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“It’s you,” Sam breathed, tears welling in her eyes. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
Aero smiled, taking the bracelet from her and unclasping it. “Let me.”
Sam held up her hand and he fastened it around her wrist before kissing her knuckles.
The cool links were smooth against her skin and it fit perfectly. “Thank you.”
“Come here.” Aero held out his arms and she went, arranging herself between his legs as they lay on the couch together. He stroked his hands up and down her back, just enjoying her, and feeling more at peace than he had in a long time.
Aero took a deep breath and said, “Sarah loved Christmas.”
He felt Sam stiffen, but she said nothing. He continued.
“I remember our first Christmas in Kansas, we picked out a tree. It was beautiful, perfect even, one of those trees you’d see on display in a fancy hotel. The problem was, it was too tall to fit in our living room.”
Sam chuckled, imagining the scene fromChristmas Vacationwhere the tree bursts open and breaks the windows.
“Sarah was insistent,” Aero said, smiling to himself as he recalled strapping down the tree in the bed of the truck, knowing full well it wasn’t going to fit. “It had to be that one. I just figured I’d cut off the bottom, you know?”
Sam nodded against him.
“Anyway, we got it home, I cut off a solid foot of the trunk, and set it up. The top still touched the ceiling. I ended up having to cut off the top so we could put on the angel.” Aero was laughing now, his shoulders shaking. “It looked awful. It was flat on top, the angel just stuck up there, then the tree shape, and no room on the bottom for presents.”
Sam laughed out loud, tucking her face into his chest as she pictured it.
“Sarah decorated the hell out of that tree anyway,” Aero said with a sigh. “She was so happy, even though it looked silly. She was always like that, seeing the best in things. To her, the fact that we had a tree at all was enough.”
“That’s a beautiful way of looking at it,” Sam said, gazing up at his face. “I’m glad you remember that.”
Aero nodded. “Me too.”
“Would you like to stay tonight? I leave tomorrow morning to go see my parents,” Sam said.
“Sure, Sammy,” Aero agreed, settling deeper into the couch. “We could watch a movie?”
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas?” Sam suggested, and Aero reached for the remote.
Sam heard a whine and rolled over in bed.
The sound came again, louder this time, and her eyes opened.
Aero was beside her, lying on his back, his face contorted as if in pain.
She sat up and whispered his name.
He grunted, one hand fisting the sheet beneath him.
Sam was wide awake, staring at him as her heart beat frantically. He was having a nightmare.
She knew it would happen eventually, but wasn’t prepared when he let out a loud, heart-wrenching shriek.
“Aero,” she said louder, reaching for him but pulling back when she remembered him telling her not to try and wake him.
Tears burned her eyes as she watched his beautiful face scrunch up, his skin red and damp with sweat. It was hard to see, especially after the lovely, festive evening they’d just shared. They’d watched Christmas movies and drank hot cocoa before retiring to bed, cuddling up together, kissing, letting their hands wander, exploring without going too far.
Aero moaned, rolling away from her. He settled for a moment and she thought he might be finished, but he let out a sob that made her heart plummet. He thrashed to one side and she jumped, his arm coming down and hitting the mattress with a thump.
Sam stood from the bed and backed up as he thrashed around, her bed frame squeaking slightly with his weight.
