“Promise you’ll make sure Jax doesn’t spend his Friday’s drinking beer at my grave.”
I want to laugh and cry all at once but swallow the emotion down. “I promise.”
“I want you to keep contact with Willow. When she meets someone new, I want you to give her this letter.”
I take the envelope from him and see the words ‘a new life’ written on it.
“The day of her wedding, I want you to give this one to the man she’s marrying.”
‘To the man who holds my heart.’
I’ve never cried so much in my entire life like I’ve cried this past year. I now understand why our bodies are made up of so much water.
“The day she gives birth to her first child, give her this one.”
‘Willow.’
“These are for Jaxson.”
I take them, unable to read the words as tears blur my sight.
“This one is for you.”
Surprised, I take the envelope from him. I blink rapidly so I can see what it says, but there’s nothing written on the envelope.
“Open it when you’re expecting your first child.”
I give him a weak smile, feeling too emotional. “Thank you for my letter. I promise I’ll make sure they get theirs. I’ll keep them all safe.”
He looks away, over the horizon, and I get up to go put the letters in a safe place.
~
We only had one rule this Christmas, no presents of monetary value.
We’re all sitting in the living room, and it’s weird to see no presents under the tree.
Carter stands up first. They had a private Christmas with Jamie and Danny the night before. You can’t not give a child presents.
“Do you people have any idea how hard it is to give a present with no monetary value?”
“It must suck for you,” Rhett says dryly.
We all start to laugh, and it warms my heart. This is what I wanted.
“Okay, but when your ears start bleeding, just remember it’s your own fault.”
I’m so surprised when he pulls a guitar from behind the couch, that my mouth just drops open. Danny comes tripling in and together they sit down on the couch that faces Marcus.
Carter starts to strum the cords. “You’ve got a friend in me.” He sings the kiddies song from a Disney movie, and when Danny joins in, my heart turns to a pile of mush.
We all clap hands when the last note dies away and little Miss Danny is quick to take a bow.
Up next is Rhett. He scowls at all of us. “Not a snowflakes’ chance in hell that I’m singing.” We all go ‘aww’ at the same time.
“But!” he says, holding up a finger. “I actually managed to think of something, and that alone should be counted as a present.”
“Yeah, we know you don’t like to think,” Della’s quick to say.