Ryder is finally cleared to go back to hockey which means it is time to pack up and move to New York. Francesca is thrilled about living with Ryder for the summer and has already made a ton of plans for them. Both want nothing more than a perfect su...
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December 24, 2022
"Oh this is so bad," Anthony hisses as we all race through the mall.
"You said you had a group gift idea for mom, where the fuck is the gift twinie?" Sal asks for about the 9th time since we arrived. Apparently, Anthony was in charge of buying Isabella's gift and he dropped the ball, so now both of them are in panic mode.
"You think my girlfriend would like a candle?," Tito asks sheepishly, scrolling through his phone where he googled 'best gifts to get your girlfriend'.
"No. I did that once and I still hear about it to this day... and we are married with three kids," Nelson informs him with a grave look as Tito looks like he is about to lay down and die right there in the middle of the mall.
"Why did we wait so long," I wonder out loud as we walk into Bloomingdales like a stampede of zebras running from a hungry lion.
"I didn't," Dobs smiles smugly.
"Then why are you here, Dobby? Please enlighten me because you sure as shit aren't helping!" Is it wrong to snap at Noah right now? Yes, but it is 3pm on Christmas Eve so I am very fragile at the moment. Thankfully, I have Francesca done, but I still need to finish her family.
It is hard shopping for them since I haven't known them long, and honestly up until a week ago I didn't know I would be seeing them for the holidays. They all just assumed I was coming for Christmas, but I didn't want to impose so I just assumed I would spend the day alone with the ladies, maybe stop by Josh and Barb's place. Then last week, Nonna called me to tell me the dress code for the family picture they take every year on Christmas. I was flattered, of course, that they all wanted me to spend Christmas with them, but at this very moment the stress is real.
"He missed you," Nelson says, completely narcing on Dobs with zero remorse.
"Yeah yeah, I miss the fantastic four maybe just a teeny tiny bit, fucking sue me."
"Aw Dobs," I coo, pulling him into a hug while he struggles to get away from me. It is still so wild to me, how easily I can do things like this now compared to the way I used to shy away from physical affection less than a year ago.
"Oh, a purse!" Tito exclaims, cutting off our cute moment as he sprints across the store and starts pulling at things without any concern for price. I guess when you play in the NHL and make millions every year, you stop checking the price tag. Not that I check prices now, well for Christmas I did because I put in place a price cap so Francesca wouldn't blow her money on me, but normally I don't.
"What do you get a woman who is basically your mother in law?" I ask Nelson who is the only one in our bunch who is married.
"Oh, you can do candles and lotion and ornaments, anything cheesy like that, for any woman but the one you're sleeping with, that is the rule. Beck's mom is a nurse, right?"
