"You don't want to look dorky in front of her parents and your friends."
Tina was looking at Chris with a weird gaze, Chris, on the other hand, looked confused.
"Wearing a suit is dorky?"
"In a friend's birthday party? Yeah, it's pretty dorky. Let's go with a black turtleneck and a beige or white fur trench coat. You're very tall, so this will look nice on you. How much money do you have?"
Tina walked ahead and looked around the mall. It's been a while since she came to a mall like this, and her hands were free. Chris was carrying Lena in his arms, and his black jacket now has small palm prints of white chocolate.
"I have, let's say, three to four thousand dollars to spare."
Chris said he wanted to look presentable but also didn't want to spend excessively. People usually buy with credit cards when they shop for Christmas and pay it later on monthly installments, so this can be considered a small spending.
Tina looked at him with a shocked gaze, her feet stopped, and Chris almost bumped into her, hearing his budget, she looked at him from head to toe as if guessing what would actually look cooler on him.
"Alright, let's go to Macy's, it will burn half your money."
Tina grabbed his free hand and walked ahead a bit excitedly, she used to love shopping, but nowadays that hobby has died down. She was actually looking forward to buying him something very nice.
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05.35 PM.
"The boy I know is not this careless."
Mr. Howard, who was now wearing a royal blue three-piece suit with a black tie and a white shirt, looked at Grace and said he was seated in the main hall of his big mansion.
In front of him sat Grace with a deep green strapless long dress, which looked very modest and beautiful on her. You can't tell apart Grace and Faith if both wear the same dress, but Faith walked downstairs with her oversized hoodie and baggy jeans.
"I… It's possible that he thought, I am having a party with friends, and he will come late because he doesn't like big parties."
Grace stammered in front of her father's presence, she looked guilty and peeked at her father from time to time.
"How is that possible?"
Grey-haired Robert Howard was visibly confused, he understood that some people won't feel good with many people, but how can the boy assume such a thing? It was after all a family dinner.
"Because our little Grace lied to him, it's our 18th birthday, and she wanted him to come but made a scene for sure. That's why such roundabout isn't right, little sister?"
Faith sat beside her father and leaned back leisurely, her shoulders were slightly touching her father's arm to show how innocent she was in this.
"What?!! I've spoiled you rotten. If today was not your birthday, I would have grounded you right here."
Robert was furious, he gritted his teeth in anger. Standing up from the couch, he went upstairs.
"Faith, call me when the boy arrives, we can't disrespect him."
Robert's voice boomed across the hall even after Grace and Faith couldn't see him anymore.
"Why are you gleeing? You're just a minute older."
"Still Older"
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Chris was now standing in front of a full-size mirror, wearing a black cashmere turtleneckwith black cotton micro-patterned pants and lace-up matte black boots.
"This looks perfect, now you just need a long trench coat-style fur coat, and you're good to go."
Tina walked up to him with a proud look in her eyes, she was proud of her choices and how good Chris looked. Both of her hands were full, one had Lena, and on the other hand was lots of shopping. They have shopped a lot, and Chris has burned almost his entire budget on perfume, belts, two suits, and many more things.
"I don't like the coats here. I have spent about $3700 already, which is nice. Now you follow me."
Chris looked at the Macy's coat section, and he didn't like the coat here at all. He walked ahead, and Tina followed him with a curious gaze. Chris entered the baby section and pulled out a small pink-colored fur hooded coat for Lena.
"This? This is $200, I can't take it."
Tina refused outright, she was not going to take something from Chris for helping him out.
Chris didn't care, he had already paid for this stuff, so he just took the shopping bag in his hand with a smile and then walked into the women's section. He bought a long puffer coat with shearling trim for Tina and flat boots to make her outfit complete.
"This… it's too expensive, Chris. I can't take these."
Tina said she thought he was asking her to try them for fun, but after seeing him buying them casually, she was panicking.
"Shhhh! It's a Christmas present for you and Lena. Merry Christmas."
Chris smiled and replied, he has seen her working hard, even after working hours. The clothes she has would keep her warm, but they were all tight clothes she had, and people would ogle her every time she was out without their red uniform. She doesn't even have proper boots.
It's not like 'Harper Dine' paid her less, it's more like she was deep in debt and was trying to clear her way out of it.
"T…Thank you."
Tina looked at him with a determined face, although her eyes were moist, and if she even blinked, tears would roll down, she looked fierce like a warrior.
"Alright, I will wait by the car, you and Lena can come after you guys are properly warm."
Chris took the shopping bags in his hand with a smooth motion and left the mother and daughter with their new Christmas present.
As Chris walked out of the store, a big drop of a tear rolled down from Tina's left cheek, her face was the same stoic, but two more drops formed in her eyes. Wiping it off, she smiled at Lena and went to the trial room.
Their next destination was Burlington Coat Factory. Chris placed the shopping bags by the car seat in the back seat, then realized it was too cold without his jacket on, and his jacket was somewhere in those shopping bags.
"Let's go."
Tina's voice came over as he was about to enter the car and turn the heater on. He looked back, and Lena in her new thick coat looked very cute, and Tina looked very comfortable wearing proper clothes in the weather.