“I just don’t want to lose you again,” Michael said.
He was staring intently through the windshield, his forehead furrowed, and his eyes narrowed against the bright sun.
“You won’t lose me.”
***
Michael and I spent the next few days holed up in his house. We exchanged Christmas
presents, not caring that it was no longer Christmas. As we waited for New Year’s Eve, we pretended like the world had stopped. We ordered food and stayed in our pajamas, sipping hot chocolate and making love whenever the mood hit us.
When I opened the crystal Christmas tree Michael bought me, my eyes filled with tears of happiness. I remembered that night in the town square. It wasn’t long ago and, yet, it felt like a different life. Things were so simple back then, so easy. Now, we’d been through hell and back together and, somehow, we were stronger than ever.
“It’s perfect,” I whispered. “Where did you find this?”
“Annabelle’s,” Michael said. “It reminded me of the tree lighting in town.”
“Me too.” I smiled. “That’s what I was just thinking.”
Michael grinned as I set the crystal tree on the coffee table to admire it. It was gorgeous. When it caught the sunlight, it shone brighter than anything in the room. Light reflected off its surface and filled the living room in a shimmering glow. I’d never seen anything more beautiful.
“Thank you,” I said. I leaned over to kiss him and, soon, he was carrying me to bed.
We spent the rest of the day buried beneath the covers, exploring each other’s bodies and laughing until we couldn’t breathe.
That night, we stayed up late talking. We made plans for our future and talked about our pasts. We shared secrets that neither of us had ever told a soul. It was like we existed in our own little bubble that nothing and no one could penetrate.
“Where do you want to go?” Michael asked me.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“If you could go anywhere, see anything, what would it be?” he asked.
“The Eiffel Tower,” I said without thinking. “That’s easy. I’ve always dreamed of going to Paris.”
“You’ve never been?” Michael sounded surprised.
“I’ve never been outside the States,” I said with a shrug. “Paris has always been on my bucket list.”
“I can see us there,” Michael said. He smiled softly and closed his eyes. “Making out in front of the Eiffel Tower. Yeah, I can definitely see that.”
I slapped his arm playfully. He laughed his deep, belly laugh and then hugged me to him.
“I’m serious, though,” Michael said. “I have so many things I want to do with you. So many experiences I want us to share.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Everything,” Michael said. “We’ll start with Paris. We’ll kiss in front of the Eiffel Tower. Then, we’ll go to Venice and ride in a gondola. Maybe swim off the coast of Australia. Go on a safari in Africa.”
“Wow,” I said. “You really mean everything.”
“Everything,” Michael said with a determined nod. “If you want to.”
I kissed him and grinned.
“There’s one thing I want to do first, though,” I said.
“What’s that?” he asked.