Finn wandered down the hallway in search of help; his daddy was napping because he had to work at night tonight, and his mama and Carey were out at his soccer practice. The only other person who would be available to help was his sister, and he was nervous she might say no. Violet was very helpful but he knew if she was in her 'creative mood' with her ponies she wasn't going to be inclined to say yes.
Thankfully, she was just reading on her bed, and making notes in her little notebook. Finn tapped on the open door lightly. 'Vi'let, you sup-ah busy?'
'Just one moment please, Finn.' Violet finished writing her word into her book, then put her pencil down and looked up at her brother. 'What's happening, little bro?'
'Nee' some help.'
'With what?'
'Haffa wap Max puh-reasant.'
'Oh! Okay!'
Wrapping presents meant shiny paper and curling ribbons, wonderful non-boy things, even if the present was for a boy; Violet had learned this wisdom from her mother. Lanie loved to wrap presents and Violet understood why when she saw her friends get so excited; besides, who didn't like getting presents?
Violet scooted off her bed and grabbed Finn's hand in excitement, made sure they'd stayed quiet as they went past their parents room - Daddy couldn't help people if he was tired because they'd been too loud - and went to the living room cupboard where Violet found the Rubbermaid tub akin to Nathanial Flint's treasure trove for her. She looked at Finn. 'Where is the present, Finn?'
'Oh, righ'?'
Finn raced back to his room, to the spot in his closet where it was waiting patiently in the corner of his closet. He'd picked it out himself, and his mama had given him a twenty-dollar bill to give to the lady in the store to buy it; Finn had never had a prouder moment in his life. He knew Max would love the book DragonVale Tales, since Max loved dragons, and this one had so many pictures of dragons it would be impossible not to like it.
He took it out of the glossy plastic book-store bag, and made sure the price sticker wasn't showing either, and returned to the living room. His eyes went wide when he saw the little piles of decorations and things Violet had arranged.
'Wow, Vi'let, you messy,' he said breathlessly.
'No, Finn, it's not mess, it's options.'
'Whassa osh-un?'
'Op-tion,' Violet repeated, enunciating and glowing with pride when her brother echoed it back perfectly. 'That means choices. I gave us different choices because I had no idea what size your present is.'
'Here.' Finn thrust it out at Violet, and plunked himself in amongst the little piles of wrapping paper roles and tissue paper. He watched Violet look at it, examine it with her eagle eyes, and smiled when she picked the wrapping paper that was black with neon lightning bolts all over it. 'Like tha' one.'
'It's perfect since it's a book about dragons and they breathe fire. But first we are going to put some of this around the book.' Violet held up sheets of electric orange tissue paper.
'Why?'
'So that Max can't guess right away it's a book, it feels softer and squishier.'
'Oh, we tuh-rickin' him? Like Daddy wit' 'racker box?'
'That's right, like when Daddy put Mama's necklace in the cracker box.' Violet remember at Christmas how her mother had giggled and made such a fuss about crackers as a joke. 'That way it's more fun when they are surprised.'
Finn watched intently, as Violet carefully folded the tissue paper, and he tore off the bits of tape long as his finger and passed them to his sister as she neatly tucked in the ends, and repeated the process once more with the lightning bolt paper. Then came Finn's favourite part, the curly ribbons. It was just like Andrea's pretty red hair, loopy-loops from start to finish.
'We use guh-reen ribbons Vi'let?'
'No, Finn, we're going to use multicolour ribbons.'
'Wha' mutty-col-ah mean?' Finn asked.
'That means all different colours together.'
'Look puh-retty, Vi'let.'
'Thank you Finn.' Violet looked at the scraps of wrapping paper made from her children's craft scissors. 'We better tidy this up. Can you pick up the little bits of paper and put them in the garbage?'
'Uh-huh!' Finn got to his feet and began to pick up the itty-bitty shaving from their project and when he crossed from the living room to the kitchen to put them in the bin, he saw his father walking down the hallway, yawning and stretching his arms wide. 'Hi Daddy! Goo' nap-time?'
'Very good nap-time. What are you two doing?'
'Wapping.'
'Wrapping? Wrapping what?'
'Max puh-resent.'
