I Bought A Mountain Lion

Newsletter 2021-11-07

What’s in the box?

I didn’t expect it to be such a burning topic at the birthday party for my five-year-old, Waffle. Okay, I expected it a little. You can’t drop a mystery package the size of a smart car in the middle of a family gathering and think people won’t try to guess what’s inside. It loomed like a monolith over the decorative party bags offered by other, lesser gift givers. My mom in particular was curious. She grilled my daughters for information, but they held strong, although they did let it slip that they knew what was inside. That one bit of information drove the speculation into overdrive. Why would Waffle, who turns six in a few days, know what was in a gift at her own birthday party? If there was one person who should be in the dark, it was her. Unless the gift wasn’t for her at all. Mom asked me, but I also remained tight lipped. The anticipation reached fever pitch. My mom realized the box was big enough for a piece of furniture—like a crib. It didn’t help that the h…