? Anyway, what should we do now? What do you want to do?”
“I’m easy.”
“We could watch Soulmates?” Cal says. “I’m only four episodes in, so no spoilers.”
“How are you four episodes in? It just came out.”
“I wake up early.”
“Well, I haven’t actually seen it. I mean, I’ve just seen the first episode.”
“That settles it! You get the popcorn going. I’m getting your show queued up.”
Danny makes the popcorn. Cal turns on the big TV.
Danny got it for him as a birthday present in October.
Best of the best, too big for the wall, way over the top.
Cal kept saying it was too much, how could he possibly accept?
But he was so proud. No one told Danny how destabilizing it is to make more money than your father.
Cal presses Play as they settle into the flannel couch.
“That Gigi sure is pretty,” Cal says.
“Yeah,” Danny says. “She’s really smart.”
“You ever like her?”
“No, Dad, of course not. We’d have been horrible together. We’re great as friends, but—she’s great for Julian.”
“They’re doing well?”
Danny thinks about the way Gigi sat at the party with her arms crossed. “Yeah,” he says slowly. “They’re always doing well.”
They end up watching the whole show—all eight half-hour episodes.
In the finale, there’s a montage where our heroine, Cassie, redoes her house—a two-bedroom in Small Town America just for her.
Her voice-over goes, “You know, I imagined myself doing this with Chad. But actually, I’m so proud of myself.
This is my home. I’m really glad I fell in love even though it didn’t work out.
Now I know myself better. And that’s, like—the best Christmas present. ”
“This is so stupid,” Danny says.
“Then why are you crying?”
“I’m not crying. I’ve developed allergies. You don’t dust enough.”
“That’s probably it,” Cal says. “For the record, that’s also why I’m crying.”