“Yours is upstairs. I’ll go grab it.”
“Wait, open yours first,” he insists. “It’s for you and RJ.”
“Okay.” I unwrap the package and open the lid. Inside are a bunch of envelopes. I pick the first one up and open it. Inside is a packet of papers. I read through them, beginning to hyperventilate when I understand what they’re for. Apparently Ryan has been busy this last week…
“Ryan… Tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.”
“Which one did you open?”
“The one that says you bought a goddamn house and need my signature for the deed!” I shriek, dropping the papers to the table like they’re capable of burning me.
Ryan flinches like he’s just been slapped. “Not exactly the reaction I thought you would have.”
“What else did you do?” I open the next envelope and a key falls out. “A car?” I yell. “Have you lost your damn mind?”
I open the next envelope. This one is Ryan’s will. The changes have been highlighted, indicating he’s added RJ and me to it. If something happens to him, RJ gets his insurance policy and trust and I’m the guardian.
At this point, I’m shaking. My hands are literally trembling so badly it’s hard to use them. But there’s still one more envelope. I take a deep breath and open it. A bank account, needing my signature to have me added to it.
I drop the papers and walk away, needing to calm down before I say something I might regret. I don’t even know what to say, to be honest. I go upstairs, ignoring my mom calling my name, and slam my door shut. My eyes land on Ryan’s present, which seems so stupid now. The guy just bought me a fucking car and a house and added me to a bank account that has more zeros than I would even know what to do with. My gift to him cost twenty dollars.
On some level, I should’ve expected this. Ryan comes from a very wealthy family—old money, as I heard my parents call it. While they don’t act like it, they’re loaded. Ryan and his siblings each received a huge trust fund from their grandparents, and I heard none of them have to work. His sisters, Chloe and Faith, used their trust to open a cute boutique downtown called A Clothes Affair, and Ryan joined the military because he wanted to. I guess I was just hoping Ryan wouldn’t try to buy my love. I don’t need or want a house or a car or money. I just want him. Alive and breathing and present.
There’s a knock on the door, and I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. “Come in.”
Ryan walks through the door minus RJ. “Your mom has him,” he says, answering my silent question.
“Here’s your present.” I shove it into his chest.
He rips the wrapping paper until it reveals what’s inside: a photo album. Silently, he opens the album and flips through page after page.
“It’s not a house or a car,” I mutter, feeling like an idiot. I took the pictures I had of Ryan and RJ so far and had them printed. I bought an old-school photo album and put them in there, decorating the pages.
When Ryan doesn’t say anything, still flipping through the pages, I add, “I thought you could take it with you, so you have something to look at.” I also included the few pictures I have of us from our week together in California, as well as a few of his family I was able to snag off social media.
He raises his head and his tear-filled eyes lock with mine. “You made this for me?”
“Yeah.” I’m hoping the tears are because he likes it…
“It’s the best fucking gift I’ve ever gotten,” he says, setting it down and pulling me into a hug. He nuzzles his face into my hair, and I wrap my arms around his waist. “I never wanted this,” he says, not letting me go. “The family… the kids… I could never imagine having any of it. But now.” He sniffles and holds me tighter. “I want it all, Micaela. With you.”
“Ryan,” I breathe. I can’t do this. Not a week before he’s leaving.
“I know,” he says knowingly. “But I just need you to know that it’s you. You make me want it all. Make me want shit I never wanted before.”
He releases me and backs up. “I know you freaked out over your present…”
“My present?” I squeal. “A present is that.” I point to the photo album. “You set me up for life.”
Ryan doesn’t laugh. “Damn right I did. You and our son. The reason why you won’t be with me is because you lost your husband. I have to leave in a week, but I’m not going until I know that if something happens to me, you and our son are both taken care of. The house is for you to create a life in. It’s the one you pointed out. Only a half mile from your parents. It’s yours to do with as you please, no strings attached. The car is safe and will fit the stroller. You complained your car was too small for it. I want you to be comfortable and safe while you’re driving our son around. The money is so you can focus on taking care of RJ and not have to worry about how to pay for things. I know your parents will help, but RJ isn’t their responsibility. He’s ours. He’s mine. He’s going to need diapers and wipes and clothes… Babies have needs. I know my Christmas present was a little over the top, but I only have a week until I have to leave, and I needed to make sure that when I do, you and RJ will be okay.”