"This is for you, Merry Christmas!" I say, handing Mrs. X the Bergdorf’s box.
"You shouldn’t have" she says, setting it down on the table.
"Oh, yes, we have something for you too." I look surprised.
"Oh,no." "Grayer, go get Nanny’s present." He runs off.
I pull the other box out of the bag. "And this is for Grayer."
"Nanny, here’s your present, Nanny. Merry Christmas, Nanny!" He comes running in holding a Saks box and thrusts it at me.
"Oh, thank you!"
"Where’s mine?! Where’s mine?!" He jumps up and down.
"Your mom has it and you can open it after I leave." I quickly pull on my coat as Mrs. X already holding the elevator.
"Merry Christmas" she says as I get in. "By Nanny!" he says, waving wildly like a marionette.
I can’t even wait till I get outside. I’m imagining Paris and handbags and many trips to Cambridge. First I open the gift tag. "Dear Nanny, I don’t know what we would do without you! Love, the Xes" I rip the wrapping paper, pull the box apart, and start grabbing fistfuls of tissue. There’s no envelope. Oh, my God, there’s no envelope! I shake the box upside down. Tons of tissue comes cluttering out and then someting black and furry falls to the elevator floor with a tud. I drop to my knees, like a dog over a bone. I reach down, pushing the mess I’ve made aside to uncover my treasure and… and…. and….it’s earmuffs.
Only earmuffs.
Just earmuffs.
Earmuffs!
EARMUFFS!!!!!!!!!

*Uit "The Nanny diaries" Geschreven door Nicola Kraus en Emma Mclaughin.