Chapter Nine Saturday, December 25
Following two straight days of bombshells, revelations, and soul-searching, Christmas Eve came and went with mercifully little drama.
Piper and I worked the opening shift at Hill O’ Beans together, after which she headed home for a change of clothes and her daily dad-check. I spent the twilight hours passing out presents to various smiling neighbor kids, including Cheyanne and Crescent.
I delivered my gifts to Big and Little Forrester within minutes of Gina getting home, as well as returning her china and tableware. Trina tore into her present immediately, squealing in delight at the gold-plated name-necklace and the two new video games that greeted her when she opened the box. Gina unwrapped her gift with far more decorum, but the beaming smile she ga
