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“For the phone you never have turned on?”
“It’s on now.”
I shake my head, thoroughly confused. As the movie plays, I keep looking over toward my husband, but he just stares at the screen with an odd, distant look on his face. Every so often, he looks down at his watch.
It’s late when we finally get home, and I’m exhausted. For the first time since our wedding night, I’m hoping Deklan will let me just go to sleep without any hanky-panky beforehand. I’m about to say as much as I hang up my coat, but he’s disappeared into the bedroom already.
When I join him, he’s already stripped down to his boxer briefs. Strangely enough, he also has laid out a pair of pajamas he bought for me on our first shopping trip, though I’ve never worn them.
Since the very first night we were together, we’ve always slept naked.
“Why are those out?” I ask.
Without a word, Deklan comes over and starts helping me out of my clothes and into the PJs.
“Deklan, what has gotten into you?”
“Nothing,” he says. He doesn’t keep eye contact with me.
“I’ve never worn those,” I say, as if he’s forgotten.
“You’re tired,” he says, “and I want you to be warm and get a good night’s sleep. You need it.”
He pulls the pajama shirt over my head.
“You always keep me warm.” I raise an eyebrow at him, and he smiles but still doesn’t look me in the eye.
“Why are you acting so weird?”
“Weird?”
“Yes, weird.”
“I’m not.”
“You most certainly are.” I put my hands on my hips and glare at him. “What is up with you?”
For a brief second, frustrated anger crosses his face, but he quickly reins it in.
“I’m just…not so good at the whole birthday thing,” he finally says.
I stare at him and he stares at the floor. Is that why he’s been acting so strange? Because of my birthday?
“Dinner was great,” I say quietly. “The cake was a bit much, but it was nice.”
“Was it?” Deklan turns his back to me and starts rummaging through one of his dresser drawers.
“Yes.” I sit down on the edge of the bed. When I look back at Deklan, he’s staring at the floor with his hands behind his back and a weird expression on his face.
“Kera?” Deklan tilts his head sideways and looks at me.
“Yes?”
Deklan glances down at the floor again and then back up to me.
“What is it?”
“I have something for you.” He brings his hand from behind his back and holds out a small box wrapped in silver paper and a light blue bow. “I know it’s late, but I’ve been trying to figure out a good time to give it to you.”
