Page 80 of Because of Blake
Dylan finally gets the tape off the box and flips the lid open. “What? No way! A skateboard!”
I shoot Blake a fake scowl.
He kisses my temple. “This is a replacement for the Xbox,” he says out of the corner of his mouth. He pulls away, and I stare at him in wonderment as he turns to the kids. “Merry Christmas, you two.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Dylan squeals.
“Alright, now it’s bedtime. Santa won’t come if you guys are awake.” I wave my hand in the air, ushering the kids out of the room. Dylan pats his leg for Oscar to follow. He slept in Dylan’s bed on Thanksgiving, so now it’s protocol whenever he and Blake spend the night.
Blake leans close to my ear and whispers, “They still believe in Santa?”
I chuckle. “Sydney? No. Dylan? Yes. Sydney is a good sport and keeps up the charade, though. She’ll go in her room and read until she falls asleep.”
“You’ve got some pretty cool kids, you know that?”
“I do, thanks. How about we finish our wine and open our presents?”
“Oh, I didn’t bring you anything,” Blake says matter-of-factly.
I elbow him in the side. “Jerk. I got you something.”
“Ow. Ha, you know I’m kidding, right? Of course I got you something.”
“I know.” I down the last of my wine and hop off the couch to grab Blake’s gift. I hand the bag to him and take my seat, crisscrossing my legs. “I hope you like it.”
Blake pulls the tissue paper out and reaches into the bag. When he pulls out his gift, he looks to me with wide eyes, though they sparkle with excitement. “Maggie… what is–”
“I think you should start sketching again. You said you miss doing it and I could tell by the look in your eyes you want to. So, I got you a sketchbook and some pencils. I don’t even know if they’re the right kind, but I asked the guy at Hobby Lobby and he said–”
Blake leans over and kisses me before I can finish. “This is perfect. Thank you,” he says against my mouth.
He places the items back in the gift bag and gets up from the couch. I watch him walk to the closet and dig through his coat pockets. When he finds whatever he’s looking for, he comes back to me and takes his seat. In his hands is a small ring box.
“Merry Christmas.” He places the box in my hand.
My heart flutters. My stomach drops. Only one thing could be in here.
“Go on, open it.”
With a deep swallow, I pry the box apart. Inside, I don’t find a ring, I find two. And they aren’t any old rings, they’re mine and Charlie’s wedding rings. They’ve been fused together and mounted on a tiny river rock with the words “Now and Forever” engraved on it.
My hand flies to my mouth, my jaw trembling, and through my watering eyes, I see a flicker in Blake’s shining irises. “Blake...” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “How did you–”
“Sydney. She snuck the rings to me one night while you were in the bathroom. I was hoping you weren’t going to miss them. I sent them off to this company that makes commemorative keepsakes and voila. Do you like it?”
All I can do is nod in appreciation of the most thoughtful gift I have ever received. Blake has outdone himself. Not only has he given me a beautiful, one-of-a-kind present, but he honored my marriage to my late husband at the same time. He could have given me something to showcase our relationship. He could have made this gift all about him, but he made it about me and Charlie.
Though, now I can’t wear it ever again.I shove the thought out of my mind, throwing my hands around the back of Blake’s head and pulling his lips to mine. “Thank you,” I whisper. “I love it.”
As Blake spoons me in my bed, his fingers trace circles on my hip. His chest expands into my back with each breath and his body heat is keeping me warm and comfortable.
“Maggie,” he whispers into my ear, “do you want to–”
“I already told you no, sorry. We can’t have sex while my children are right down the hall.”
“Okay, fine.” He rolls onto his back and sighs. He’s really being patient about this. “What time do the kids get up in the morning?”
“Depends on how late Syd stays up. Dylan will be up early out of anticipation, I’m sure. But I’m guessing we’ll be able to sleep until seven.”