Highest Bidder

Part 36: Max's Gift

"Babe! I need you and Luna to go to the basement, until I call you up. Okay?" I looks at her with furrowed brows and she rolls her eyes. Handing me Luna, she starts shoving me to the door.

"Really?"

"Yes! I need to get your present!" I look at her.

"You are my present."

"Shut up and go!"

"You know, for a tiny woman, you sure are fiesta and strong." I antagonize her and she gets me to the basement door.

"Come on! Go! Go!" Rolling my eyes, I open the door and head downstairs with Luna. She's giggling as we bounce down the stairs. I set her down and she starts running around like a goof ball. I listen closely above my head. I hear her heading upstairs and it goes quiet for a bit. I listen and wait. What does she have planned that would be appropriate for Luna to witness? Because my idea of the perfect Christmas present from her is that sexy Santa lingerie and that's just not meant for Luna's eyes. I hear her coming back down the stairs, her heels clicking and clacking on the wooden floor above us and then she makes it to the carpet of the living room. The floor creaks just a bit and I'm sure it's going to be some kind of sled or outdoor activity for Luna and I. Ooo, maybe it's a vacation?

No. She wouldn't want to vacation so close to opening up our practice.

Maybe! It's a side car for her motorcycle so I don't have to be embarrassed riding bitch.

No. She couldn't keep a side car upstairs and move it herself.

"Alright! Come up!" She yells down the stairs. I grab Luna and we race up the stairs and once we get to the top. She has the door open and she stops me. "Now, I need you to be calm and relax before I let you have it. Okay?"

"Can we go?! We're excited here Mum!" I say and she smiles. She steps aside and I run into the living room and it's not there. Nothing is there. "Babe? Is this a joke?"

She peers around the corner and pretends to be shocked. She tricked us.

"Oh...I thought I put it there. Hmm...I wonder where it could be?" Shaking my head, I put Luna down. Going over to Helen, I pull her close.

"This isn't funny."

"Oh but it is. It's like an Easter egg hunt but for Christmas presents." Maybe she really had it upstairs. I head upstairs and start looking. Nothing out of the ordinary. I come back downstairs. I know she opened the front door. So I check out on the porch. I check the kitchen and dining room. Nothing. I head into the family room. Zip. Nada. Zilch. She remains standing by the basement door. Maybe it was in the basement the whole time and I just didn't realize it. I head down stairs and search through my things. Then I think- the garage! Racing back upstairs, I run out the back door, through the yard, out the fence and I open the garage up.

Nothing. A big fat nothing. I look at my watch 9:30. I spent an hour and a half looking for this damn present and I can't even find it. How in the hell, did she hide it that good? I lean against my car and think. I checked everywhere- right? The bathrooms. The living room. The family room. The kitchen. The dining room. The basement. The garage. The front and back porch. Luna's room. My room. The spare bedroom. The spare bedroom. Everywhere. Helen is the master hider of presents and I am floored. My phone goes off. Helen.

"Find it yet?"

"No. This is a joke isn't it? Just a big wild goose chase for nothing but the sight of me looking like an idiot."

"Well, I mean you're not wrong. I do love watching you run around like a chicken with your head cut off." She laughs.

"So this is just a joke. There's no present I need to find. Is there."