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“It’s for art!”
Lawson, whose grin had been pointed at Evelyn turned to look at Nora-Jean, who still wore hardly more than a long, flannel, button-up sleep shirt. She gave him her green eyes, wide in a different sort of surprise.
“I can’t believe Santa brought you an extra gift.” Her words, though directed at Evelyn, were meant for Lawson.
Reaching for her hand, he pulled her closer and responded, “I think he just wanted this Christmas to be extra special.”
“Well, that was awfully nice,” she murmured, a slight tremble in her voice.
Lawson gave her a crooked smile and draped his arm around her shoulders. As she tucked herself into his side, he kissed her temple and then shifted his focus back on Evelyn.
“Do you like it?”
“No,” she declared as she raced toward him. She collided into his leg and clung to it playfully as she declared, “Iloveit!”
This made Lawson laugh and Evelyn joined in before she stood in front of her mother, craned her neck and begged, “Can I open the chalk? Please?”
“Sure, Evie-B.”
She wasted no time returning to her gift, which gave Lawson and Nora the privilege of a few uninterrupted seconds alone. Lawson knew this was by design when she rested a hand in the center of his chest and tapped her fingers twice, beckoning his attention.
“You didn’t have to,” she whispered.
“I know that.”
She shook her head, as if his reply wasn’t enough. “We didn’t get you anything. I didn’t have time, and—”
“Songbird,” he interrupted, circling her in his arms. “I was woken up this mornin’ at only God knows what time by a little girl who couldn’t wait another second for Christmas to start. And when I opened my eyes, you were the first thing I saw. I already got everything I wanted.”
“Don’t make me cry. It’s too early in the day for that,” she pleaded weakly.
He smiled and replied, “How ‘bout some coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
“Comin’ right up.”
“Lawson,” she called softly before he let her go.
“What, baby?”
“I love you.”
He pressed a kiss against her forehead then, holding on a moment longer before he murmured, “You have no idea.”
It was in the kitchen where he spotted the time. When he saw it was a few minutes after four-thirty, he decided he was going to make their first batch of coffee extra strong. While it brewed, he listened as Nora-Jean and Evelyn chatted about what to draw. It was soon decided that Evelyn wanted Nora to draw the outline of a Christmas tree and then she would draw the decorations inside of it. When Lawson peeked over at them, what he’d said to Nora only moments before struck anew.
They were all he wanted.
He already knew what it was like to fall in love with Nora-Jean. He’d done it over and over again for sixteen years. But Evelyn brought an entirely different dynamic to the experience. It’d only been a handful of days, and he knew in that time span what he’d been given was only a hint of what could be—but he wanted it more than anything. Not just a taste, but the whole meal.
He wanted to be there for Evelyn’s fifth birthday. And her tenth. And her twentieth. He wanted wedding anniversaries with his songbird. He wanted a big house on a plot of land and more kids to fill it up. He wanted everything—and he wanted it with his girls. No matter what, nothing less would suffice.
As soon as the coffee had finished brewing, Lawson poured two mugs to the brim, doctoring Nora’s the way she liked. When he rejoined the mother-daughter duo in the living room, Nora managed to convince Evelyn it was time to open the rest of her presents. Each revealed gift brought with it more joy and excitement—especially the package full of hair bows.
“There’s one more,” announced Evelyn, crawling to the far side of the tree.
“There is?”
