“What’s so funny?”
She pointed the spatula toward him. “You are too much.” His face glowed, lit like a beacon. She shook her head, amazed, slipped the eggs onto the plates, and grabbed the toast. “Here you go.”
“Aren’t you going to open your present?”
“After we eat. Food first.” Juli couldn’t resist doing the teasing for a change.
He said a blessing over the food, but when he was done, he still looked disappointed.
She relented. “On the other hand….”
“What?”
“You could go ahead and take a look at your card, and maybe the gift. If you’d like to.”
Ben picked up the card and opened the flap. He read each word, then blinked his eyes and rubbed his nose. “Nice.” He cleared his throat.
“What’s this?” He picked up the box and shook it gently. “Not breakable, is it?”
“No. I hope you’ll like it. I didn’t know if you would, so I have a second gift for you, too. Well, it’s for both of us.”
“Two gifts?”
“For two months.”
Carefully, he worked the blue ribbon off of the package, then unwrapped the paper. He lifted the lid from the box and drew out the chain.
Had she guessed right? Ben was a gentleman. He would pretend he liked it, regardless of his true feelings.
He held the chain, dangling from one hand, the dog tag swinging at the end. He didn’t say anything, so she jumped into the void.
“It says FAITH on the back. On the front, there’s a cross with the verse noted. The man who makes them said the tiny thing at the bottom is a mustard seed. It has to do with the verse. You’re supposed to wear it like a dog tag, but you don’t have to. You could attach it to your key ring or whatever.”
He examined both sides of the tag. “Matthew 17:20. My name is engraved on it below the verse.”
“It was special order. I can’t send it back, so I hope you like it.”
“I love it.” He put it around his neck, but kept one hand wrapped around the dog-tag type pendant. “How did you choose that verse?”
“I read all of the verses on the website. This one says that if you have faith, nothing is impossible. You are the most optimistic, believing person I know. You believed in us, didn’t you?”
His eyes looked misty. Maybe he truly did like it, but now she was ready for something more cheerful. She reached below the table and brought out a shirt box.
“This is the second gift?” He held it, looking at the paper with little pictures of wedding cakes and bells.
“Yes, but please, for me, tear the paper off this time? Just rip it.”
“Here goes.” He started at one end, slipping a finger below to slit the tape, but then gave it a great, ripping tear from end to end. “How’s that?”
She stopped him, placing her hands on top of the box. “This is for our evening walks.”
“Whatever you say.” He lifted the top and pulled the first shirt out. It was navy blue with white letters. He read aloud, “Juli’s husband.” Then he pulled the second shirt out, “Ben’s wife.” It was red, but also with white letters.
“Kind of corny, huh?” Doubt again.
“Only in the most wonderful way. But there’s one problem.”
“What?”
“Now that I have these, I have everything I could want. What on earth will you give me for future anniversaries?”
“Hah. Funny. Now, my turn.” Juli set the box on the chair next to her. She eased off the bow delicately, carefully, then demolished the paper with abandon.
The contents of the box were wrapped in white packing paper. She picked up the topmost one. It was long and thin and the paper rustled as she unwound it.
Juli stared at the bundle of paint brushes. They were brushes for oil paints. She put them on the table and selected another paper-wrapped item. This was a set of colored pencils. And the next, and the next—they were the physical manifestation of Anna’s art supplies list. With each unwrapped item, Ben’s smile grew wider. She worked her way through the box, checking out the brushes, paints, pencils, tablets of specialty papers—on and on. Ben had missed nothing. Juli opened her mouth, but found herself speechless.
“Now, come with me.” He grabbed her hand and led her into the study. “I couldn’t fit this into the box.” He opened the closet door, pushed the coats aside and pulled out an easel. “For my artist wife.”
****
In mid-July, Juli told Anna she was ready to join a group. Anna switched her to a class that met late on Thursday afternoons. “You’ll love them,” Anna said. “They are sweet, incredible people.”