She nodded.
“And how much tape did you use?” I asked, laughing softly.
“All of it.” She grinned evilly. “It's going to be so hard to open.”
I chuckled. “Of course, it's another prank.”
She nodded and went to sit on the floor across from Jackson. Now they were rolling the toilet paper back and forth between them.
I smiled to myself, so thankful for them and their relationship with each other.
While they played, I took the chicken out of the oven, added sauce to the pasta, and heated green beans in the microwave.
With dinner done, I started plating it just in time for the front door to open and Knox to come inside.
I looked over my shoulder, seeing him freshly showered in a white T-shirt and a pair of sweats. I loved that he showered and was fresh for us after work. Just a little way to show he cared.
“Hey honey,” I called over the kids greeting him.
He smiled, and then I realized he was holding something wrapped in red and white paper in his hands. He held it carefully to his chest as the kids ran up to him and grabbed each of his legs.
“Oh no, Larkin,” he said, taking on a serious expression. “My legs suddenly gotveryheavy. Do you know why?”
I carefully inspected him, pretending I was just as confused while the kids giggled maniacally. “I have no idea!” I finally said. “Your legsdolook a little lumpy...” Emily and Jackson giggled. “Let me see if I can massage it out.” I bent over, tickling them under the arms, and they both fell off his legs, laughing.
“Hey!” Knox said. “What are y’all doing down there?”
Emily popped up and said, “Is that present for me?”
He shook his head. “It's for your mama.”
I smiled and asked, “Can I open it now?”
He nodded. “Let's go sit down.”
We went to the living room, all of us sitting together on the couch while I tentatively pulled back the wrapping paper. Thankfully this one wasn’t tape-mageddon.
Inside the wrapping was a picture frame with a perfectly framed photo, and I stared at it with my mouth open. “How did you get this? We just took them yesterday.”
Knox nodded, “I asked her to do me a little favor.”
I carefully ran my fingertip over the glass like I had to make sure the picture was real. It was just too perfect. The four of us looked like webelongedtogether. Knox was holding me to his chest while the kids romped around us in the golden grass. We were all smiling, surrounded by the countryside. My eyes started watering, and I had to sniff back tears before I broke down.
“What's wrong, Mommy?” Emily asked.
I shook my head, wiping at my eyes. “These are happy tears.” I looked at Knox. “Thank yousomuch. I'll put this on the wall over the TV.” I pointed at a blank spot right on the living room wall.
“Actually…” He paused. “I thought, maybe it could go somewhere else.”
I looked around my home, wondering where he meant. “You think it would be better above the dining table?”
He grinned, shaking his head, “What if I found a plot of land for sale outside of town.” He took my hand, lacing our fingers together. “And what if it has the prettiest oak tree that would make a great tire swing for Em and Jackson? And what if there's plenty of room for a big yard, a garden, and it's just a ten-minute drive into town, so you'd be close to your work and I'd be close to mine?”
Now the tears were threatening to fall again. “What are you saying, Knox Madigan?”
“I’m saying I thought we could build a home for us, for our family, and I thought this picture could go right on the mantle when we do.”
Holding back tears was futile, especially with how they were streaming down my cheeks. “You want to build a home with me?” I asked.
