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Laughing at that ridiculous nickname, I pick up the small box from under the tree. I hand it to her. She smiles as she begins to open the paper. “Bear wrapping paper?”
“My Mom tends to go hard on the bear stuff. I wrapped it at her house.” I picked it up from her house too, but I’ll explain that part in a minute.
She gets to the box and laughs when it’s the box for the ornament on the tree. Mom wanted us to have it and I thought this was a good distraction. While Holly opens the box and pulls out the smaller velvet box inside, I get down on one knee in front of her. She looks up and gasps, “Bear?”
I take the ring box out of her hands and open it. Inside is my grandmother’s ring. Rose gold with a two-carat diamond surrounded by rubies. It looks like a flower. “Holly, I know I’ve told you many, many times, but I love you. I’m so in love with you I can’t breathe when we aren’t together. You are my world. I promise to always be there for you and for our future family. Will you please do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?”
She’s nodding, crying and falling into me all at the same time. I catch her before we both crash onto the floor and break something. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.” She holds her hand out for me to put the ring on her finger. “I’ll say yes as many times as I need to. Bear, I love you so much. I want to marry you, have babies with you and grow old with you.”
She looks at the ring on her finger. Her eyes narrow and she turns her hand one way and then the other. “Bear? I’ve seen this ring before.”
“It was my gran’s ring. She left it to me when she passed away. I showed it to you a long time ago and you tried it on.”
“Oh my gosh, I remember now. It was after her funeral, and you were so sad. I was trying to help make you feel better. You told me that seeing me wearing the ring would make you smile.”
“I knew what I really wanted even then, but thought it was impossible. That day you sat next to me with that ring on for an hour and I pretended you were mine. I know it sounds a little sad, but it helped me get through the day.”
Holly wraps her arms around me. “I’m so glad I was there to help you and I’m even happier that this ring is really mine now. I was always meant to be yours. It just took us a while to get here.”
“I love you, Holly Berry.”
“I love you too, Honey Bear. Best Christmas ever.”
She’s right, this is the best Christmas ever.
Epilogue
Three years later
Bear
The screams of a toddler waking up on Christmas morning is my new favorite sound. Our little girl, Ava, has discovered the excitement of the holiday this year. It’s like seeing it through new eyes. Last year was fun, getting to put bows in her hair and pretend she was opening the presents.
Now, at almost two years old she knows who Santa is and that he’s going to bring her something. Not that the girl wants for anything. With our tight-knit group and all the love it brings, Ava is spoiled in both material and emotional goodness.
“Are you going to get your daughter?” My gorgeous wife mumbles from underneath the pillow she slapped on her head when Ava started singing from her nursery.
“Yes, Holly Berry, I’m going to get our daughter,” I say with a laugh. “Although I quite enjoy the concert she’s giving us.”
“Mmmph.” Is all I get from Holly.
I know that by the time I get Ava changed and dressed, Holly will be up and have coffee ready. We go through this routine a lot. Lately though, Holly has been more tired, and I think she might have a little Christmas secret to share.
I walk into our daughter’s nursery and smile. Ava looks so much like her mother and has her temperament most of the time. She also loves everything about Christmas this year. Since our first year together, Holly and I have gone all out, and this year is no exception.
It’s our first Christmas in the new home we built on the outside of town. The loft will always be there as a place to gather with friends or date nights, but this house is our home. We will raise our family here and I couldn’t be happier that we were able to move in before the holidays.
“Mas, Daddy, mas.” Ava yells as I pick her up. She really does only have one volume.
“Yes, Ava Bear, it’s Christmas.” I blow a raspberry on her tummy as I get her ready for the day. “Let’s go see if Mommy is up and if Santa brought you something.”
“Santa!” she yells. “Mommy!”
I carry the squirming bundle downstairs and laugh when I see my wife with coffee in hand standing by the tree. She’s wearing a shirt that says. “All I got you for Christmas is…” and has what looks like a pregnancy test attached.
I rush to her, juggling Ava, “Is that what I think it is?”
