C26 A Gift Is A Gift

When I got home, I immediately took out the gifts I had bought for my parents and handed them over. They were both stunned.

My mother was so touched that she actually cried, while my father simply nodded, holding the gift carefully in his hands. In that moment, it felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders the joy of seeing their son grow up and be able to provide for the family.

At the Chambers family home, Chris also presented his gifts.

Even though they could afford such things at any time, his parents were deeply moved. His mother jumped around in excitement, treating the gift as though it were priceless jewelry despite it being simple.

His father smiled as he strapped on the watch. “My son brought me a gift… thank you, son,” he said proudly.

At the Mooney residence, everyone was surprised when Alicia arrived in a taxi, carrying shopping bags herself.

Her father raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you tell us you were going shopping after kite flying? Our driver could have picked you up.”

Her grandfather also looked confused. “I didn’t even receive a bank notification. Did you use your own money for all of this?”

Alicia felt slightly embarrassed but quickly smiled and replied, “Dad, I’m growing up. I want to be independent and experience life on my own. Taking a taxi isn’t a problem at all.”

Then she turned to her grandfather. “And Grandpa, don’t forget I got paid yesterday. I only spent a little. It actually felt nice going to the market.”

She sat down, then first took out a tie and a watch. “My lovely daddy, I brought you something.” Mark laughed in surprise. “This is for me? You’ve never brought me anything before!”

Alicia smiled. “Because before, I was always spending your money. This time, it’s my own money, so it finally feels different.”

Her father was overjoyed. He immediately put on the watch and tie and laughed. “Not bad at all. Thank you, my child.”

Her grandfather and grandmother watched warmly as father and daughter celebrated together. Between teasing and laughter, the atmosphere in the house became lively and warm.

Then Alicia turned to the others and began distributing gifts.

For her grandmother, she gave a beautifully crafted jade piece and a set of earrings. The moment her grandmother saw it, she froze in disbelief. The jade was elegant and clearly crafted by a master. She couldn’t hold back her tears.

Alicia then handed her grandfather a finely designed tea kettle along with a bowtie. Her grandfather smiled widely. “My granddaughter has really grown.”

Her father looked at the scene and laughed. “Just now you were teasing me, and now look at all of you crying over gifts.” They all laughed together.

After a while, Alicia suddenly cleared her throat. “Ah-hem.” The room immediately went quiet. Everyone turned to look at her.

“I brought all of you gifts today… so what about me?” she asked, pretending to be upset like a spoiled child.

Her grandfather immediately laughed. “Anything you want, my granddaughter. Just say it.” Quietly, she counted in her mind. Minus one.

Her father added, “Speak up while it’s still early. What do you want?” Minus two.

Her grandmother smiled warmly. “What is it? A new car? Just say it. Grandma can still afford a few things.” Minus three.

Alicia finally smiled brightly. “It’s not a big request,” she said. “For tomorrow’s dinner… can you please not judge or criticize my brothers too much?”

She lifted her hand and showed them the matching bracelets. “They’ve already accepted me as their younger sister.” The entire family burst into laughter.

Her father shook his head. “I knew something was going on.”

Her grandfather laughed. “Don’t worry, we weren’t planning to harm them anyway.”

Her grandmother smiled softly. “My child… you went through all this just for such a simple request.” She paused, then added warmly, “But a gift is a gift.”

And with that, the family sat together and shared a peaceful meal filled with laughter.

At the Wood residence, things were very different from the joy shared by the other families.

The elderly couple had spent most of the day shopping at the mall, so they returned home in high spirits with several new purchases.

The atmosphere at dinner was warm and lively. Tracy took out an expensive piece of jewelry and gently handed it to Samantha. “Daughter-in-law, here,” she said.

Samantha was caught off guard. Her face immediately turned red as she accepted the gift. Kelvin laughed softly. “See? I told you she would love it.”

Samantha looked at them again, still slightly stunned. They had called her “daughter-in-law” instead of “child” or simply “Samantha,” as they usually did. The words lingered in her mind.

She slowly composed herself and said, “Thank you, Father-in-law… thank you, Mother-in-law.”

The moment the words left her mouth, her ears turned completely red. Her cheeks burned as she lowered her gaze in embarrassment.

Kelvin burst into laughter at her reaction. He took out a red envelope and smiled. “And this is for my granddaughter.”

Everyone paused for a moment.

“Granddaughter?” Tracy asked with amusement. Ben’s expression immediately darkened.

Kelvin, however, continued calmly. “Who wouldn’t want a granddaughter like that? Just look at how beautiful her mother is. With our genes added in, I’m sure she’ll be stunning. Every man will be chasing after her one day.”

Holidays like this were meant to bring families together, especially for those who worked tirelessly throughout the year, so they embraced the moment fully.

Samantha was still blushing as she listened. A thought crossed her mind if she ever had a daughter, her grandfather-in-law would undoubtedly dote on her, unlike Ben, who always seemed to insist on having a son.

As she was thinking this, Ben suddenly spoke. “Unfortunately, my child will be a boy.” It was as if no one had even heard him. The others continued laughing and talking.

After a while, Tracy smiled and said, “Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter. It will still be our grandchild.”