The question raised everyone's curiosity. Earl ripped the box open like it had offended him, leaving tiny paper pieces all over the floor. He revealed the gift which everyone was holding their breath to see, except for Ariel who had a scowl that was deeper than that of a grinch on christmas.
It was a small, battered toy car. Two wheels were missing, the paint on the words taxi was chipped, leaving only the letters A and X.
Earl stared at it. An old memory flickered faintly--his tiny hands pushing the toy car, laughter echoing at a party. It was the first gift she had ever given him, one that appropriate at that. But the warmth of that memory was drowned by the reminder of how he overheard his very own intoxicated mother had been laughing snidely only hours later, and she admitted to instructing one of the servants to give her a toy car that he had bought for his son.
She had called him a parasite and said he was lucky she even remembered his birthday at all.
