Sabin looks at me for a long time. So, I look back at him.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Okay, so I wasn’t going to give you this, but…” He digs into the front pocket of his jeans and pulls out a small fabric bag. “It’s stupid, but…well, here.”
I undo the thin drawstring and empty the bag into my hand. I have to hold it to the light coming from the snow globe, and then I smile when I see it—a unicorn charm.
“Do you know why?” he asks tentatively.
“I do.” Then, I smile, even while my eyes grow wet. “Because,” I say, “unicorns shit rainbows. And because this is about when you made me part of your family. When I was lost and scared, you helped pull me from the wreckage.”
He nods. “Yeah…and then you pulled all of us from ours.”
It’s hard to see, but I think his eyes are also brimming with tears.
He’s wrong though. I didn’t save them, not all of them.
“It’s not as nice as what Chris gave you. I know that—”
“Stop,” I say forcefully. “You stop that.” I hold my hand with the necklace against my chest. “Sabin…” I struggle for words. I don’t know how to tell him how much he means to me, how integral he is to my happiness, to my entire world. There is no way to verbalize how Sabin is as much a part of me as Chris is. So, I say the only thing that I can, “I love you.”
He puts his hand over mine, both resting over my heart. “I love you, too, Blythe.”
We’ve saidI love youa thousand times. We say it without thinking and without parameters. We say it because it’s true.
This time though feels different. I can’t define how. I just know that we are more tied to each other than ever.
I move the snow globe from between us and inch closer. My fingers find the clasp on my necklace, and I undo it before slipping on the unicorn next to the sea urchin. Sabin intently watches me, and when I’m done, I wrap my arm around him and tightly hug him. Sabe rolls onto his back, settling me into the crook of his arm.
He pushes my hair back over my shoulder. “It’s late, huh?”
“Yeah. I should go.” I am exhausted, but I don’t want to break this moment, this tie I have with him.
“Just stay here. I’ll sleep on the futon.”
“No,” I whisper. “Don’t leave.” I’m afraid that he’ll leave my hold, and I’ll never get him back.
He waits a long time before replying, “Okay.” He rubs my back. “We’ll have a sleepover?”
“Yes.”
“Will there be sexy pillow fights and hair-braiding and gossiping about the hottest boy?”
“Yes.”
“Discussions about celebrity crushes?”
I yawn. “Okay.” I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone.
“Texting Chris?”
“Yeah. Don’t want him to worry when he wakes up, and I’m not there.”
“Is he upset that you came here?”
“Not at all. He asked me to tell you that he loves you. Also, you’re a moron, but he does love you.”
“Chris is way too forgiving.” Sabin blows out a long breath. “So are you. I’m sorry that I destroyed Christmas for everyone.”
