Chapter Eight
Tane
Christmas morning couldn't have been more magical, all my hardwork and excessive shopping had paid off, and I was grateful to be able to give the day to Dillon and Aster.
All three of us dressed in the Christmas PJs I’d bought, and we sat under the tree and exchanged gifts.
I hadn’t got Dillon any one big thing, just lots of little things, but he absolutely loved the teddy bear I’d found for him.
The care package from their parents had contained multiple gifts for Dillon and Aster, as well as for me. They’d never met me, but Dillon had told them so many things, I guess they felt like they knew me.
Dillon’s presents were wonderful, so thoughtful. He’d bought all kinds of sweets and biscuits from home, when I unwrapped the tin of Milo I choked up.
“I’m making everyone a cup of this right now!”
It was the first time anyone had done anything so thoughtful for me, and it made me feel like I had a bit of home there in Foggy Basin, especially when I served up the milo with the Russian fudge, and cookies I’d made from Ma’s recipes.
Aster put Christmas movies on the TV and we sat on the couch watching them and eating my treats as well as the roasted, caramel almonds Dillon’s parents had sent. Scrooge, the ginger kitten, walked up and down our laps, finally curling up on my lap to sleep. I gently patted him.
After the first movie finished, Dillon stood up. “I forgot, there’s one more gift for you Tane.”
He had a strange tone, sort of flat and tense. “You okay, babe?”
Dillon waved me off and left the room.
“Ooh, uh, I’ll take Scrooge,” Aster lifted the kitten out of my lap.
“What? Why?”
Aster paused the movie and I looked to him in utter puzzlement. “Can’t you just tell me—”
Dillon returned to the living room and knelt down in front of me.
My heart stuttered, and a lump formed in my throat. “What...?”
Dillon lifted a small jewelry box and flipped it open to show me a beautiful golden ring with Maori koru carved into it.
“I was trying to wait, until the perfect time, until I felt like it wasn’t too soon, I guess, and then I... well, just now I was so perfectly happy. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Tane. Will you marry me?”
I remembered with a jolt, the ring I’d bought for Dillon. I’d utterly forgotten it, for weeks and even months, putting it off until I felt like we’d been together ‘long enough’.
I burst into tears, but I was laughing as well. “Yes, yes I’ll marry you, of course I will!”
Dillon beamed, tension flowing out of his shoulders, and he slipped the ring on my finger. I pulled him in for a deep kiss, tangling my fingers in his hair, until Aster started pelting us both with popcorn.
I tugged Aster in for a hug.
“Will you be my best man?” Dillon asked, hugging his brother as well.
“Of course I will!” Aster sniffed, swiping at his eyes.
“Hold on,” I protested. “I want Aster as my best man!”
“He’s my brother, I get dibs.”
“Ridiculous.” Aster laughed. "You're both ridiculous."
I squirmed out from between them. “Be right back...”
They were squabbling good naturedly, Aster pretending like he’d consider me over Dillon for the role of best man, and Dillon not at all getting that it was a joke.
Digging through my guitar bag, the one place I knew Dillon would never consider interfering (whereas he was perfectly fine with rearranging my sock drawer) I found the box which held the ring I’d got for Dillon all those months ago.
May as well go all out, seeing as it’s Christmas... I slung the guitar strap on and started strumming, playing one of my early love songs and starting to sing as I re-entered the living room.
Dillon and Aster both looked over, eyes wide.
I tossed the box to Dillon, got through the chorus, although my voice wavered a little. I maneuvered my guitar onto my back and kenlt down.
“You beat me to it, but ... will you marry me, Dillon?”
“Oh my God,” Aster hid his face in his hands. “You two are too much.”
Dillon laughed. "I'd love to." He leaned in to kiss me.
I nuzzled his cheek, grateful for him, for Aster, for the kitten and for everything that had come before.
It was, without a doubt, the best Christmas I could have hoped for.
After a far-too-large Christmas lunch, I texted Ma.
Tane: Merry Christmas, Ma! Guess what? I'm engaged! I can't wait for you to meet Dillon. I'll bring him to visit you soon. Think you're up to a trip to America, for the wedding? Arohanui