18. Noah
noah
. . .
M y hand slams down on my phone in a failed attempt to shut off the alarm blaring through the speaker. It’s five in the morning and still very dark outside on Christmas morning. It’s also the day the love of my life becomes my wife. Automatically, I reach for her even though I know she’s across town, sleeping in her childhood bed. I think the tradition that the bride and groom can’t spend the night before their wedding together is the dumbest thing ever, especially when the couple already lives together. Someone please tell me why I’m waking up on Christmas morning without my girl?
As slowly as possible I start to get out of bed. My body is sore. My aches have aches. My bare feet touch the hardwood floor and I shiver, already missing the warm California sun and the mild weather of Portland.
Dressing quickly, I sneak out of my parents’ house. Instead of driving, I jog to my destination. I figure I might as well get a workout in while I can because today is going to be nothing but eating and drinking. I’m going to need a vacation from Christmas.
Twenty very cold minutes later, I’m climbing up the trellis and onto the roof of the porch to the James’ home. I haven’t done this in years, but today calls for a little daredevil action. I don’t want to wait until Peyton has had Christmas with her family until I can see her. Last night was torture. Almost as bad as when we’re on a road trip and I know she’s down the hall, sleeping in another room. I tried to convince our employer that Peyton and I should share a room, but they weren’t buying it.
Last night I texted her and suggested she leave her window unlocked, telling her that if she were a good girl, Santa would pay her an early morning visit. Thankfully, she did. It takes a little effort to get the window up, but once it does, I slip in and close it quietly.
My girl is lying there like an angel, the comforter covering her right up to her chin. Her long dark hair spreads out over her pillow, waiting for me to run my fingers through it. I can’t believe that by the end of the night she’s going to be my wife. She’s the only one I want to have children with, to grow old with. Right now I’m the luckiest guy in the world because I’m marrying the woman that my dreams are made of. Life doesn’t get any better than this.
Kicking off my shoes, I pull back her comforter and slide in next to her, pressing into her backside. “Hey, baby,” I whisper into her ear.
I wait for her to respond. To acknowledge that I’m here.
Nothing.
“Baby.” I rest my hand under her shirt. She tenses. “P, I’m here.”
She moans, but it’s not that happy to feel you behind me kind type. It’s the leave me alone, I’m sleeping type.
“Okay, I’ll just hold you.” I situate behind her, but she moves and tries to push me away. “Peyton, seriously.”
“You know, for knowing me all my life, you would think you’d be able to tell us apart by now.”
Before I can comprehend what’s going on, someone’s giggling behind me and Peyton – no strike that – Elle is sitting up in bed. I jump out quickly and stand in the middle of the room while the twin terrors laugh uncontrollably.
“Did you seriously twin me on my wedding day?” I ask the both of them. My soon-to-be-wife nods while her sister looks rather pissed.
“I can’t believe you thought I was Peyton.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I throw my hands up. “You’re in her bed and when it’s dark, you look just like her. I can’t believe the both of you did this to me.” I sit down on the edge of Peyton’s bed, which is actually Elle’s bed. For as long as I can remember, Peyton has always been on the left-hand side of the room.
“It was her idea.” Elle points at Peyton, who feigns shock, causing me to shake my head.
As if this morning can’t get any worse, their bedroom flies open, and Harrison is standing in the doorway. “Are you sneaking into my daughter’s room?”
“Um…” I stand, unsure what the hell I’m supposed to do right now. He stalks toward me and for the first time since I’ve known him, I can easily say, I’m a bit terrified.
“Do you think because you’re marrying my daughter that gives you the right to come through her window? To come into my home without my knowledge?”
I take a few steps back, but he keeps coming forward. Neither Peyton nor Elle are saying anything, and I’m starting to wonder how I’m supposed to get out of this.
“Oh, for the love of all things holy, Harrison. Leave Noah alone,” Katelyn says from the doorway. She loves me. She has to. I’m her godson and she’s my mom’s best friend.
Harrison glares at me. My heart is about to fall into my stomach. I think I’m going to be sick. Never in my life, have I been in this situation. The room is eerily quiet while Harrison stares me down. I’m tempted to remind him… oh hell, I don’t know what I can remind him about. He’s right, I shouldn’t be sneaking in through the window, but all I wanted to do was wake up on Christmas morning with Peyton. I really don’t think that’s too much to ask, especially considering we’re about to be married. The tension in the room is palpable. I swallow hard and open my mouth to say something, but nothing, not even a squeak comes out.
Harrison stands tall and slowly sticks his hand out toward me. My eyes go from his to his hand, back to his eyes, and finally around the room. “Welcome to the family. I’ve always wanted to bust someone in the girls’ room, so thank you for making my Christmas morning memorable.”
Everyone in the room starts laughing. Everyone, that is, except for me. I don’t find this funny at all. I don’t even care about being caught by Harrison. What I care about is that I touched Elle. That’s what bothers me the most.
“I’m going to go down and make a pot of coffee,” Katelyn tells the room. Everyone leaves, except for Peyton. Elle closes the door behind her, giving us some privacy.
“That was mean.”
“It was meant to be funny,” she says, climbing out of bed and coming to me. Her hands start on my chest with one over my rapidly beating heart, while the other moves to my hair. “I’m sorry.”
“I touched your sister, Peyton. I would never?—”
She stops my words with a deep, lingering kiss. “I know. I know you would never do anything to hurt me, Noah.”
“I wouldn’t. I love you so damn much.”
Peyton doesn’t return the sentiment. Instead, she goes to the desk and pulls open the drawer. “Tonight, we’re going to be husband and wife, which is the best gift we could give each other. But, I saw this one afternoon, not long after we moved to Portland. I was walking around aimlessly, questioning everything that I knew.”
She sets the small package into my hand. “Open it.”
“Don’t you want to wait for later?”
Peyton shakes her head.
I unwrap the box with such urgency one would think I’ve never opened a present before. Lifting the lid of the box reveals a black, industrial style watch. Peyton takes it out for me and turns it over. “What does it say?” I ask her.
She smiles softly. “You are my light, my happy, my everything. Today starts our forever.” My hand covers the watch, holding it in her hand. She rises to kiss me. It’s soft and perfect. “Merry Christmas, my love.”
“Merry Christmas."
Quinn and Nola, who both slept through the earlier commotion, finally woke and joined us for breakfast. And because Betty Paige is the youngest, our clan will celebrate Christmas at my parents. Harrison volunteered to drive everyone over, but Katelyn nixed the idea, telling him that once Christmas is deemed over, it’s wedding time and the women had places to be.
I thought about running back to my parents or riding with Katelyn, fearful that Harrison would try to kill me. Unfortunately, Katelyn’s car was full, mostly taken up by a certain dress that I can’t wait to see, and that left me with my previous two choices. Thankfully, Peyton’s riding with me and I know Harrison will be on his best behavior.
At my parents’, my dad hands me a beer the second I walk in the door, JD pats me on the back, telling me I’ve earned my stripes. They’re both laughing and telling me it’s about time I got my balls busted by Harrison. I’m so happy everyone thinks this is a laughing matter. I almost crapped my pants.
“Let’s open presents,” Betty Paige hollers at everyone and Eden seconds the statement.
“Why so eager?” I ask her, sitting down next to her on the floor.
“It’s your wedding day, silly brother. We all have to get our hair did.”
“Done,” I correct her.
Paige rolls her eyes. “Missy Elliot says did so it’s did. Geesh, Noah.”
“Noah, sometimes I wonder whether you’re cool or not,” Eden chastises.
JD walks by and flips Eden’s hair, pissing her off. She swats at her dad. Eden is a feisty one, and often battling with JD over the simplest of things.
“My bad.” It seems like my day isn’t starting off at all like I had hoped. Peyton comes into the room, hands me a plate of food, and sits down next to me. “We just ate, babe.”
“It’s Christmas food. I can’t say no.”
Who am I to argue with that logic? I balance the plate on my knee, giving us both easy access. Everyone else comes into the room. My dad’s wearing a Santa hat. He’s done this every year since he came back into our lives.
“Where’s Ben?” he asks.
“With his mom, he’ll be over later. We don’t have to wait for him.” Elle tells us. It’s a bit sad he’s the only one not here, but I get it. Honestly, I’m surprised that Nola didn’t go home to be with her family, but I’m sure the wedding put a monkey wrench in everyone’s plans.
My dad starts sorting the presents. There’s so many under the tree that they’re stacked against the wall. Most of them are for Betty Paige, and as her pile grows, my mom blurts out that once the grandbabies start coming, Paige is getting fewer presents.
“Don’t tease me, Mommy.”
“Bite your tongue, Mother,” I add. “At least let Peyton and I enjoy being married before we start having babies.” I lean over and kiss Peyton on the cheek, and whisper in her ear, “Unless you want a baby sooner.” She shakes her head slightly, giving me my answer. We both know we want children, we just haven’t said when. I think my mom tends to forget that Peyton is still young, and her career is just starting. We have time. Still, the look on my mom’s and Katelyn’s face tells me they’re eager to be grandmas.
Once all the presents are handed out, we go one by one, opening a gift. With this many people, it takes forever but allows us to see what everyone is getting. When Peyton picks my gift to open, I turn all my attention toward her. She unwraps the box carefully lifting the lid.
Her hand instantly covers her mouth as she says my name quietly. Nestled in the tissue paper is a framed photo of the both of us. We’re about seven and twelve. I don’t know who took it, but they captured Peyton looking at me while I pushed her hair behind her ear. I don’t even remember the day, but to have proof that I’ve loved her forever is pretty damn special.
Underneath this frame is another. The picture is of Peyton, Mason, and me. This was taken at the last Thanksgiving we had with Mason. It had been raining for days, so the ground was saturated, but that didn’t stop us from going outside and playing football. Mason has his arms around us, dirt covering our faces and jerseys, but we’re smiling. We’re happy.
“Noah, where did you find these?” Katelyn is kneeling before her daughter, looking at the photos.
“In a box, in the attic here. I found them earlier this summer when we were visiting.”
“I’m going to need a copy of these,” she says.
“Me too,” my mom adds.
“Thank you,” Peyton says with tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much for loving me.”
Again, I’m doing what I’ve always done, and push her hair behind her ear. “I don’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t love you.”
“Me neither.”
“Save it for your vows,” JD yells. We laugh, and as I look around everyone is wiping away their tears. I take a deep breath and try to calm my emotions or at least save them for later when I promise to devote the rest of my life to the girl sitting next to me.