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He laughed loudly. “Done, baby. You don’t have to say that twice.”
Epilogue
Two weeks later
I stretched out and looked at the sleeping goddess next to me. It was game day. It was Christmas day. Seemed like a double win. I reached my hand around my waist to draw her toward me when I heard pounding on the bedroom door.
“Shit,” I muttered.
Julie yanked the covers and wrapped the sheet around her bare breasts, eyeing me. “He’s excited.” She smiled.
“I want my game day ritual,” I groaned, trying to pry my hand between her legs. The door was locked. “He can wait a few minutes.”
She swatted at me and giggled. “Later. We have an eight-year-old on Christmas morning. Patience is not a thing here.”
We climbed out of bed and dressed.
“We’ll be right out,” Julie called through the door.
As soon as we opened it Hunter was jumping up and down in the hallway. “You won’t believe what’s out there.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“An Xbox.”
Julie laughed. “No way.”
“Come on. Come on.” He tugged on both of our wrists. We followed him to the living room.
The tree was lit. The fire was roaring. There was snow on the ground. And I had the two most important people in my life gathered under the tree.
Hunter landed on the floor in awe of the gifts sprinkled around. We didn’t want to go overboard, but I don’t think we did a very good job of reining it in. There were enough toys here for all the kids at the group home. I wanted him to have everything I didn’t. Maybe it was excessive, but I couldn’t help it.
Julie and I had made a generous donation to the home in Hunter’s name. We wanted to make sure his friends had presents too.
Julie’s hands wrapped around my waist. She leaned into my back. “Merry Christmas.”
I pulled her around to face me. “Come here.” I dipped to kiss her.
“I have a present for you,” she announced.
She bent by the tree and rifled through the gifts. She rose, holding a box tied with a blue ribbon.
“Wait. I want you to open mine first.”
I ran to the mantle and grabbed the box. I had put it there last night when everyone had fallen asleep. I didn’t want to take a chance it would get lost under the tree with the wrapping paper flying all over the place.
“But—”
“No, please. Open it first,” I urged.
“But this is really something you’ll like,” she protested.
“I know I will, baby, but please.”
She shrugged. “Ok.”
Hunter was busy with a set of cars that raced each other on the track. We had our own moment on the couch. The two presents rested between us.
