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“Come on , Boots! We've been at this for hours! I'm exhausted, and feel like my other arm is about to fall off!”
“I'm almost done; I just need one more gift…” Amity trailed off, eyes scanning every shelf as she moseyed through them. “No, that's stupid, she wouldn't like that,” she muttered to herself.
“Well, could we at least stop for food? Lunch was forever ago, and I'm practically dead on my feet here,” Eda griped, kicking at one ankle with her boot.
Amity didn't hear her though, as she was too busy thinking. They were in the Human Realm gift shopping for their loved ones for the human holiday Christmas. What if the gift she got wasn't good enough? She couldn't afford not to please her mother-in-law-to-be. What if Camila thought she hadn't put in any effort into this? Amity could just imagine the disdainful look of disappointment, or perhaps an unsatisfied scowl of disapproval. Why was this so hard?
“Boots, you alright there?” Eda asked, and a hand on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts.
“I need to get this done!” she snapped, shrugging off Eda's hand and frowning heavily as she rounded the corner of the aisle they were in. “This is the most important thing, one of the main reasons we're here!”
“What's so important? And why didn't you get it first?” the older witch groaned as she caught up to her. She dug a nail into her ear underneath the bandana covering her head. “Could we at least sit down? Who's left on your list?”
Without answering, Amity pushed through the next crowded aisle, certain that she could find something here. Checking her list once again, she felt her stomach twist into yet another knot. She had been so sure that she would know the perfect gift when she saw it, but she was unable to find anything worthy enough for such a great woman.
It should be something she could use, she had told herself. Something that Camila wouldn't buy herself. It couldn't be some cheap knickknack, but also not something overly expensive either; she wasn't loaded with human money like she was with snails. If she were, then maybe she could have gotten her something really useful like new equipment for work. It had to be something she didn't already have. Amity couldn't think of anything to get her from the Demon Realm that Camila would like either, hence why they were scouring a Human Realm mall during the busiest time of the year.
It always blew her away how many more humans lived on Earth. It was just too many people in her opinion. Kicking herself for waiting this long to finish her gift shopping, Amity peeked down at her list once again as if it would provide some clue as to what she could get for Camila. She needed to find something soon, but had no idea what—
“Amity!”
A firm hand on her shoulder stopped her brisk walk through the store and Amity looked up in time to see an angry looking woman with a full shopping cart whisk past her. Amity turned around to look at Eda, wide eyed.
“Amity, are you okay?” Eda asked, her brows wrinkled with worry.
Amity opened her mouth to apologize, but nothing came out. Red faced, she clutched the gift bag in her hand closer to her, feeling the rough rope handles and her fingernails dig into her skin. Sucking in a sharp breath, she pushed past Eda, her eyes beginning to sting. Crumpling the paper list in her other hand, Amity darted out of the store. She heard Eda call out behind her but she didn't bother to stop, feeling like she couldn't breathe.
The mall was so packed, there weren't any seats or benches she could sit on, so she just found an empty space between stores and leaned against the wall to catch her breath, trying not to cry. A minute later– or maybe five minutes; she wasn't sure– Eda was before her, and Amity turned away, unwilling, or rather unable, to catch her eye. Sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, Amity dropped her crumpled list and the gift bag beside her and covered her eyes with her palms.
“Hey kiddo,” Eda began gently, a hand on her knee. Amity's throat dried up and she tried to swallow, feeling defeated and small. “What happened back there?”
Unable to say anything, Amity just shook her head. Why was it so hard to talk sometimes? She couldn't help it; words were so hard right now. She opened her mouth, trying to force out a response, but no words came out. She wanted to disappear into the floor. Dragging her fingers down her face, it was difficult not to scratch herself in her frustration. On the verge of tears, she glanced briefly at the older woman before her just as she reached for her crumpled list. Opening it up, Amity watched as Eda's eyes scanned the page.
“Oh,” she breathed, looking back up at Amity. Amity couldn't hold her gaze and looked away, feeling like an absolute failure. “Is this why you don't wanna leave yet?”
Amity nodded without making eye contact; it was equally as difficult as it was to try to talk. She was just thankful Eda wasn't screaming at her to stand up and use her words like Odalia had done for most of her life.
“Look, Mittens, I think we should call it a day,” Eda suggested, and Amity's face fell.
No, we can't leave yet! I still need a gift for Camila! Amity pulled her knees in closer, her body tense.
“You don't look so hot, and I'm sure we could both use a rest. How about we go back home and take a break? We can always try again when you're feeling a little better.”
No, no, no! We can't leave! Not until I find the perfect gift for Camila! She wanted to shout the words out loud, but still nothing came out. Closing her eyes, she finally shed tears she was desperately trying to hold back, silently cursing her lack of words. Wiping her face quickly, Amity tucked her head between her knees and wrapped her arms around her head.
“Okay kiddo, that's it. We're calling it a day. Come on, get up.” Eda stood up and collected their bags carefully on her hook and offered out her hand to Amity. Obediently, Amity took it in hers and rose to her feet. Sniffling loudly, she took the bags from Eda and allowed her to lead her out to the parking lot back to Luz's car. “That's it, Mittens; it's alright. Let's take a break.”
Amity could not speak the whole drive home.
————
Once safely back at the Owl House, Eda warmed up a cup of apple cider for them both. It had been an early gift from Luz, who had insisted it was great during cold weather and that it tasted similar to apple blood. Amity stared at the liquid in her mug, sighing heavily.
“Ahh, that's much better, isn't it?” Eda kicked off her feet and put her nubs up on the coffee table, sinking back into the couch. She took a swig of her cider and nearly spit it back into her mug, making a face. “ Ughh, that's not even close to apple blood!”
That managed to get a little chuckle out of Amity.
“It's not the hard stuff you like, Eda,” she murmured, setting her mug down to stare at the ceiling.
“She speaks! Glad at least one of us found that funny.” Eda wrinkled her nose. “I oughtta put some real apple blood in this,” she remarked, setting her mug down too. “Are ya feeling better now, kiddo?”
Amity sighed. “Not really. Thanks though, Eda.”
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
Amity took a deep breath. “I didn't want to leave the mall yet,” she started, looking back down at her hands.
“Is that why you were upset? You know we can always go back and look again when you're feeling better,” Eda reminded her again, turning to face her on the couch. “Anyone could see you needed a break.”
“Yeah, but I still don't know what to get her,” she lamented, her brows knitting unhappily.
“You know, if Camila were here, she would tell you she'd rather you take the time to take care of yourself, instead of worrying yourself to death,” she reminded her. “She would tell you you're more important than any gift you could give her.”
Amity sniffed a little; now that she was thinking a little more clearly, she knew Eda was right. Camila would rather she take care of herself instead of running herself ragged trying to please her. Feeling stupid, Amity let out a big sigh.
“I just want to show her how much I appreciate her. I need to find the perfect gift,” Amity insisted.
“ Why does it have to be perfect?” Eda asked gently. “You know she'd like anything you give her.”
“But what if she doesn't?” she cried, her voice breaking.
“Then it won't be the end of the world. Look, I promise no matter what you get her, she'll be happy you put the effort into it. It's Cami were talkin’ about here,” Eda chuckled. “What makes you so sure she wouldn't be happy with your gift?”
Because, I've never gotten a gift my own mother liked before, she thought, unable to say it aloud. Instead, she went with “It just needs to be perfect! If I can't even choose a gift that will make her happy, why would she be convinced I can make Luz happy?”
“Amity, you already make Luz the happiest girl in two worlds! Why would you think Camila can't see that?”
Because I'm a terrible daughter , she thought to herself, not realizing she had spoken the words aloud.
“You're a wonderful daughter, Amity. Anyone who can't see that isn't worth your time. And I know for a fact that Camila thinks you're something special,” she said sincerely. “C'mere, Mittens, come give me a hug.”
Amity fell into Eda gratefully, trying not to cry as she pet her hair back soothingly. She sucked in a shuddering breath, unable to hold back any longer and began to sob. After a few minutes, the tears subsided, and they sat quietly for a while until they were interrupted by a timer going off. Eda patted her shoulder and reattached her feet to get up. When she returned, she had a plate of cookies that she handed off to Amity.
“Eat up, kiddo. I know you could probably do with a real meal, but I figured cookies would be nice with the cider.”
Amity set the plate down on the coffee table and grabbed one for herself, picking up her mug once more. Licking her lips, she took a bite, feeling warm all over.
“Mmm, Eda! What's in these?” she gushed, covering her mouth as she chewed.
“Firebee honey, brown sugar, among other things. Pretty good, eh? My own recipe.”
Amity nodded enthusiastically. Eda left once more and came back with a jug of apple blood, and topped up her cup with it, swirling it around. As Eda reached for a cookie, a question crossed Amity's mind.
“Did you… did you get anything for Camila?” she asked timidly.
“Of course I got her somethin'!” Eda exclaimed, as if that was a silly thing to ask. Granted, it was.
“Well what did you get her?”
“A jug of spiced apple blood and a scarf that looks like Hooty.”
“That's ridiculous! Did you… make the scarf yourself?”
“Of course I did, you can't buy that kind of thing.” Eda dipped the cookie into her mug and threw it in her mouth whole.
“Huh… I see,” she trailed off, lost in thought once more. Now that she was feeling a little more in control of herself, and more importantly, sure of herself, Amity was thinking about her own gift again. “And you think she'll use it?”
“I don't know about that, but I'm sure she'll like the novelty of it, at least.” Eda shrugged. “I mean, it gets pretty cold in the Human Realm this time of year, and a scarf is a scarf. Either way, I won't be hurt if she doesn't use it.”
“Right,”
“Have you got any ideas on what to get her? Or asked anyone for help choosing a present?” Eda asked.
“Well, I figured it should be something she would use, or something she wouldn't get for herself usually,” she explained, and Eda nodded. “I couldn't think of anything she would want from the Demon Realm, and I thought if we went to a store in the Human Realm, I'd know it when I saw it.”
“But nothing spoke to you, huh?”
“Exactly.” Amity sighed despondently. “I don't know, if I can't settle on something, I'm afraid I'll end up with nothing to give her.”
“Don't be silly, Boots. You'll think of something. Here, what kind of things do you think she likes?” Eda prompted, pulling one leg onto the couch so she could face Amity.
“Well, I know she likes animals, and helping them. And she likes food. And Cosmic Frontier, too.”
“Which one is that again?” Eda squinted, trying to remember.
“The one about going into the stars and stuff. It's that series Gus and Hunter like too.”
“Right, right.” Eda looked as if she still didn't know what she was talking about, but Amity didn't elaborate, and she didn't ask any further questions. “What else do you think she likes?”
“Well, um, she likes animal documentaries? I guess that goes back to liking animals too though, right?”
“Yeah, I suppose. I think you missed a big thing, though,” Eda said casually, taking a drink from her cup.
“What? What'd I miss?” she asked anxiously, snapping her head up to stare at Eda.
“She loves her family too, ya dingus!” Eda chuckled. “And that means you too, if you hadn't guessed yet.”
“Oh, right,” Amity blushed in embarrassment. She scratched her temple self-consciously. “But I can't give her me for Christmas!”
“No, but you could spend time with her. But I think whatever you go with, she'll love it regardless, okay?” she reassured her with a smile.
“Okay, thanks, Eda,” she said, finally feeling hopeful again.
“Have you talked to Luz about this yet?” Eda queried, an eyebrow raised.
“Well, not exactly…” Amity trailed off. “I did ask the twins, and I thought they had good ideas. They're the ones who told me to get her something useful.”
“Maybe ask for her help? She'll probably be the best person to get help from, y'know,” Eda pointed out sensibly. “And Luz would probably love to help out; you know how she is.”
“You're right, I probably should've asked her first.”
“Look, I don't think you can lose here. Just let me know if you wanna try going back out again, and I will be happy to give you a hand with whatever you need, ‘kay kiddo?”
Amity nodded gratefully. “Thank you Eda, for everything,”
“No problem, Mittens,”
————
Over the next two weeks, Amity put a lot of thought into her gift for Camila, and she ended up settling on a homemade gift basket. Just as Eda had predicted, Luz had been ecstatic to help her fill it with things she thought Camila would like. In the end, Amity was feeling very proud of herself, and had almost eliminated any lingering doubts in her mind about Camila not liking it. Almost.
When Christmas day rolled around and everyone had gathered at the Noceda household to celebrate, Amity's nerves had nearly gotten the better of her. After a lovely brunch cooked by Vee and Camila, it was finally time to open presents. Like the matron that she was, Camila herself handed out the gifts from under the tree, announcing who each gift was for and who they came from. Amity's gift to Camila was fairly large, so it had been tucked further under the tree than the smaller gifts, and Amity couldn't help but drum her fingers on her lap nervously as she waited.
“Hey sweet potato, you alright?” Luz whispered, leaning forward in her seat on the couch to whisper in her ear. Amity leaned on Luz's knee and she pet Amity's hair back lovingly.
“Yes, batata, I just want her to open it already.” She smiled as Gus opened up a new Cosmic Frontier cosplay outfit made by Hunter.
“She'll love it Ams, I promise,” Luz reassured her, and Amity nodded.
“I know, I know,”
Amity watched as gift after gift was opened, none of them by Camila as she was too busy handing out gifts to open her own. Eda had made a Titan-themed hat and gloves set for Luz, Gus got a model Cosmic Frontier ship from Willow, and Willow got a potted red poinsettia plant from Camila. Vee got new shoes from Luz, Hunter got two shirts featuring wolves from Camila and a bundle of socks, and Eda got a surprisingly large jug of apple blood from King somehow, despite him not being the legal age to purchase such a thing.
Only once most of the presents had been doled out and each of the kids assembled had a decent sized pile of opened presents had Camila been convinced to open up her own gifts. Everyone had gotten her something, and so had their parents.
Camila opened up Eda's gift first and had a good chuckle at the spiced apple blood and Hooty scarf. Picking up Hunter's gift next, she found that she also got a new Cosmic Frontier outfit, also made by Hunter himself. She had gotten really excited to know he had made himself one as well, so they could dress up together for the next Cosmic Convention.
“I love it, mijo, thank you! I can't wait to try it on!” she exclaimed, smiling widely as Hunter blushed under the praise, but Amity did not miss the way his shoulders deflated as he left out a sigh of relief. Amity could only hope for her to react the same way, not sure her gift could possibly top Hunter's.
But it's not a competition, she reminded herself.
Her anxiety only grew as Camila worked through the pile, and Amity worried a loose thread on the carpet beneath her, sending the occasional furtive glance around the room. Catching Eda's eye, the older witch gave her a wink as she pet King's skull idly, as if to say, ‘she's gonna love it'. Amity nodded almost imperceptibly, but of course Luz noticed and gave her a gentle squeeze around the shoulders. Confidence renewed, Amity sat up a little straighter and took a deep breath.
There is no reason she won't love it, she told herself firmly. She loves you and appreciates your effort. She will enjoy the gift you've prepared, and she’ll still love you even if she doesn't.
Looking back to Camila, she realized she had opened all but Amity's gift and was reaching for it next. Excitement and fear bubbled up inside her, and she reached for Luz's hand still resting on her shoulder, squeezing it tightly.
“Ooh, this one's a little heavy,” Camila commented with a smile as she turned the basket around to face her. She read the tag aloud to the room, “Let's see here… From Amity and Luz!”
With all the help she had gotten, Amity didn't feel right putting only her name on the tag. It was only proper to give credit to her fiancée as well, even if Luz had told her she didn't mind.
“It was all Amity's idea; I only helped a little,” Luz chuckled, squeezing her shoulder gently again. Reassuringly.
“And what a great help you were, batata,” she admitted with a blush. “I couldn't have done as good a job without it, that's for sure.”
“Aww girls!” Camila gushed, smiling. “Gracias, mijas, ¡buen trabajo! Let's see what's in here.”
Camila unwrapped the basket and smiled fondly as she laid eyes on the assortment of goods. There were several items for an at home spa such as lotions, face masks, and scented candles, as well as what Luz had called ‘bath bombs’, and while Amity wasn't entirely sure what that meant, Luz had assured her they weren't actual explosives. She had also included a comfortable mat and waterproof pillow set for the tub as well, to use with the bath bombs. Nestled in the center of the basket was a smaller basket that held an assortment of homemade baked goods which Luz and Amity had made together.
“Snacks as well? You've really outdone yourself, girls!” Camila grinned at them.
“Well, you can thank Luz for that. I don't think the smell of burnt brownies has cleared out of our kitchen just yet!” Amity giggled, blushing in embarrassment. “And you can thank Eda for the cookies; she's the one who gave us the recipe for those.”
“Either way, mija, it was very thoughtful of you. Thank you so much,” she praised, getting up to cross the room.
She and Luz stood up and Camila pulled Amity into a massive hug, rocking them from side to side slightly.
“Gracias, cariño. I love it, and I love you,” she murmured into Amity's ear, and Amity nearly broke then and there.
“You m-mean it?” she asked quietly, holding her breath.
Camila rubbed her back soothingly, and Amity could hear the sincerity in her voice. “Of course I mean it, Amity. It's so kind of you to think of my wellbeing. And I can't wait to test out that bath mat,” she smiled heartily. “Thank you,”
“Thank you, mom,” she whispered back, managing to hold her composure. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, mija.” Camila gave her a kiss on the cheek and turned to Luz next as Amity sat back down, trying not to cry. Camila's reaction was so foreign to her, Amity didn't know what to do with herself. Luz sat down a moment later and tapped her on the shoulder as Camila moved around the room to give everyone else a hug and thank them for their presents, and Amity looked up at her.
“See, sweet potato? I told you she would love it,” Luz smiled and Amity sniffed happily.
“Yeah, I know, I know,” Amity giggled through her tears. “I feel silly. I should've known she would be happy.” Luz leaned down and wrapped her arms around her lovingly, giving her a comforting squeeze. “I don't know why I was ever worried.”