“Oh, Michael,” Maggie breathed. “That must’ve been so difficult for you and Linda.”
He looked at Maggie and smiled. “It was at first. But it had to be done.” His eyes went distant. “It was like the last piece of him that needed to be let go.”
“I wonder how Uncle George is going to take that,” Maggie said.
Michael shook his head. “Linda and I are going to the hospital this evening to let him know.” He pulled a face. “We thought it best we broke the news while he was still in hospital.”
Maggie gave a soft laugh at his attempt to lighten the mood. “Probably a good idea. He was very protective of that office.”
Michael put the gift on the desk and slid it toward her.
“Happy seventh birthday from my father, Maggie,” Michael said, in a low, gruff voice.
Maggie reached out, without thinking about it, and laid her hand over his, where it cradled the little box.
"Thank you.” Maggie reached out and picked up the box. A smile touched her face. “Your father always color coordinated the wrapping paper for birthdays and Christmas so we’d know which presents were for each of us from him.”
“That’s right,” Michael confirmed, watching her palm the box. “Are you going to open it?”
“I don’t know,” Maggie answered, sucking in a shaky breath. “I want to but…” She turned the box in her hand. “It’s like…” She swallowed hard. “It’s like the last thing your father wrapped for me.” She smiled sadly. “He never forgot about me. Your mother, father, and even Uncle George always included me in all your family functions, traditions, and never forgot my birthday.”
“You’re part of the family,” Michael reminded her. “Our mothers were childhood best friends. Our family goes way back.”
Maggie's heart swelled. The Hearts had taken her in when her parents were killed. Not once had she ever felt like a burden to them or an outsider. His family had been at all her sports games, ceremonies, and Uncle George had walked her down the aisle.
Something tickled her cheek, she wiped at it and was surprised to find it was wet. Maggie grabbed a tissue from the box on her desk.
“Now look what you’ve done,” Maggie accused Michael. “You’ve ruined my makeup.” She gave a watery laugh. “What did you and Linda get?” She changed the subject as she wiped her eyes.
Michael reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out an antique pocket watch. “He gave me this.”
“Your grandfather’s watch!” Maggie said. “You loved that watch.” Her brows rose. “We thought it had been lost when…” She swallowed. “When…”
“We did,” Michael answered her. “He always had it with him, even when he got deployed.”
“That’s…” Maggie didn’t have the words. “Wow.”
“I know,” Michael nodded. “It was a shock to Linda and me when I opened my present.”
They sat in silence for a few moments staring at the watch before Michael cleared his throat, put the watch back in his pocket, and sat back in his chair. “Linda got that charm bracelet she wanted with charms of all the places she wanted to visit around the world.”
“I remember that bracelet she wanted,” Maggie said. “We went past the jewelry store nearly every day after school to stare at it in the window.”
“Now it’s your turn,” Michael prompted.
Maggie smiled, and shaky fingers opened the gift. She pulled the lid of the square box and sucked in a breath.
“What?” Michael said.
Tears sprang to Maggie’s eyes as a lump burned in her throat. “He got it for me.”
“Got what for you?” Michael asked, sitting forward.
Maggie pulled up a beautifully intricate antique gold locket on a long gold chain. “The locket I wanted to put the photo of my parents in.”
“It’s beautiful,” Michael said softly, admiring the locket.
Maggie nodded. She stood and walked around the desk, holding it out to him. “Would you help me put it on?”
