Best of Both Worlds

Chapter Twenty-five

It was a few days before Christmas and I was losing my mind thinking about gifts. What do you get for people who literally have anything? Nick informed me a week ago, that his family was inviting me for Christmas. As much as I wanted to spend Christmas without any Rosa drama, I had to show up out of courtesy of the other family members. Also, I didn't have anything better options, Whitney had gone to visit her family in Philadelphia for the holidays.

To this day, I still preferred the Christmas tradition we had in Nigeria. On Christmas day, the whole family would go to church, Sunday or not. After church, we celebrate Christmas by eating plates and plates of Jollof rice and chicken with soft. Sometimes, my mom would order a cake, if she was feeling extra merry that year. That was the summary of how Christmas went for me, as a child, there were no gifts given unless you personally wanted to; it wasn't mandatory.

I had gotten a set of kitchen wares for Nick's parents. But I had no idea what to get for the rest of the family. I decided to face-time Whitney and get some ideas.

"Hey babes, how's it going over there?" Her face popped on the screen. Her forehead glowed from the overhead light above her.

I groaned and raked a hand through my afro. "Terrible, I don't know what to get for Nick and his sisters?"

She chuckled. "I would like to say I know how you feel but I would be lying"

"Help me, please" I cried out.

She held unto the front edges of her fresh cornrow braids. "It hurts, please don't make me laugh . . . Just get him a wristwatch or something"

"The man probably has a drawer full of those, I don't think he needs anymore" I groaned out and threw my head back, against the sofa's backrest.

She released a sigh. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't get him anything. You're having his baby rip your va-jay-jay apart, I don't know about you but that's gift enough to me"

I winced. "Please don't remind me"

She sputtered out a chuckle as she held unto her skull. "But it's true"

"Can you just focus on why I called you?"

"Babes, I really don't know what to tell you. Just get them anything I don't think they care about what you get them. They love you already, well except his mom." She reasoned

"You're no help," I said, giving her a stink eye.

"Hold on, you said one of his sisters is a fashion designer. Why not get her some African prints, I'm sure she'll like it" she said

Hmmm. That's a good idea, I didn't even think of that.

I grinned. "Thank you, why didn't I think about that? Now, what about the other one?"

"I'm sorry sis, that's all I have. You're going to have to figure out the rest on your own" she replied.

There were some inaudible voices in the background and she shifted the camera away from her. I was now looking at a drawer of some sort, it wasn't clear because the camera kept moving.

She brought the lens back to her face. "I'm sorry, I have to go. They need me to help set up the Christmas tree"

I exhaled. "Sure, say hi to your family for me"

"Will do. Bye"

"Bye"

Okay, one person down, two others to go.

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Christmas day

I stood in front of Nicholas's parent's house, a box of cookies in my hands. Nicholas was back at the driveway, grabbing all the gift boxes from the back seat. I succeeded in getting gifts for everyone, at last. Evelyn's daughter, Sophie got a snow globe to add to her collection. Jack, Evelyn's husband got a wristwatch. Lucia got tickets to a concert for a small co-ed group she fancied. Nick got the latest release from one of his favourite authors – I'd been in his work office and I was sure he hadn't gotten this particular one.