"Thanks, Roo! And a million thanks, Rose!"
She was beside herself with excitent, her eyes brimming with gratitude as she looked at Rosemary.
Sure enough, whatever Rosemary said was like a royal decree to her big brother.
Her sis-in-law was seriously sothing else!
"Rose! You’re the best!" Cathy exclaid, unable to contain herself as she rushed forward and hugged Rosemary tightly. "From this mont on, you’re my true sis-in-law, Cathy’s own flesh and blood. No one else cos close! Nobody’s gonna ss with you on my watch!"
"Sure are quick to claim family," Roo remarked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Well, you’re my big brother, and she’s my sis-in-law. We’re all part of the McMillian family. It’s only right I acknowledge that, isn’t it?"
Roo was at a loss for words, not expecting Cathy to be so eager to strengthen their ties.
"Rose, I owe you a dinner!" Cathy whispered to Rosemary, then announced more formally, "Hey, let add you on WhatsApp, okay?"
"Nice try," Roo interjected, pulling Rosemary into his arms protectively. "Don’t think you can start paving the way for future favors."
How did he know she wanted to keep a line open to invite Rosemary for dinner later? She had indeed wanted to leave a contact option for future outings.
Rosemary took out her phone and opened her WhatsApp.
"Don’t give it to her."
Just as Roo tried to block the QR code, Cathy swiftly scanned it and dashed away, promptly adding Rosemary as a contact.
Roo was left dumbfounded.
"Rose, I’m gonna pull you into our sibling chat and the family group," Cathy announced, adding Rosemary to their tight-knit group chats, including the extended family one.
Roo had previously been reluctant to add Rose to the family group, not wanting her to be pestered by relatives.
The next thing they knew, Jennifer ca looking for Rosemary, overhearing their conversation. She chid in happily, "Yes, yes, yes, let’s bring Rose in. We’re all family here. I’ll send more gifts"
"Yay!" Cathy was over the moon.
Jennifer then made a gift list in the group chat.
Cathy walked away, tapping her phone screen furiously to collect the gifts, and called out, "Rose, why aren’t you joining in? Get your phone out, quick!"
"What are you doing?" Roo pulled Rosemary closer, visibly annoyed by Cathy’s touchy behavior. Cathy had just patted Rosemary’s arm, trying to get her to join in the group.
"Keep your distance from my wife."
Rosemary laughed softly and pulled out her phone, diving into her first gift grab frenzy.
In their private sibling chat, Jeffery and Luna also sent gifts as a warm welco.
"You missed one," Roo pointed out, indicating another gift card on Rosemary’s screen.
Jeffery watched them from a distance, a flicker of sadness dimming the light in his eyes.
Rose had just joined the family group chat, and Phillip couldn’t have been more ecstatic as he lounged on the living room couch. "I’m about to make it rain gift cards for her." he bead with delight.
Shirley, too, was gripped by her phone, her fingers dancing as she typed in amounts, determined to send more gifts that would outdo Phillip’s. "My storm’s gotta be bigger than yours."
"Could you two maybe leave so for the rest of us!" George grumbled, venting to his wife, "How do their fingers move that fast? I just sent one, and it’s like they buried it alive."
"Buried alive? Stop distracting ," Jennifer snapped, even more focused. "Tonight, I’m gonna make sure Rose feels just how much we value her!"
Tomas and Donna were also busy in the group chat, sending their own gifts.
"You guys need to cool it." Tomas half-joked, "We’re getting completely overshadowed here!"
"Yeah, hold off for a bit, will ya? Let us get a few in, okay?"
When Rosemary walked into the living room, she was greeted by a scene of six adults, all engrossed in their phones, fiercely sending gift in the chat.
"Rose’s right here, can’t we just give her a big one in person?" Roo, standing next to Rosemary, was sowhat speechless at his relatives’ antics.
It dawned on Phillip and Shirley then. Oh right, they’d prepared a hefty gift card for Rosemary!
George and Jennifer, Tomas and Donna, all rembered and handed Rosemary their generous gifts, wishing her a Happy New Year.
"Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa," Rosemary said, accepting the gift cards and thanking each in turn,
"Thanks."
"Silly girl, no need for formalities with family." Jennifer was overjoyed to see her accept the gifts.
The other adults then distributed gifts to the younger family mbers. Cathy, upon seeing that her gift was smaller and less substantial than Rosemary’s, couldn’t help but confront her own parents, "Dad,Mom, can’t you be impartial? How can you be okay with giving such a tiny gift card?"
She was their own daughter, after all!
"Of course we’re okay with it," Tomas and Donna responded, not seeing anything amiss.
Cathy then looked pleadingly towards her grandparents.
Her own parents might not dote on her, but surely her grandparents would be more generous. Yet even they handed over a gift card that was notably modest.
"Rose’s new here, so naturally the gift is a bit more generous. You’re old enough to appreciate getting one at all," Phillip said with a bias that might as well have stretched to the Pacific.
She was younger than Rosemary!
Cathy felt a sting but then turned to her aunt and uncle.
Cathy was touched but then noticed that Jennifer’s gift cards, like the others given to the younger family mbers, were different from Rosemary’s.
"Rose’s going to be my daughter-in-law, so I gave a little extra. You don’t mind, do you?" Jennifer’s smile didn’t waver.
In the past, their family group chat was never this lively, nor did it ever ’rain’ gift cards like this.
Seeing Cathy glued to Rosemary’s side, Roo couldn’t help but tease, "Can’t you go count your bounty sowhere else?"
"Can’t I even chat with my sis-in-law for a minute?" Cathy retorted with a rebellious flair, her voice tinged with defiance. "I hardly cling to her. Grandma and Grandpa chatted her up way more just now.
Why don’t you send them off to count their gift in the corner?"
Roo’s gaze hardened, and Cathy quickly grabbed Rosemary’s hand, pleading for help. "Rose."
The unspoken ssage was clear: Save ! Roo’s about to go off on again!
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