Page 128 of With Spite

“You know,” I said when Vera ignored her own children. “This is something that I really think you need to do some soul searching on.”

Vera, who hated my guts but loved my kids, looked at me with narrowed eyes. “And why is that?”

“Because if you keep this up, you’ll be spending your life alone,” I said. “Your husband has already threatened to leave you today. Your own children are fed up with you. And now you’re disappointing your grandkids. You gave each of my children six presents. The rest if the grandkids have one. A tiny one at that. Why would you do that?”

All of the kids were close in age.

The moment that Hux and I got married, we immediately started having kids.

All of the grandkids were within three years of each other.

So at five and six for my kids, and nine for Hampton’s oldest, then all the age ranges between, our kids knew when something wasn’t right.

And Vera’s attitude wasn’t right.

“It’s just presents.”

“It’s not,” I said. “This is beyond ridiculous. Yes, life isn’t fair. I know what you’re about to say. But let me tell you something. And I want this to really stick. You’re cultivating how they’ll treat you right here, right now. And I can guarantee you, my kids won’t like you. They’re being raised by one of the best men on earth, and that man can’t stand to be in the same room as you. Do you think that won’t rub off on his kids if they see how you’re treating their cousins?”

No comment.

I threw up my hands. “We’re out of here. Enjoy your Christmas.”

Heidi, Candice, and Romina followed.

Hampton, Harvey, and Bells already left the room after this shit started.

They’d noticed the shit that was about to go down and left before their anger could get the better of them.

Not that I could blame them.

Heidi had tried to hold it together, but the presents that came out from under the tree and into the pile in front of my kids had done the job.

“Wait! But we haven’t opened anything…”

“And we’re not going to,” I said as the door slammed.

When I got outside, it was to find Gerald, Hux’s dad, trying to convince the men to stay.

“Let’s just go to my place,” Hux said. “All of our gifts for each other are already there anyway.”

“What about dinner?” Bells asked.

“The new Chinese restaurant that just opened up downtown is open tonight. Let’s grab that.”

“Perfect,” I said. “Kids, truck.”

The kids scattered, half of them getting into the wrong vehicles.

I just shook my head and let it ride.

We were all going to the same place anyway.

When Hux drove us home, I turned around and looked at Romina’s youngest and said, “I love you, Moo.”

“Moo” was actually Morrie, but Moo for short.

Moo’s face was hard to read. But her next words made me realize why.