As she drove home from work, Lily thought, “I need to get Christmas presents for Alice and Peter today!” She stopped at the mall and bought pricey gifts for her kids.
Because she wouldn’t have time later, Lily bought the gifts two weeks before Christmas. She returned home every night after work. On weekdays, she hardly saw her kids.
She wanted to be close to her children, but she thought earning money was more important than spending time with them.
She thought, “After all, I can buy expensive gifts for my children with my hard-earned money.”
Lily concealed the gifts in her closet and considered giving them to her children one day before Christmas since she had to fly to another city the next day for a work meeting.
Lily found out a day later that her meeting was canceled.
“Yay! She told her children and husband, “I get to spend Christmas with you all this year!”
Alice hugged her mother and screamed, “That’s fantastic, Mom!”
“Why don’t we host a Christmas party this year? What’s up, honey? requested Lily’s spouse.
After her husband agreed to host a party, Lily invited all her friends including Michael, her husband’s father. When she showed her children the guest list, they were thrilled to see their grandfather’s name.
The children wanted to see their grandfather, but Lily kept them away. She thought her children should only connect with wealthy and sophisticated people, and Michael was neither. The old man lived in a mobile house in a meadow outside town.
I hope he doesn’t come, Lily thought. She invited Michael for her husband. If her friends discovered her father-in-poverty, law’s she felt they would mock her.
Later that day, Lily gave her children their gifts. Her children didn’t want to open the gifts, surprising her.
They’re in your closet. She said, “Open them later.”
On Christmas Eve, Lily invited her pals to sit. She smiled until she noticed Michael going toward her house.
“What’s he doing here?” She closed her eyes.
Hello, Lily! It’s great to see you!” applauded Michael.
Michael, hello. what’s up? Lily smiled and welcomed him inside.
Michael interrupted Lily’s conversation with her friends to give his daughter-in-law a gift.
He smiled, “This is for you, Lily.”
Lily saw her companions hiding their mouths to control their laughter. Michael gave her a grocery purse, and she knew they were taunting him.
Before she could react, Michael summoned Alice and Peter over and gave them gifts.
He hugged them and said, “I purchased some cookie cutters for my grandchildren.”
Lily marched over to Michael and stated, “My friends are making fun of me again.”
We don’t need these cheap grocery store things, Michael! Are they thrift shop finds?
Michael smiled at Lily and looked around.
Don’t worry. He responded, “All these gifts are new.”
“Whatever! We don’t need these meaningless gifts!” Lily shrugged. “You think my kids are going to play with cookie cutters, for God’s sake, Michael!”
Alice, Peter! She told her kids, “Show Grandpa what I got for you.”
Nodding, his kids gazed at the gifts on the dining room table.
“You know I got you guys the latest gaming console!” Lily claimed, trying to impress her friends and make Michael feel bad.
She somewhat succeeded since Michael started walking out.
He thought, “I should go.”
At that time, Alice and Peter raced to their grandfather and hugged him.
Grandpa, let’s play! They shouted and returned him to the main room.
Then, the kids unpacked the cookie cutters and begged their granddad to bake cookies with them.
We have cookie mix, Grandpa! “It’ll be fun,” they said.
However, when Lily discovered out her children were baking cookies with Michael, she promptly called them out of the kitchen.
“Come on, kids—time it’s to open your presents!” she exclaimed, but no one reacted.
Then Lily walked into the kitchen and offered Alice and Peter to have dinner with their friends and open presents, but they declined.
“Mom! We don’t want your pricey presents!” cried Alice.
“Yes, Mom!” “Look, we’re loving baking cookies with Grandpa,” Peter said, and the kids turned away from their mother and stared into the oven.
Lily exited the kitchen and sat at the table, despondent. Her pals entered the kitchen after smelling fresh-baked cookies.
“These biscuits smell fantastic!” Lily’s friend asked Michael, “Can we taste some?”
You can! She laughed and gave guests a dish of cookies.
Lily stared at her guests’ gifts as they ate the wonderful cookies and felt sad that her children didn’t want to open them.
One of her friends questioned, “Lily, your father-in-law is an exceptional baker – why didn’t you ever tell us about him?”
Another acquaintance said, “Yes, these cookies recall me of my youth — I adored baking dough with my grandmother!”
Michael appeared from the kitchen and sat next to Lily.
“Why don’t you join us, Lily?” inquired.
I don’t want to bake with you, Michael. “Leave me alone,” Lily said.
Michael smiled, “You know your kids have nothing on you. They didn’t open your presents to get your attention, Lily. That’s how kids are.”
They don’t care about your monthly income or gadgets. Michael continued, “All they want is your time and attention, and that’s what I gave them today.”
Michael’s statement resonated with Lily.
“I assumed they’d like my presents, but…” she shook her head.
“They’re waiting for you in the kitchen,” Michael said. “C’mon. Your guests need more cookies!”
Lily eventually baked cookies with her father-in-law and children. Later that night, their guests said they had the nicest Christmas party and begged Lily to throw another one where they would only bake cookies with Michael.