No Boundaries(54)
Julie yanked the covers and wrapped the sheet around her bare breasts, eyeing me. “He’s excited.” She smiled.
“I want my game day ritual,” I groaned, trying to pry my hand between her legs. The door was locked. “He can wait a few minutes.”
She swatted at me and giggled. “Later. We have an eight-year-old on Christmas morning. Patience is not a thing here.”
We climbed out of bed and dressed.
“We’ll be right out,” Julie called through the door.
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.”
“Got it.”
I tore the paper from the box and dropped the lid on the floor. My jaw fell. I stared inside.
My eyes met hers. “This is for real?”
She nodded. “It is.”
I picked up the stick with two double lines on it. “You’re pregnant?”
“I took it yesterday. I thought it was a pretty good Christmas present.”
And I thought the ring was a big deal. What the fuck did I know?
“This is unbelievable.”
“But unbelievably good, right?” Her voice was shaky.
“I’ve never had a better Christmas ever.” I kissed her, pressing my lips against hers. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you too.”
Hunter walked over. “What is going on?”
“We’re getting married, bud. And having a baby.”
His eyes widened. “Wow.”
It was pretty fucking wow.
Julie pulled him into a hug. She didn’t seem to have to ask him anymore. He fell into her embrace just like he had always belonged there.
“Are you ok with all of this news, honey?”
He nodded. “I get to stay?”
“Oh, yes. Of course. That doesn’t change. It just means you have a baby brother or sister now,” she explained.
“Can we open more presents?”
We both laughed. He was eight after all. On to another topic before we had even digested the first one.
“Yeah, let’s do that. I’ve got a game this afternoon.”
Hunter fastened a Santa hat to his head and started sorting the presents under the tree.
“Hold on, bud. We’ll be right back.”
Julie looked at me questioningly. I ushered her back to our room.
“What’s wrong? Are you upset about the baby?”