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“Here goes nothin’,” I say, trying to hype myself up.
“It’ll be fine,” he says, and I don’t know if he’s trying to convince me or himself. “Plus, they’ll be gone after tomorrow, and we won’t have to see them again for a while.”
“Uh, I should’ve probably warned you, but I think Thea has every intention of spending Christmas here,” I warn.
“How would you know that?” He asks, genuinely curious.
“She already has a stockpile of ugly Christmas Sweaters in your spare room. I found them the day I was looking for something to wear.” I giggle at Nathan’s expression. “She has enough for a week, minimum.”
He groans, “Oh boy.”
Epilogue
Nathan
I don’t recall a time over the years when I truly felt like I was missing out on anything specific. The military was demanding, I traveled a lot, and I only made it home for a visit a couple of times a year if I was lucky. So that meant plenty of missed holidays, yet it never really bothered me that much. Now, standing here in my kitchen, watching my mom prepare food and my sister talking Callie’s ear off, I don’t think I could ever miss a holiday again. I don’t ever want to miss out on any of these moments.
There was always something missing from my life, a void that I couldn’t fill. I thought my career in the Army would be enough, but it wasn’t. I thought starting over somewhere on my own would fix it, but it didn’t. I’ve quickly come to realize that Callie was the missing piece all along. Since the moment she entered my life, she felt like the perfect fit, healing something in me that I thought was way past repair.
I know how serious PTSD can be for soldiers. I never thought it was an issue I had, blaming the nightmares or the flashbacks on anything other than the trauma that my brain refused to forget. A couple of times since I moved into my cabin, I woke at night worrying that I built this place as a tomb and not a home. Worried that the bleakest parts of my brain would overtake me and my family would find me here after losing my final battle to the darkness.
Since meeting Callie though, I realized why I really built this place. For the fresh start that I deserve. For the life that I get to create with her. I’m not running away from life anymore, I’m finally embracing it.
“Hey,” Callie whispers in my ear, interrupting my thoughts. “You okay?”
I wrap my arms around her, careful not to squeeze her tender ribs. “I’m more than okay,” I whisper against her lips before kissing her. She giggles, pulling away from me, acting shy with my mom and sister in the room.
“I want to show you something,” I tell her, pulling her hand to follow me down the hall.
“If this is some lame attempt to get me into bed, you’re not clever. Your mom and sister are here!” She whisper-shouts against my shoulder as I stop in the middle of the hallway.
“As much as I would like to, that’s not what the surprise is.” I gesture to the spare room door that is closed in front of us.
“Umm okay.” She hesitantly opens the door, gasping when she sees inside. The nearly empty room has transformed into a fully furnished office space, a big desk centered right under the window with a bouquet of burgundy roses proudly displayed on top. Flower petals are scattered across the shag rug underneath it. Must’ve been my sister’s dramatic touch. She and my mom helped set this up while we were at Callie’s parents’ house. I had already ordered the desk during my two-week-long recon mission, hoping to surprise her once she was ready to move in. However, things escalated and I never even had a chance to pick it up before she was taken.
Once she was safe and sound, I set the rest of my plan into hyperdrive, telling my sister exactly what I needed help with. I gave her some ideas and insight into Callie’s personality, and she ran with my credit card, literally. Thea picked out shelves, decorations, and office supplies. Even adding an empty picture frame to the corner of the desk. She made sure to scold me over text when I told her I didn’t have a photo with Callie yet.
“Oh my, what is all of this?” She asks, amazed by the transformation.
“I wanted this to be yours, this is your home now. You deserve an office, somewhere you can plug your laptop in to give your book bag a break. Or, if you want we can get a big monitor or two, make it legit.” I’m blabbing but I can’t stop, nervous about what she’ll think of my surprise. I want her to feel like she has a home base, but I don’t want to impose.
“If you don’t like it, or if you don’t want to work here, it’s no big deal. I just wanted to give you the option. Hell, my sister works at a library not too far from here. You could always visit her and work there for the day if you get tired of it up here.” I rub the back of my neck, still waiting for her response. I’m second-guessing everything once I notice tears in her eyes. “Callie?”
“I love it, I absolutely love it. Thank you!” She launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck, finally letting me breathe easier. “No one has ever done anything like this for me. It’s amazing, but it’s too much. All of this stuff is too expensive, I can help pay you back-” I cut her off before she can finish.
“You’re not paying me for shit. Call it an early birthday present,” I wink at her, remembering our conversation weeks ago. She clearly remembers too, busting out laughing.
“Okay, okay, you win. You’ve officially given me the best present ever.” She uses her hands on my cheeks to pull me in for a kiss, and I greedily reciprocate, taking advantage of this moment of privacy since we have house guests. I pick her up by her thighs, and sit her on the desk, nestling my body right between her legs.
“I changed my mind. This. This is how you can pay me back. Let me fuck you on this desk.” I thrust against her, showing her just how much I mean my statement.
“Nathan,” she moans. “This isn’t fair, your family is here.”
I groan grumpily into her neck. “I know, you’re right, but I do still plan on fucking you on every surface of this room, and the whole damn house.”
She giggles, but she knows exactly how serious I am, my raging hard-on still pressed against the apex of her thighs. “I love you, Nathan. Thank you for my present, and for everything.” She kisses me sweetly, dragging me back to the real reason I brought her in here.
“I actually have one more surprise,” I admit, pulling away from her. I fumble through the drawers on the desk, pretending that I don’t know exactly where I need to look.
