Chapter 17 #2
Savannah and Vivian were the ones that came up with this idea after they took Cami shopping during a girls’ day out, as they called it.
Vivian and Savannah insisted on spending time with Cami just the three of them, so four days ago, they went into Nashville and spent the day shopping for last-minute gifts and having lunch.
While in what Cami later described to me as a bougie upscale bedding store for the stupid rich, Savannah noticed that Cami fell in love with this specific bedding set.
She offered to get it for her then, and Cami told her, “No, it’s okay.
I don’t even have my own bed or home for it right now!
” Then Cami laughed as though it was a joke.
My sisters did not agree with the humor. Instead, it planted a seed of this—as Savannah is now calling it—gesture.
Cami picks up the pale blue and white organic cotton floral comforter and is holding it with such care, as though it was spun from gold. Her voice is reverent with awe as she blinks back tears and says, “I don’t know what to say, Savannah, thank you, but it really is too much.”
“Shh. We aren’t done gesturing.” Savannah wipes away a tear and nods to Vivian, who looks to Walker. Walker carries over a box—Vivian is not allowed to lift anything in her state when Walker is around. Walker places the box on Cami’s lap, and it’s the exact same size as Savannah’s gift.
Which makes sense as it is the same exact box, just with a different color ribbon. Cami looks back and forth between the two sisters before slowly pulling the pink ribbon and opening it to reveal the same blue floral comforter inside. “I don’t … I don’t understand.”
“You will,” Vivian replies as she reaches over and squeezes Cami’s hand.
Ryan and I follow suit, taking our turns to give Cami the same boxed gift from each of us.
Finn takes his turn, kissing the top of Cami’s head before walking away.
Dad walks over with his own box, and even though she doesn’t get it yet, Cami wipes away a few tears as she opens the first gift she’s received from our father.
She chuckles slightly as it is yet another blue and white floral comforter.
“I don’t … I don’t understand what’s happening right now.” Cami looks at us, bewildered, but no one explains—not yet.
Liam steps up last and hands Cami an envelope that’s stripped red and white like a candy cane.
He nods and she opens it, pulling out a business card for the local Forrest Falls Inn.
Turning it over, she reads a code and then looks at me.
“This other set of numbers, that’s my access code for your building if I forget my key fob. ”
My building has a very limited number of all-access key fobs, but there are also specific codes that can be typed into the keypad that allow access if someone doesn’t have the fob with them.
“Yes and no,” I reply with a soft smile.
“Liam is pretty big on security, so that’s your specific code to access any of our properties. ”
She rears back, even more confused. “What?”
“When we went shopping, you said you didn’t have your own bed or home right now, and it got Vivi and me talking.
Our mama taught us that home is wherever our family is, so as long as we’re together, we’re home.
” Savannah’s mama bear tough exterior cracks slightly, along with her voice.
“Jack may have stolen you away first, but he isn’t the only one you can count on.
So, each of us decided you would have a dedicated bedroom in our respective houses.
They are no longer guest rooms; they are your room. ”
Cami looks at the boxes of comforters on the floor. “There’s over twenty-five hundred dollars in bedding here. And how did you get so many of them so fast? I don’t think there were even that many on the shelf at the store. And I don’t have that many beds! I’m so confused.”
“Finding certain things sometimes just comes down to knowing the right people—or having a sister that is a borderline professional shopper,” Theo offers with a soft smile.
His sister Pippa knows the owner of the store, of course she does, so getting a few extra comforters sent overnight wasn’t that complicated in the end.
“You said the bed in Jack’s guest room was like sleeping on a cloud, right?” Liam asks with a grin. Cami nods and wearily looks at me.
I smile at our sister. “Earlier this week, that same bed was delivered to each of their houses, minus Liam.”
Liam raised a finger. “Simply because I don’t have a permanent house yet, purely a technicality.”
“So now, for those of us with homes anyway, you will have a room that’s fully yours. You can come and go. You can stay at my penthouse and never sleep in any of them. Or if I bug you, you can go to one of their houses and know you have a bed … and a home with us.”
“And if all of us drive you nuts—and we will at some point—that code on the card will get you a suite at the Forrest Falls Inn for however long you want to stay. It’s the best I could do without a permanent home built yet,” Liam confesses. “But I wanted to give you a space to go if you needed it.”
“And before you protest this, it’s not about a financial thing.
While certain people wanted to do a more dramatic gesture, like replacing Cherry with a top-of-the-line RV.
” Cami’s jaw drops at Dad’s statement as Liam shrugs and mutters that he still thought it was a good idea.
“When the girls told me what they wanted to do, I wanted in too. Your room here is at the top of the stairs, end of the hall.” Dad must have chosen what we always referred to as the blue room because of the pale blue pinstripe wallpaper in the room.
“It just needs your bedding added.” Dad gives her a soft smile, but I can tell he’s barely holding back the emotion.
“We want you in our homes, and more importantly, in our lives. So, this gesture, as Sav called it, is our way of letting you know that you are welcome and…” Vivian swallows hard as her lip wavers.
She waves a hand at her face to fight the tears threatening to fall.
“Sorry, you are welcome and so very wanted, Cami. We are lucky to have you in our family.”
“But you don’t even know me that well yet,” Cami protests.
“I don’t care, Cameron Maura Walsh. You are our sister, and we are keeping you.
” Savannah full-names her as she pulls her in for a hug, which Vivi joins and it becomes an awkward three-person hug—awkward, mainly because Vivian’s twin boys have made her stomach a significant barrier requiring adjustments with most typical movements.
After a few moments of sharing tears and whispering things to each other, they separate and Cami looks up at each of us individually as she speaks.
“Thank you for this … gesture. It may very well be the kindest, and by far, the most thoughtful gesture I’ve ever received in my entire life.
I still think you all spent way too much money, but I’m honored by the intent and grateful for …
well, all of you, really.” She squeezes both sisters’ hands before standing and taking her turn to hug each of us.
Walker and Theo both pull her in for hugs as well.
She briefly hugs Dad, exchanging a few words between them.
That’s an emotionally complex road they are both navigating, but they’ll find their way.
“I don’t know what to say, but thank you,” Cami says as I pull her in for a hug. “But if this is a hint to move out of your space, you could’ve just told me!” She tries to joke but I shake my head. I’m not going to make light of this, even if it’s slightly overwhelming for her.
“Nope. You don’t have to sleep anywhere you don’t want to. Or you can rotate nightly and take turns staying in each of your bedrooms. We wanted you to know that you’re part of The Cavalry now, and when you’re with us, you’re home. And now that goes for us when we’re with you too.”
“Thank you, for … everything,” she says as she pulls back and wipes away a tear.
“Merry Christmas, Cami, and welcome home.”