He gave me a look. “You know that tomorrow morning is going to be all about Tatiana, and I want to see your reaction to the present I’m giving you without any distractions.”
I placed my free hand over my heart. “That's so sweet.”
“You know me,” he joked. “So hold still, I'll be right back.”
“I’m pregnant and just sat down,” I replied. “I'm not getting back up until you haul me out of this chair.”
Chuckling, he walked away toward our bedroom.
My mind spun around a dozen ideas of gifts he could have gotten me, but I wasn’t confident in any of my guesses. So I sat, not so patiently, waiting to see what he would come back with.
I was more than a little surprised when he returned holding a padded mailer with Christmas designs on it. “You got the mail for me? How sweet.”
He rolled his eyes at my joke. “Just open it.”
“It's no fair that you didn't come dressed as a sexy mailman,” I carried on as I pulled at the flap.
Tyler shook his head at me. “That's something Rhett would do, not me.”
I laughed. That was exactly something his younger brother would do. Rhett was always up for a laugh. The plastic ripped enough for me to peer inside, but all there was a sheet of paper. I pulled it out, studying the page. It was a property listing… in California.
“This is my parents' neighbor's house,” I said. “Why did you get me a picture of it?”
He took the picture from me and set it aside before holding both my hands in his. “I know that we enjoy our life here in Cottonwood Falls. But I also know you miss your family. Especially with your grandma getting older, time with them feels so precious.”
I looked around at our home. It was an apartment in the original Hen House. We had renovated it all those years ago when we were newly married and made this place thoroughlyours. “But this is home.” I said. Even with how much I missed my family, I couldn’t imagine leaving Cottonwood Falls.
Tyler leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “This is home, but what if we have a second one right next door to your parents? So over the summers, when the kids are on school break, we can go and stay there, and you can have all the time you want to visit with Birdie and Mara without worrying about crashing on someone's couch or booking a hotel room? The kids will have room to play, and maybe one day when they grow up, they'll want to go to college at Brentwood U. They’ll have a greatplace to stay right next to their grandparents. I know it'sourmoney, but I have savings for a downpayment, and I think it would be a good investment for us.”
“But how?” I asked, completely stunned. “The neighbors have been living there forever.”
“One time when we were visiting, I was talking with them over the fence with your dad. He went to check the grill, and when we got a second alone I said that if they ever considered selling to please let me know. Turns out they're looking to downsize.”
My eyes were stinging with moisture, and not just because of the pregnancy hormones. Because he was right, and I was finally letting myself dream about what this would mean.
I missed my family like crazy, and a week or two here and there wasn't enough. I wanted more time to spend with my nieces and nephews. I wanted my children to know their cousins, their parents, their grandparents, their great-grandma.
“I hope those are good tears.” Tyler said cautiously as he used the pads of his thumbs to wipe my eyes.
I let out a tearful chuckle. “The best tears,” I replied, pulling him close and hugging him tightly. “Now the wallet I got you feels really lame.”
He laughed. “This life we have with each other, our love, that's all I need. I couldn't ask for anything more than what you've given me.”
Now the tears were full on coming, and since I was so overcome with emotion for words, I poured it all out in my kiss. This was the best Christmas Eve ever, and I knew tomorrow would be even better.
2
TYLER
A squeal peeledthrough the house. I rolled to the side, taking in my wife sleeping next to me. She had on a black satin bonnet and her mouth was halfway open.
She blinked her eyes groggily and mumbled, “Sounds like Tatiana is awake.”
I smiled at her sleepy face, her features more familiar than my own at this point. “I think she saw your Christmas setup.”
Her eyes flew open, and she sprung out of the bed faster than I even knew she could with the equivalent of a watermelon strapped to her belly. Her feet tapped lightly over the floor as she went to the living room to see her daughter.
I cast my blankets aside and followed them, just in time to see Tatiana dancing on the rug, unable to even stand still as she took it all in. Her messy curls waved as she turned and looked at Hen and me, saying, “Santa came!”
