"She can be stubborn like that," he replied, and it almost sounded as if there were a faint accent coloring his words. But he didn't seem to notice as he ducked down, peering beneath the tree for a few seconds before quietly murmuring "a-ha" and reaching for something.

He nearly lost his balanced overreaching for it, but managed to come away mostly unscathed except for a few pine needles that had fallen when he tried to catch himself. He laughed as he looked at the little box, turning it over in his hands before beginning to unwrap it. "You definitely had too much fun decorating."