Early on the morning after Christmas, Nick's family woke up. Because they were leaving, the household was naturally a little down, especially since the peak of the holiday season was still in full swing.
His younger sister, Lily, had red eyes several times and kept pouting, clearly upset with him. His stepmother, Helen, mostly offered practical advice while packing a mountain of food for him: homemade smoked ham, cured sausages, as well as some pulled pork and braised beef she had made herself. She tried to pack absolutely everything she could, and Nick only managed to stop her after physically blocking the trunk several times.
Although his father, Harold, didn't say much, he occasionally helped move the boxes. It was clear from his expression that he was incredibly reluctant to see his son go. Nick felt just as terrible; he certainly wished he could stay a few more days, but his schedule was already locked in and couldn't be changed.
Counting the day he arrived, Nick had only stayed home for a total of three days. In reality, he had only spent one full day with his parents. Yesterday, on Christmas Day, he had to drive out to visit his uncle's and grandmother's houses to pay holiday respects. Since he hadn't been back in several years, it was a family obligation he absolutely had to fulfill.
His uncle's family kept him until very late, and his grandmother held his hand tight, constantly tearing up. Several times when Nick tried to say his goodbyes, they persuaded him to stay just a little longer. His grandmother was getting up there in years; although she seemed to be in good spirits during this visit, her hair was noticeably much whiter than before.
When Nick was little, whenever he felt frustrated or overwhelmed at home, he loved running over to his uncle's and grandmother's place, so he shared a deep bond with them. Even after graduating college and entering the workforce, he would occasionally call his grandmother and uncle. However, once his career took off, the frequency of those calls naturally decreased.
It wasn't until it was pitch black outside that Nick finally managed to leave his uncle's house. Before heading out the door, he left an envelope for his grandmother and one for his uncle, each containing a check for $200,000.
Initially, Nick had thought about combining the money since they lived under the same roof, but later decided it was better to keep them separate. After all, if the money was lumped together, whoever wanted to use it might feel restricted or awkward. Furthermore, his uncle's side involved his aunt and cousin, making the family finances complicated, so Nick simply split the funds.
Giving them the money wasn't about flashing his wealth; it was simply that he was grown up now, and it was time for him to start taking care of the people who had raised him. His grandmother and uncle's family had taken great care of him over the years and he cared about them.
Nick had actually considered giving a larger amount, but on second thought, he felt it was inappropriate; a steady, gradual flow was better. Throwing too much cash at someone all at once could actually cause unnecessary family drama. It was better to take things slow. While $200,000 wasn't an astronomical corporate fortune, it was a substantial amount of money, and in their quiet, lower-tier city, they could live incredibly comfortably on it.
As for the $200,000 given to his grandmother, the intention was simply for her to have financial security and a comfortable retirement portfolio. Although her frugal nature meant she probably wouldn't bear to spend it on herself, having that kind of financial backing would at least significantly improve her standing and leverage with her daughter-in-law.
Nick also left money for the rest of his extended family. He had originally planned to visit his eldest uncle's house on Christmas Eve to hand it over, but unexpectedly, they had showed up at his place first. So, when they left, Nick directly slipped the money into the jacket pocket of his cousin Kevin's young son. It was also a check for $200,000, ensuring complete fairness across the board.
As for his immediate household, Nick directly slipped a check into his stepmother Helen's hand, without mentioning the exact amount. He had originally intended to give it to his father, but considering Harold's personality—the kind of guy who would likely loan money to any random friend or distant relative who asked with a sob story—Nick handed it straight to Helen instead.
Compared to his father, his stepmother was much more rational and level-headed. It could be said that the family's stable financial situation today was entirely due to Helen's careful management. Helen initially refused to take it, but after Nick pushed back, she reluctantly accepted, repeatedly promising that she would save it all for him and that he could take it right back whenever he needed capital for his business.
As for the local project investment his eldest uncle Peter had mentioned, Nick did not directly shoot it down. Instead, citing his demanding corporate schedule and lack of personal time, Nick handed the entire matter over to his father to manage. Refusing a relative directly during the holidays would cause a major loss of face and completely ruin the family atmosphere. By handing it over to his father, Nick felt reassured, and Uncle Peter would accept the delay.
His father was deeply familiar with the local business landscape and had lived there his entire life, so Nick knew Harold would know exactly what was safe to invest in. After his uncle's family left, Nick also told his father not to worry about turning a massive profit; as long as the project looked legitimate, just invest a modest amount as a token of goodwill. Since their family had moved into the luxury development anyway, Nick didn't have deep ties to the old town anymore regardless.
After eating a final family meal of homemade dumplings together, Nick began loading up his bags. The entire household immediately became active again, and his younger sister's eyes welled up with tears once more.
Seeing this, Nick smiled, pulled her close, and ruffled her short hair, saying, "Be good. Once your high school finals are over this summer, I'll bring you, Mom, and Dad down to Tampa to have an amazing summer vacation."
"Fine, I'll definitely study hard for the tests," Lily mumbled, looking down at her shoes, clearly miserable.
Nick pinched her slightly chubby cheek and whispered, "The smart-home speaker I set up for you can connect directly to the system at my penthouse. If you miss me, you can call or video chat with me anytime you want."
"Really? Thanks, Nick!" Lily instantly beamed, her mood flipping in a second.
"What are you two whispering about? Nick, don't go promising her any ridiculous rewards. She has major exams this year, and with her current grades, it'll be tough enough just to get into a decent college prep school," Helen said, giving Lily a stern look.
Lily made a funny face and quickly sprinted away.
"She might be a bit playful, but she's really smart," Nick said with a smile, watching Lily run off. "I promised her that after finals, I'd bring the whole family down to my place for the summer. My penthouse is massive anyway, plenty of room for everyone to stay comfortably. You guys can take a real vacation and have some fun; Tampa has a ton of great spots."
"That girl just causes so much stress," Helen sighed, then held up a paper bag. "I packed you some organic mushrooms and dried herbs. These are wild goods your dad got through some local connections up in the mountains. Take them back with you."
"No need, Helen, keep them for yourselves. I can get whatever I need down in the city," Nick quickly declined.
"What do you mean, 'whatever you need'? The stuff they sell in the city supermarkets is all mass-produced and flavorless. How could it be as good as this? Just take it; we still have a ton left at home." Helen marched over and stuffed the bag into the SUV's trunk without waiting for a reply.
Even after the entire trunk was packed tight, Helen was still holding a few extra containers, looking around for any remaining gap to wedge them into.
Seeing that they were losing daylight, Nick finally said his goodbyes to his family and climbed into the passenger seat. His sister, Lily, who had run off earlier, quickly dashed back to the driveway, waving at him with red, watery eyes.
"Let's hit the road," Nick said to Ryan, waving out the window to his family.
His father, stepmother, and sister stood by the curb, watching until the sedan had completely vanished down the block, before slowly turning back toward the house with lonely expressions.
Inside the car, Nick felt equally hollow. This departure felt heavier than any time he had left home before, a feeling only magnified by the bright holiday lights and festive decorations passing by outside the car window.