“I heard he wanted to be a lumberjack!” Casey interjected.
She seemed surprised it came out of her mouth.
“A lumberjack, William. That may not be a great career choice. The lumber business
in this town has been declining for the last forty years.” She placed a brownie on
her plate. “You should go into computers. Stella told me her grandson is in
computers and makes all sorts of money.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Grandma,” William replied.
After they finished the brownies, the family moved into the living room to open
presents. Willow lay on the couch watching TV, clearly annoyed she had to sit up to
let William and Casey sit down.
His grandmother took the recliner across from the couch. Daniel went to his room
and returned with three wrapped gifts. Patty brought hers as well.
William opened his grandmother’s gift first: two flannel shirts and a pair of
jeans.
“Just in case you do become a lumberjack,” she joked.
“Thanks, Grandma.”
He picked up the next box, figuring it would be clothes as well. He was right. His
father had gotten him a dress shirt and khaki pants.
“For when you start looking for jobs,” his dad said.
“But William is just going to live here forever. He’s never getting a job,” Willow
muttered, sticking her tongue out at him.
William ignored her.
Two gifts remained, one the size of a hardcover book but light, the other the size
of a CD case but thicker.
“Open the bigger one first,” his father instructed.