The Gift
Jennifer glanced at her watch and wondered where her friend was. Standing outside the local electronics store, she was impatient to get this over with. Her boyfriend’s birthday was the next day and she still couldn’t decide what to get him. She knew this was an important moment in their relationship. She had recently graduated from high school and moved in with John, her senior by 3 years, and they had already spoken of spending the rest of their lives together. His turning 21 not only marked an important moment in his life, but was also the first time they could officially celebrate an occasion as an adult couple. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find anything appropriate. She had already considered everything from a trip to a new watch, but they didn’t seem to fit the right mood. She had always been bad at this gift thing. She knew he put on a good face when he had opened previous presents. But she could see his disappointment sneaking through as he held up socks or a new CD. And whenever he gave gifts to her, they always seemed to be the perfect thing for the moment, gifts that inevitably brought tears to her eyes. ...