December 20th #3
“It’s going to be amazing, but I was thinking more about a color palette.
You told me about how your dad’s was chosen based off his wardrobe.
You have a lot of bright colors—reds, oranges, blacks.
Is that what you want? Bright and contemporary?
The house has a traditional look on the outside. How do you want it inside?”
“I’d say that I want it to feel like this cottage.
Cozy. Warm. Comfortable. Relaxing. A reprieve from the chaos of the outside world.
I love wood, stone, natural materials. I don’t know what it means in terms of design, but I want the house to look like it’s been there for a while.
Like it’s not all new and shiny. Like a classic love story. ”
“Wait, what do you mean by that?” I ask, my eyes getting huge.
“You like to read. And you know how some stories are classics. I want our house to feel like the kind of book that you’d read over and over again.”
Tears immediately spring to my eyes.
“Oh crap. Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?”
I smile through my tears and move my hand to touch his face. “You literally just told me the exact kind of house I want in one sentence, and you related it to books, which is even crazier. I love you so much. I really, really do.”
“I love you too,” he says.
I close my eyes, suddenly able to picture the whole thing. “It needs to have a European flair. Soft colors. Natural wood and stone. Things that will stand the test of time.”
“Just like we will,” he says, taking my hand and kissing it.
“What you said just made me remember another tradition.”
“For Christmas?”
“Yeah. I was thinking about a wooden staircase and remembered the twelve days of Christmas.”
“Like the song?”
“Basically, there was a basket on our stairs. And inside it was twelve gifts, each one numbered with a day that counted down to Christmas Eve. And when I couldn’t wait to open the presents under the tree as a kid, it meant that I got to open something little every day.
It was often holiday-themed. Like a coupon to watch a holiday movie that would have candy and snacks to go with it.
Or little trinkets. Crafts. Lip gloss. Books.
Christmas Eve was always new pajamas for the whole family. ”
“That’s such a fun idea.” He glances at his watch. “And speaking of fun ideas. Maybe since we’re done eating, you could show me your bedroom?”
“I think that sounds like the perfect present,” I tease, quickly getting up and leading him toward the room.
But as we walk by the tree, he says, “Wait. We need to put the other ornaments on.”
“When are you leaving?” I ask him.
“Early tomorrow morning. Like, five early.”
“We have plenty of time then,” I say, giving him a come-and-get-me grin.
After spending some wonderful time in bed together, we get up and get dressed for the festivities at his mom’s house tonight.
“We haven’t talked about what we’re doing over the holidays,” I mention as I finish brushing my hair.
“That’s part of why Mom has a party tonight. So that all the cousins can spend time on Christmas Day with their immediate families.”
“That’s really nice. As a kid, it would suck to open all your presents and then have to leave your house.”
“Yeah, we always had everyone come to our house, and we’d go back and forth between ours and the Mackenzies’ all day. The grandparents came to us, and we had a houseful. But now that Mom and Dad are remarried, it adds a whole new level to planning the holidays.”
“So, what do you do?” I ask.
He laughs. “I go wherever they tell me to. But this year, we need to plan together what we want to attend. I really would like to do our own family Christmas either Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.”
“Like, just the two of us?” I wonder.
He pulls me close to him and kisses my nose. “Yes. And next year, it will be just the three of us. I guess, technically, there are three now, but you know what I mean.”
“I do. Can you imagine?” I laugh. “Us with a baby?”
“I’ve been imagining it since I met you,” he teases.
I roll my eyes at him. “Whatever.”
“You know I’m dead serious about that.”
“I know. It’s what makes me laugh. Because I never in a million years would have thought I’d be lucky enough to be with you, let alone be having your baby. It’s pretty crazy. How fast it all happened.”
“That’s because it was meant to be. I was telling Haley the other day that, sometimes, the universe knows what’s best for us better than we do.”
“I haven’t talked to her in a while. How is she doing? Anything more going on with her and Daine?”
“No, she still says they are just friends. That they have to be right now. She’s struggling with if she even wants to still play volleyball.”
“I thought it was her dream to play at Nebraska.”
“It was, but sometimes, your dreams change. I mean, it was my dream, too, but if things don’t work with us being apart, don’t think I won’t be transferring.”
“I’d move up there before I let you do that. Unless you stop winning,” I say with a smirk.
He lets out a loud exhale and just stares into my eyes. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”
I smile at him. “Yeah, I do.”
“I love you,” he says.
“I love you too.”