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“Merry Christmas Eve,” I said, kissing the top of her head.
“I didn’t think we were doing gifts until tonight,” she said.
“This isn’t a Christmas gift,” I said, “this is a you-work-too-hard-and-deserve-breakfast gift.”
“I’ll take it,” she said. “Is this decaf?”
I smiled.
“Well, it is Christmas,” I said.
“So bottles until noon,” she said, pointing at Cassie in her swinging bassinet. She was happily asleep, and I knew it was killing Carmela not to take her out and cuddle her, but she didn’t want to wake her up either.
“Got it,” I said. “She’s already had two this morning.”
“Hungry baby,” she said.
“Hungry papa too,” I said. “My only request of you today is that you come through on those cookies. Santa is in need of the homemade cookies.”
“Oh, Santa is, huh?” she asked, giggling.
“Yup,” I said. “He has a long night of work ahead of him, you know?”
“I’ve heard,” she said. “Well, I will make sure he has some nice, homemade cookies this evening then.”
“Good,” I said. “Now get some of that bacon in you.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, and my stomach tightened.
As the day went on, we spent some time calling family, even including a nice chat with Aunt Judy, and doing more traditional Christmas routines. It was perfect. Cocoa, cookies, reading The Night Before Christmas with the baby, it was an old-fashioned night and when we finally went to bed, I was more excited than I had been since I was a little boy.
Christmas had meaning again. Real, true meaning, specific to me. I had someone to be Santa for, and a woman to spoil. And tomorrow I was going to spoil her in a way she never would expect. In the middle of the night, when I was sure she was out cold, I slipped out of bed and got the ring from my hidden spot and snuck into the living room. When I came back, she was still asleep, and I slipped back into bed, barely able to drift off for a nap for a couple of hours.
When Carmela first stirred the next morning, I was out of bed in a hurry, and I beckoned her to come with me into the living room. The baby was still awake and happy, and I knew she would be going down for a nap eventually, so we did little gifts for her first. It meant Carmela did most of the opening, but I took tons of pictures anyway.
After the babies’ presents were done, it was time to finally do our own. I handed her the stocking and waited for her to open it up. She put the baby back in her bassinet and started with some of the silly little things that were in there, making a big deal out of stuff she knew I’d gotten her at the dollar store just to fill her stocking.
Then she reached the bottom and noticed the box tucked all the way at the very end. She pulled it out and flipped it over in her hands for a moment and then looked at me, her eyes widening. I nodded toward her encouragingly, and she unwrapped the paper, getting to the little box inside. I could sense her excitement as she opened it and then looked back at me.
“Mark…”
“Carmela, will you make me the happiest man on this planet and marry me?”
“Yes,” she said, throwing the stocking off of her but clutching the ring box in her hand tightly and crawling over to me.
She wrapped her arms around me, and we kissed deeply, tears streaming down her cheeks as I pulled her into my lap and held her close. When our lips separated, I put the ring on her finger, and she admired it before kissing me again.
“Is the baby asleep?” I asked.
“I think so,” she said. “She went down early for her nap. It was a big morning.”
“That it was,” I said, getting another giggle from her. “Why don’t you lay her down in her crib and I’ll get the fire going.”
“Okay,” she said, getting to her feet.
As she put the baby in her crib, I laid down a blanket in front of the fireplace and waited for her. She was taking a bit longer than usual, and I figured Cassie was keeping her. When the door opened, I was amazed by what I was seeing.
She was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame, wearing a tiny negligee that was mostly see-through. It was red and white, and she looked like a candy cane. I had a few ideas as to how to treat her like one.
“You look amazing,” I said.
“You think so?” she asked. “I bought this a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to wear it for you, but time got away from us.”
“Well, you’re wearing it now,” I said. “And it looks incredible on you.”
