Page 56 of Lonely Heart
“Are you crazy? It’s your birthday.”
“I know. But you didn’t need to get me anything. It’s not like you didn’t put a massive effort into that party yesterday.”
Ivy waved her hand in the air dismissively. “Oh, that wasn’t even remotely close to being a big deal for me. Between my family and yours, I barely had to lift a finger.”
Obviously, I was aware that my family and Ivy’s both contributed to the planning, but Ivy was diminishing the role she played in the preparation. I know how hard she worked, in general, and I didn’t doubt she had gone above and beyond the normal call of duty for the party.
I arched a brow in disbelief. “I know you better than that.”
She smiled, a hint of playfulness in her sparkling eyes. “If that’s the case, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that I’d do what I did to prepare for your party yesterday and get you this gift today.”
She had me there.
Recognizing I wasn’t going to win this battle, I offered a slight shake of my head and focused my attention on opening the gift. As I worked on unwrapping it, I tried to come up with guesses as to what could be inside. Not one idea came to mind, and when I sent a curious look Ivy’s way, her expression revealed nothing.
A moment later, I’d opened the box and felt something pitch in my stomach. “This is really nice, Ivy.”
“Do you like it?”
I wasn’t quite sure there were words to describe how it made me feel. Ivy had gotten me a woodcarving tool set. Maybe that seemed like a smart gift, given my line of work and how much I actually enjoyed the class we’d taken together. There was no question it wouldn’t be a wasted gift.
But it was so much more than that to me. It meant more than that. It was a reminder of one of the best days I’d ever had with her. It was something special to mark the first time we’d gone out together and done something fun with one another without anyone else around.
“I love it.”
Her face lit up. “You were so good at it, and I was pretty sure you enjoyed the class, so I thought you’d like these.”
It was at that moment I decided the first thing I was going to make with these tools was something special for her. “I do. Thank you for getting them.”
“You’re welcome.”
There was a sense of pride in her expression, and as much as I liked seeing it, something hit me as a result. “Can I ask when you got this set?”
“I bought it earlier today.”
It took extra concentration and effort not to allow my mouth to fall open with surprise. “You went out to purchase it somewhere?”
Almost immediately, Ivy understood where my line of questioning was headed, and instead of having me beat around the bush about it, she inclined her head and said, “It was the first I’ve gone anywhere on my own that wasn’t straight to work, the gas station, or home since the attack.”
That confirmation did it for me. I felt a thickness in my throat as I stared at her in disbelief. Obviously, I wanted her to get to a place where she felt confident being out in public on her own, but to know she’d gone out simply to get a gift for me had me feeling deeply moved.
I wanted to stand, scoop her up in my arms, and hug her tightly.
“That’s…” I stopped to clear my throat. “I’m so proud of you, Ivy. That you would do that for me means a lot.”
She sat up a little taller. “Thank you for saying that.”
“How did it feel? I know you’re here and seem okay, but did it go alright?”
Ivy nodded. “It did. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t a little panicked, or that I didn’t find myself feeling the need to be scanning my surroundings constantly, but in the end, I managed it without losing my cool.”
I reached across the table and took her hand in mine, offering a light squeeze. “You’re the toughest woman I know.”
“I felt like a wimp, though.”
Shaking my head, I insisted, “That took a lot of guts, Ivy. Don’t diminish what you accomplished today. As much as I love the gift you got me, I think I love this news on my birthday even more. You should be proud of yourself. I am. Tremendously.”
She licked her lips and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.