It was Christmas morning. I had picked out all my presents from under the tree and piled them up for me to begin opening when someone plopped down right in front of them and spoke.

“I’m opening your presents.”

I smiled and snapped a picture of Delaney with my camera, which was getting plenty of use by photographing the members of my family as they sat around waiting for everyone else to get their presents gathered.

I absent-mindedly fiddled with the exposure settings. “No, you’re not. They’re my presents.”

I quickly glanced up when I heard Del scoot a tissue-wrapped package from Little Gloriana over to her. “Too late, Madi Grace Pouty Face.”

I frowned, then realized that was proving her case. Instead, I glared and snapped another photo. “Don’t think I’m not going to document this whole shebang.”

Delaney stripped away the pink tissue and held up two doll dresses. “Good. Let the world attempt to witness my epicness.”

I snickered, snapping a photo. “Wait, why are there two? I only picked out one.”

Del shrugged and tossed the dresses in a pile. “They gave you an extra one for being awesome? Wait, no, that can’t be. You’re anything but.”

Del pulled away the paper of another gift and pulled up a watery blue swimsuit. “Yay, you finally found a bathing suit that’s modest! I was worried I was gonna have to go swimming in a t-shirt and shorts this summer. Not that I care about fashion or anything.”

I laughed and pressed the shutter button, catching Del’s bored and tired look. “Sorry ’bout all the doll bikinis.”

Before I knew it, Del was shrugging into a black leather biker jacket, hat, and belt. “No way!” She laughed, hooking her thumbs into the pockets of her skinny jeans. “This is wicked awesome! You got this for me, didn’t you?”

Smiling, I snapped another photo. “How did you know?”

Delaney pulled a burgundy-colored shirt out of a package and stretched it. “This is nice. Josefina would like it.”

“Teal and artsy. Chloe or Ellie would appreciate this. I would not.”

I laughed. “Then you don’t have to wear it, silly.”

When Delaney pulled out the AG nail polish, a whole bunch of barfing and gagging noises were involved. “You’re kidding me, right?”

I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t get that for you.”

Due to the amount of my squealing and smiling, I think I was more interested in these Christian doll shirts than Del was. “I had to hurry and order these—there were a few left and already in multiple people’s carts.”

Delaney shrugged. “Whatever.”

Delaney laughed and spread multiple items out for me to photograph. “Somebody really likes Lorelie Creations. And they gave you four free things for no reason!”

My dad looked up. “With the money you’ve sown into the Gospel this year, it’s no wonder God is moving on people’s hearts to bless you with free stuff.”

“Awwww!” I snapped another picture of Del holding up a necklace that went with one of the outfits. “That’s so sweet.”

Del tossed the necklace aside and stepped in front of the camera lens. “See if that thing can handle snapping another photo of my radiating epicness.”

Click. I pressed the shutter button and smirked. “It could barely handle your conceitedness.”

Delaney cast a glance at the growing pile of doll clothes. “Geez, Madison. Did you ask for anything else this year?”

I laughed and took a photo of the pile. “I couldn’t find anything else I wanted.”

Delaney held up a gray cardigan and a black-and-white plaid dress. “Jasmine would love this dress, and Ellie would kill for this cardigan, don’t you think?”

“You should try the cardigan on.”

“No way. Looks depressing.”

“What is this?” Del asked as she tore the wrapping paper of a rectangularly-shaped gift. “Maybe it’s something other than doll clothes!”

Del’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What even is this?”

I took a picture. “That, my oh-so-smart Del, is an earring tree.”

Delaney glanced up at me and snickered. “Your crafting skills or lack thereof couldn’t suffice?”

I hmphed at the thought of my current mediocre way to store my dolls’ many earrings. “We don’t mention those skills.”

“Or lack thereof,” Del corrected.

Then she held up a flowy summery top. “Oh, Ellie would love this.”

Del turned another tissue-wrapped package around and showed me the label. “To Madi, from Family,” she mimicked. “TOO BAD! PREPARE TO BE OPENED BY THE TERRORS OF DEL.”

I blinked. “Uh.”

Del stretched her arm out to hold up a jean jacket. “Oh, finally. Now we can stop enduring through your on-and-on complaints about how you don’t have a doll jean jacket because now you do.”

“Are nice sentences even in your vocabulary?”

Del began laughing hysterically before holding up the last thing she opened up for me to photograph. “Oh, I love this. I love this. Who’d you order this for?”

I wink. “Who do you think?”

Del tossed the shirt on the pile and grinned. “Anything else for me to open for you? This is fun.”

I shook my head. “Nope. That’s the last of it. Your fun is over.”

Del hopped on the pile and waved at my camera. “Oh, no. It’s only just begun.”

Then she leapt off and dashed to my dolls’ room, a sneaky scheme no doubt forming in her mind.

To be continued… in “In Which We Raid Madison’s Christmas Presents”

Or a title something along those lines ’cause I’m indecisive. XD

What did you get for Christmas?

P.S. I was blessed to be able to feed and provide shelter for three families of the last surviving Christians in Iraq with half of my Christmas present budget money. If you want to help us help our persecuted brothers and sisters, check out any of the Amazon links on my sidebar!