supernova

52

Amukta and I rushed through the stores, buying last minute gifts for everyone.

"Do you think my mom will like this?" Amukta asked about a pendant necklace at Swarovski.

"No. Your mom likes sapphire jewelry better when it's embedded in silver not gold." I pointed to another pendant with a different chain. "I think she'll like this one." We spent more time price checking all the jewelry and comparing the sizes and metals and gems.

Amukta finally landed on a silver chain with a soft edged square pink diamond pendant with with tiny cubic zicornia outlining the square. It was quite expensive, but it's the one thing she got her mom.

Her family valued a smaller amount of gifts, but each gift given should have emotional value or a great purpose. Christmas morning with her family didn't last very long, but they would get together with her larger family afterwards. While I loved Amukta's family like my own, I wouldn't intrude when they got with their extended family.

I got Amukta's present back in New York. I wouldn't buy it for her in front of her. Right now, I was buying for her parents, Michael, Mrs. Avery, and Atlas. If I was going to spend time with Atlas around Christmas time, I'm going to get him a gift.

Daniyal didn't celebrate Christmas, so I don't get him a Christmas gift. He appreciates the togetherness of Christmas and the beauty of all the decor, but he doesn't celebrate because he's Muslim.

Aaliya auntie loves glass trinkets with tiny gems. She has them in a shelf in her house with all the fine china. She loves the way the sun reflects them. The specific ones she likes are on the more expensive side because of the small gems, so I got a her an elephant and a penguin because she would always take me and Amukta to go see the elephants and penguins at the zoo. We'd ask her pretty often, and she'd always take us and pay for the elephant feed.

We walked frantically around the mall looking for stores that weren't almost empty.

I ended up getting Aatish uncle, Amukta's dad, a new pair of tech leather gloves after he lost his old ones. I got Michael a satin emerald green button up shirt which would match his eyes. I was having most trouble with Atlas's gift.

"What do I get him?" I asked Amukta. We had been at the mall for about three hours now. The lines were really long everywhere we went. We had to hurry because it would close soon. It was Christmas Eve after all.

"I don't know!" Amukta responded, just as panicked. "I've never had to shop for an ex!"
We spent a few more minutes looking around, and I realized I just wasn't going to find anything for him.

"Let's just go through shirts. I'll find something there." Shirts were the go to when shopping for men. There was always a nice shirt in a shade they didn't have.

"Oh, look through the '70% off original price' section," Amukta urged as we got there and we walked to the corner where the sign was. I looked through the display of shirts. The shirts were different colors with a small icon popping out of the pocket of the left breast. I found a yellow shirt with a lion's head, a green shirt with a parrot's head, and then I found a grey one with wings of a blue Atala butterfly and antlers pointing out.

"Ooh, I'll get him this one." I looked over at Amukta who was just as interested in the shirts.

"That one's nice," She confirmed. She didn't know that the butterfly held meaning to him, which was a good thing. I wouldn't wanna buy someone a shirt with meaning to it but not have it be visually appealing.

"I'll buy this then." Thank god for sales. They make me the happiest woman on this planet.

I didn't realize that it could be too personal of a gift until after I purchased it.