When Waverly and her brothers attend a Christmas function at the First Chinese Baptist Church at the end of their alley, they each receive a random donated gift from Santa's bag. Waverly chooses a small, compact present and unwraps it to discover a twelve pack of Life Savers while her brother Vincent receives a used chess set. When Waverly and her family return home, Waverly's mother tells Vincent to throw the used chess set away. She feels insulted to receive a used item as a gift and does not want something that someone else chose to get rid of by donating it to the church. Despite her mother's negative reaction, Waverly is excited and enthralled by Vincent's gift. She cannot wait to unlock its "elaborate secrets" and takes note of how serious her brothers react to the used chess set. Waverly is aware that the older chess players at the park are respected and even offers her Life Safers as replacements for missing pieces. Overall, Waverly cherishes Vincent's used chess set while her mother believes that it should be thrown in the trash.