Chapter Four

    "All right, all right," Ringo said, clapping his hands and herding his family members around their kitchen. "Let's get this show on the road. Tomorrow's the big day at the Harrison household so let's make sure we've got everyone's presents."

    "Also, make sure the name tags are on the right presents," Barbara pointed out. "We don't want to have an episode like last time."

    Zak started giggling and it wasn't long before the other two joined in the cackling fest. Ringo stood there for a few moments before laughing as well.

    "I still remember John's face expression!" Ringo laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. "He honestly thought we'd gotten him a Barbie doll!"

    Barbara looked at him pointedly. "And it was all because you put the wrong name tag on the package."

    "Well, that's what happens when someone makes you wrap presents until midnight. I'm not even sure I spelled all their names right. "Dhani" probably turned into "Denny" and "Julian" probably ended up as "Jillian." "

    Barbara stared at him for a few moments before turning to Zak and saying, "Check the tags to see if everyone's names are spelled right."

    "Gotcha," Zak said and left the room.

    Ringo sat down at the kitchen table and started wrestling with more wrapping paper, trying to get the last of the gifts wrapped. Most of them were done, but there were still that needed wrapping since they'd run out of paper and had had to go to the store. He unrolled a length of the paper, just then realizing what was on it.

    "Barb," he said in regret.

    "What?"

    "This wrapping paper has hearts on it," he said, staring at it in disbelief. "I think this is Valentine's Day wrapping."

    "I didn't even know they made that," Barbara said, looking at it with contempt before turning the gaze onto him. "You had one job, Richard."

    "Well, I was so tired and strung-out, I just picked up one at random. And, technically, this paper malfunction is Walmart's fault. I mean, who in their right mind puts Valentine's Day wrapping out in December? December!"

    "Calm down," Barbara said. "We can just put it in a bag."

    "Oh, really?" Ringo said, eyebrows knitting together. "A fishing pole is going to fit in a bag?"

    "Jason, bring some markers in here. We'll turn these hearts into Santas," Barbara said.

    "Ooh, yay!" Lee said, joining them. "I want to help."

    Ringo's phone started quacking like a duck, which meant he must have gotten a message. He pulled it out and tried to unlock it, but it repeatedly denied his fingerprint. "Barbara, my phone isn't taking my fingerprint."

    "The button might be worn out. Just type in your code."

    "I forgot my code."

    "I remember your code," Lee said.

    "Do share this information," Ringo said desperately.

    "It's, "123456," " she said, amusement clear in her voice.

    "Oh, yeah, I remember that now," he said, typing it in. He sighed. "It's John."

    "What are their shoe sizes?" Ringo asked, gesturing to Lee and in the direction the boys had gone in.

    "Well, Zak wear a ten and a half, Jason wears a twelve, and Lee wears a six," Barbara said just as Jason came in with a box full of markers.

    "He wears a twelve?" Ringo asked incredulously, pointing at their middle son. "He's only thirteen!"

    Barbara shrugged.

    Ringo started typing painstakingly slow.

    Zak came in and informed them all the presents were labeled correctly and sat down to assist them turning the hearts into some oddly shaped Santa Clauses.

    "Kids, Uncle John's buying you shoes so you're going to wear them whenever you see him," Ringo told them, sliding the phone in his pocket.

    "Every time?" Lee said, raising her eyebrows.

    "Yes, because if you don't he'll feel bad," Ringo said. "You don't want Uncle John to feel bad, do you?"

    "I didn't know he had feelings," Zak said as he drew the outline of Santa's beard.

    "He does in fact have feelings, Zak," Ringo said pointedly. "How could you say such a thing?"

    Zak shrugged.

    Ringo's phone quacked once again.

    "Now George wants to know your shoe sizes," Ringo said in exasperation. "Kids, you're going to be getting a lot of new shoes."

    "Will we have to wear them every time we see him, too?" Jason asked.

    "Yes."

    "I have a question," Lee said, making her heart Santa had stick legs and arms. "What if we see them both at the same time? Will we have to wear Uncle John's shoe on one foot and Uncle George's shoe on the other?"

    Ringo thought for a moment. "That's one way to kill two Beatles with one stone."

    Barbara grinned at him.

    Ringo put his phone back in his pocket, and looked at the wrapping paper. Lee's Santa looked like a fat, Goth stickman, Jason's was wielding a chain saw and wore a hockey mask, and Zak's was flying a kite for some reason.

    Ringo nodded and smiled. "Ah, I see the Santas are coming along nicely! No one will ever notice that this was Valentine's Day wrapping paper."

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