Page 3 of Ribbons and Roses
“Rememberwhen Black Friday actually had good sales?” Sasha asks, scrunching up her nose. “How is ten percent off anything to write home about? For all this, I could’ve stayed my butt home and caught up on Netflix.”
I smirk from beside her, setting the stuffed teddy bear I’ve picked up back down on the store shelf.
We’ve only been shopping at the Galleria for the last hour but have already decided we’re less than impressed. The malls aren’t as crowded as they used to be on the day after Thanksgiving, nor are the sales half as good.
“We still haven’t tried Cliffords. There’s a cologne they’re selling I want to pick up for Jon.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Bryce, put that down!” Sasha snaps. Her attention shifts momentarily from our conversation to the little tan boyknocking down several boxes of Legos. She abandons my side to go stop him.
He’s not alone—Dominic stands by him in the same aisle witnessing the mayhem go down. Thankfully, my little six-year-old chocolate drop knows better than to misbehave at the toy store. He takes his role as a big brotherveryseriously, which means he’s often trying to set the best example for his smaller siblings, especially Rena.
My girl is my shadow, humming softly as she fusses with her favorite Barbie doll she bringseverywhere. Salvatore often jokes that I’ve been cloned and the end result was Serena. The tiny four-year-old looks exactly like me when I was her age, afro puffs and all.
And then there’s our newest addition to the Mancino family—two-year-old Dante who’s currently knocked out in the stroller I’ve brought on our shopping trip. He’s droolingandsnoring, much like his father when he falls asleep on the couch.
Sasha returns with Dominic and Bryce half a step behind her. Dominic seems amused while Bryce is pouting.
“As we were saying,” Sasha huffs. “Maybe we should move onto Cliffords. Nobody’s getting toys here.”
Bryce stomps his foot as if tempted to go into full-blown tantrum mode.
We leave the Toy Chest behind before he can.
Though the Galleria isn’t as crowded as it once was the day after Thanksgiving, that doesn’t mean the mall hasn’t made an attempt to be as festive as possible. Christmas decorations already grace every corner of the mall, from the gigantic forty-foot tree in the center to the twinkling lights and wreaths hung everywhere.
In the background, cheerful Christmas music plays, putting you in the mood for the season.
“Are you going to explain what you meant?” I ask minutes later, once we’re browsing the perfume and cologne counters inside Cliffords department store.
Sasha’s picked up a cologne she thought Stitches might like but after giving it a spritz, she makes a face of disgust and puts it right back. “I just meant… as long as I’ve known you both, you kind of do this.”
“Do what? Buy my husband a Christmas present?”
“No…” She pauses before her next words as if choosing them wisely. “You try to rope Salvatore into the whole holiday cheer thing.”
“So?”
“It doesn’t seem to be his thing.” She gives a shrug, moving onto the next cologne that catches her eye.
I raise both brows and then pick up a cologne I’ve noticed myself. It smells like spiced cedar and reads all wrong for Salvatore. “Is this you speaking, or is this whatStitchestold you?”
“Huh?”
“Sasha, have you forgotten I know Stitches pretty damn well? That’s exactly the kind of thing Stitches would pick up on.”
“Okay, so he’s mentioned it before. But you already knew too. SalvatorehatesChristmas.”
It’s true.
I was fourteen years old the first time I set eyes on Salvatore Jonathan Mancino. I watched him and his family move into the magnificent mansion down the block from my family’s home. My father immediately warned me and my brother, Marcel, to stay away from them at all costs.
Soon I learned that Salvatore’s upbringing was less than perfect.
It was about as far from perfect as you could get…