As soon as we opened it Hunter was jumping up and down in the hallway. “You won’t believe what’s out there.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“An Xbox.”
Julie laughed. “No way.”
“Come on. Come on.” He tugged on both of our wrists. We followed him to the living room.
The tree was lit. The fire was roaring. There was snow on the ground. And I had the two most important people in my life gathered under the tree.
Hunter landed on the floor in awe of the gifts sprinkled around. We didn’t want to go overboard, but I don’t think we did a very good job of reining it in. There were enough toys here for all the kids at the group home. I wanted him to have everything I didn’t. Maybe it was excessive, but I couldn’t help it.
Julie and I had made a generous donation to the home in Hunter’s name. We wanted to make sure his friends had presents too.
Julie’s hands wrapped around my waist. She leaned into my back. “Merry Christmas.”
I pulled her around to face me. “Come here.” I dipped to kiss her.
“I have a present for you,” she announced.
She bent by the tree and rifled through the gifts. She rose, holding a box tied with a blue ribbon.
“Wait. I want you to open mine first.”
I ran to the mantle and grabbed the box. I had put it there last night when everyone had fallen asleep. I didn’t want to take a chance it would get lost under the tree with the wrapping paper flying all over the place.
“But—”
“No, please. Open it first,” I urged.
“But this is really something you’ll like,” she protested.
“I know I will, baby, but please.”
She shrugged. “Ok.”
Hunter was busy with a set of cars that raced each other on the track. We had our own moment on the couch. The two presents rested between us.
As soon as she held the box in her hand my chest tightened. My life was getting ready to change. The lid on the box cracked as her eyes widened.
“Oh my God,” she
gasped.
I dropped to my knee. “Will you marry me?”
I plucked the diamond from the velvet cushion and held it toward her finger.
She nodded, the tears filling her eyes. “Yes. Oh my God. Yes.”
I slipped the ring on her finger. It looked good. Huge. Glittery. Expensive.
“All this time you wanted to get married?”
“Yeah, I guess I did.” I laughed. “I want to marry you.”
She looked at me nervously. “Now you have to open mine.”