In the kitchen, she found Deckard elbow-deep in sudsy water, and despite trying to get him to leave the dishes for the next day, he insisted that he clean. So she grabbed a towel and started drying the dishes as he finished cleaning them. January was just happy to be with him, it didn’t matter what they were doing.
With both of them working in tandem, the task went by faster than they expected. He grabbed their wine glasses and filled them with the remainder of the merlot. Together they moved toward her living room, blowing out the candles on the dining table as she passed.
They left the lights off in the space allowing the light from the fire to illuminate the room in the soft orange glow. Deckard rested on January’s couch and he held his arm out for her to do the same. She sat beside him, tucked her feet up on the cushions, and cuddled against his comforting body.
The air in the room was heavy, both of them knew what tomorrow would bring. January couldn’t fight against the urge to ask if he was going to stay. Her heart would always wonder if she tried hard enough
The glass traveled to her lips and she took a sip of the grape goodness, needing the liquid courage.
“So, there is no hope in you staying?” January knew it was direct, but she needed to know, and there was no point in asking anything else.
Sadly, Deckard shook his head, the devastation was just as evident on his face as it was on hers. “The bank approved the purchase of the practice. I’m locked in for five years at that location. I just found out today.”
“Oh.”
Wishes had treated her poorly in the past and January guessed that this time would be no different.
“I’m sorry, January. Is there any way you’d consider moving to Atlanta?” he asked, but he seemed to already know her answer. There was no hopeful gleam in his eyes.
“My entire family is here. Living anywhere else was not something I ever considered.” And even though she and her family had rocky moments, January couldn’t imagine being more than a short distance from them.
“I know, sweetheart. Do you think we could try long distance for a while?”
January wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell him that she would do whatever she could to make it work. But that wasn’t a reality for them.
“As much as I want to say yes, I think we both know that it wouldn’t work out. You have a demanding job, and if I get called out on an assignment, I could be gone for days or weeks.”
Deckard stayed silent, but he pulled her tighter against him. There wasn’t much left to discuss about their relationship. Tomorrow she was going to have to say goodbye to the man that was going to take her heart back to Atlanta with him.
Their glasses emptied as they watched the fire in silence, and Deckard sat the cups on her coffee table before standing from the couch. Fear leaped through her at the thought that Deckard was going to leave. Why wait until tomorrow when he could face the inevitable today?
He stalked toward the tree on the opposite side of the room and stared at the lights, the glow illuminating a small gold-wrapped gift under the tree. It hadn’t been there earlier and January assumed that Deckard placed it there when she wasn’t looking. But he didn’t grab the gift as he crouched beside the bucket acting as a tree stand. He picked up a fallen ornament, and placed it on the small table, then reached back down for the gold box.
“Grab the green box, too, please.” She called out before he stood back up. Both presents in hand, Deckard sat back down beside her and sat the boxes between them. “You know, you’re supposed to wait until Christmas Day to open presents.”
“We could start a new tradition?” he suggested, and January joined in with his soft chuckle.
“You first,” January said to Deckard and he smirked at her enthusiasm.
He tore through the plain wrapping paper unveiling a generic white cardboard box. He lifted the box to find a scarf nestled inside like the one she had admired on him not too long ago, a small placard that said “Hot Doc,” and a handheld engraving pen. The other two items were insignificant; it was the engraver that she spent hours scouring the internet to find.
“Wow,” he murmured as he admired the engraving kit. He took time reading the box, then set it back with the scarf, and lifted the placard. “Hot doc, huh?”
“I think you’re quite dreamy. I bet all the girls ask for you.” He shrugged noncommittally, but the blush rose on his cheeks, giving him away.
Deckar
d placed the placard back in the box and grabbed the engraver again. “This is really cool. I can’t wait to try it out.”
“I want a picture of the first thing you engrave by hand. You’ll have to text me a picture.”
“Am I allowed to do that?” He asked, and against January’s better judgment, she knew that she couldn’t cut ties with him completely.
“Yeah. I’d like to think we can stay friends at the very least.”
“I don’t ever want to just be your friend, January,” he murmured as he set the items back in the box, moving the package aside.
January whispered in reply, “I don’t think that we have a choice.” Solemnly Deckard nodded his head.