Jenalyn: Disconnected (#5) [Complete]

Chapter 3: Harper

Wednesday, 7:48 P.M. PST

This was always everybody's favorite part of Mom's annual Christmas party. I'd like to think it's for more than just the extravagant gifts mom spends all year splurging on specifically to show everybody how well off she is- but I'm not that naïve. 

It is what it is! I know that we've been very fortunate in our lives. And Christmas is the time to spread cheer!

"Are you kidding me?! I've been dying to visit Hawaii, Karen!" Aunt Terry, one of the last to open her gift, exclaims. She waves around the brochure for the resort mom had booked for not only her, but her husband and four children around in front of her face. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Oh Lord knows we need the vacation!"

Everybody laughs, but silently questions their placement on mom's list of favorites while re-examining their own gifts. Kori, mom's assistant, opens almost the same all-inclusive ticket.

"Well, I need a vacation too!" Ty jokes after a moment, holding up his envelope and exaggeratedly comparing it to Aunt Terry and Kori's.

Mom makes a funny joke about being sure Ty needs a vacation, summing it up by reminding him that he's a father now and wishing him good luck. "But let's see, Ty! What did you get?!" she urges him to open his gift next.

Ty playfully rolls his eyes, but tears into his envelope anyway. 

"Hayden, open yours too!" Mom quickly adds on before he finishes. 

Everybody is interested now; It's the new parents, after all! Even I'm on my toes, and I helped mom deliberate on the four-thousand-dollar gift!

Ty and Hayden both tear into their envelopes, removing and reading the tickets that were inside.

Everybody waits, so quiet and still you could probably hear a pin drop.

"VIP Couples tickets for Bar 54 at Hyatt Centric, Times Square for the New Year's Eve Party?!" Ty finally says after a moment, his jaw dropped as he glares at Hayden, and then mom. "There's no way you spent less than- what? Eight thousand on these?! Ma-Ma-G! No way!"

Hayden doesn't look as impressed as Ty does until he mentions how much was supposedly spent on these tickets- and even then, she just more so looks dumbfounded that mom would even do that for her after everything that's happened. 

"Who else is going?" she immediately asks mom, a pressing tone behind her smile. 

That's what I had to deliberate on with mom before she made the almost too-last-minute purchase. She wanted to send me too, kind of as a babysitter considering that the last time we sent these two to New York- Ty returned without Hayden. 

But Club 54 is in pretty high demand considering their direct view of the ball drop from their rooftop lounge; Tickets are on sale year-round and usually sell out by Thanksgiving, let alone Christmas Eve. Unless mom was going to settle for offering General Admission tickets as Christmas gifts at her annual party? She had no other choice than to purchase the VIP couples package. 

"It's just for mommy and daddy!" Mom answers after a moment, shooting Hayden a look that only two glasses of good wine could plaster on her face. "-A little vacation, I suppose! I remember Hayden saying she always wanted to see the ball drop, so!"

Hayden is floored. I can tell she has no idea how to respond right now; On one hand, she's questioning how mom could figure she'd need a vacation when she's been "vacationing" for the last four months. On the other hand, she can't really look a gift horse in the mouth! 

"Well gosh, thank you..." she says to mom over everybody else's small talk about their own New Year's Eve plans. Ty thanks her too, and they both get up to walk across the room to hug her. 

I wasn't expecting that to go bad considering everybody here, but I can never help myself from letting out a sigh of relief any time Hayden and mom have an interaction without arguing. 

A few people still have gifts to open, and excitedly anticipate their turn after a few of our younger cousins demand they go next. I make my way over to Hayden and Ty, who have returned to their seats quietly going on about the tickets and brochure they hold in their hands. 

"Hayden!" I whisper, scooting up beside her and nudging. "Aren't you just so excited?! Mom was so happy to be able to do this for you! You guys will literally have front row seats!"

She smiles, but somehow lacks the excitement I was expecting from her when she turns to me. "Did you know about this?" she asks, almost as if to be offended. 

I have to admit, I'm thoroughly confused at first. Somehow my mind chalks up her reaction to the handful of medications they prescribed her since having left Miermont though.

"Yeah!" I exclaim, excitement still in my voice despite her odd reaction. "Mom ran it by me last night when I picked you up, and I mean- I questioned it at first, considering everything that happened... but ultimately, I just knew you'd love it!"

Ty is on my page; I can tell by the way he shows the excitement I keep expecting to see from Hayden.

Her face doesn't change though. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asks, her voice still offended. 

I'm not catching on. 

"I thought the point of a surprise was to... surprise!" I giggle.

I think Hayden rolls her eyes, but she covers it by politely letting anybody who's listening know she's got to use the bathroom and standing up. Within seconds, she's shuffling out of the room, leaving both Ty and I confused. 

"Did I... did I do something?" I ask him, her demeanor only now settling into my mind after she's gone. 

Ty shrugs his shoulders, shoving the tickets and brochure back into the envelope before letting out a sigh and assumingly going after Hayden.