Irony

Matt found the perfect birthday present for his dad.

Now first I should explain that my father-in-law is one of the most difficult people to shop for. He's not a materialistic person to begin with, but he has very specific tastes and likes nice things, meaningful things.

That's why Matt is always in charge of buying for his dad. I'd never be able to get it right.

So when we stopped at an antique mall in the States on one of our visits, Matt came across two antique books published in the late 1800s. Their covers had an intricate design and texture, the way old books do, and the pages were in virtually perfect condition. The books were just the right sort of old, the pages having just the right amount of fading, the book having just the right amount of weight to it. They were perfect.

So, those two books traveled all the way from Virginia back to Bermuda, where they awaited the day they would be gift-wrapped and given to Matt's dad.

Matt carefully unpacked the books, again looking them over and knowing he'd gotten something good, something appropriate, and something his dad would appreciate.

He set the books on the coffee table and went to work. All was right with the world at that point.

Then he came home.