Chapter 54
Chapter Fifty-Four
Kylie
We were ten days away from Christmas, and I found myself getting into the spirit. I couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but I was sure it was a culmination of a few things.
It likely had something to do with the decorations we’d been putting up this past week.
With Kate and Avery’s help, I managed to get the front porch looking like a scene right out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
If the painting had been made by a couple of overzealous little girls who thought glittery tinsel was the be-all and end-all of holiday decorations.
But it was perfect.
As was the Christmas tree now adorning the living room. Kade and Haden had worked hard on that one, with Maddox adding touches to the very bottom. I had done my best to fill in the top, but there was no denying that the most decorated part was under the three-foot mark.
Again, it was perfect.
There were a few presents already stacked neatly below it, and just as I’d expected, the kids were already trying to figure out what was hidden in the boxes wrapped in glossy paper.
None of them had names on them for that purpose.
We knew whose was whose by the wrapping paper, but we didn’t share that information with the kids.
Nor would we until Christmas Eve, when all that paper was ripped from those boxes.
They would just have to wait and see.
It was amazing what a couple of months could do to one’s headspace. It seemed that with each passing day, my piece in the overall puzzle felt more in place. No, things weren’t the same as they’d been before I died, but we were settling into a new norm, and it seemed to be working for everyone.
“Why don’t you go grab a shower?” Travis said as he marched down the back stairs.
“Where’re you headed?” I asked, pausing in my pursuit to clean the kitchen island as he walked by.
He pushed through the kitchen door and into the living room, not answering me.
Frowning, I stared after him.
“I can’t find it!” Travis shouted from the living room.
“Find what?” I called back.
He pushed open the door and stuck his head in. “Maddox’s blanket.”
When he disappeared, I continued to stare at the door. Maddox had his blanket. I knew because I’d given it to him when I put him to bed a little while ago.
I could hear Travis hunting around the living room. It was just a matter of time before he would get frustrated and something would get damaged if I didn’t help.
Tossing the rag into the sink, I headed after him, fully intending to—
“What the…” I stopped so abruptly that the swinging door made a reverse turn and bumped me in the ass.
I narrowed my gaze, hoping that would help me to make more sense of the scene before me.
Travis and Gage were both kneeling on the floor just a few feet away from the door.
It was quite the sight, really. Travis in his jeans and T-shirt, his boots still on his feet.
Gage wearing his pajama pants and a T-shirt, his feet bare.
It looked like one was waking up for the day, the other going to bed.
I glanced between them. “What’s goin’ on?”
“Come here and we’ll show you.”
Unable to stop the happiness from bubbling down deep, I moved toward them.
I couldn’t help it. After my harrowing ordeal and the first couple of months as I tried to find my footing, I was feeling more confident about where things were.
I had Travis and Gage to thank for some of that.
So, of course, when they wanted to shower me with attention, I wanted to soak it all up and hold onto it forever.
Travis reached forward and took my hand, urging me even closer. I stared down at them, confused but curious.
“As you know, the past couple of years have been hell. For all of us, but mostly for you.”
I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat.
“We thought we would live out the rest of our days with a hole in our hearts, but then…”
Travis paused, and I could tell he was attempting to keep his composure.
I knew the feeling. This was a topic I’d covered with Dr. Briggs, speculating what it was like to be Travis and Gage, mourning my death and trying to keep things going for the kids.
I wasn’t sure I would’ve been nearly as strong as they had been if I had lost one of them. I didn’t even want to think about it.
“But then you were back,” Gage continued for him, his words laced with gravel. “And our world was set back on its axis.”
Breathing in through my nose, I fought the tears that were forming.
“No one can predict what the future will hold, but Kylie Marie Prescott, we know for a fact that we want to spend the rest of our days loving you and making you happy.”
I smiled, my eyes watering, the tears threatening.
“We considered asking you to be our wife again, but since you already are and always will be, we thought maybe we’d just give you these.”
Travis passed over a black velvet box.
I took it, but didn’t open it right away. I glanced between them.
“Go on. Open it,” Gage urged.
I grinned. “I’m pretty sure Travis is supposed to be the impatient one.”
“Trust me, baby, I am,” he said with a beaming grin.
I stole one more glance at their faces before turning my attention to the box. Gently, I popped it open to see what was inside.
“Your letter instructed us to melt down all of our rings and create new ones,” Gage noted.
Travis added, “And we did that, believing it was what you wanted.”
“It was,” I assured him, and though I’d felt naked these past couple of months without having my rings when they had theirs, I had reminded myself that those were material things.
As was the marriage in the eyes of the state.
I’d given it considerable thought, even cried for the injustice, but then decided that as long as we were together, as long as I had them and my kids, I didn’t care what a piece of paper said.
It wasn’t the important part of a life together. Being together was.
“I know,” Travis said. “But you haven’t mentioned your rings since you got home.”
No, I hadn’t. I’d been tempted to. More than once.
However, I reminded myself that Travis and Gage had been forced to move on when they thought I was dead.
At times, I found myself irrationally angry about it, but deep down, I knew they had only done what they thought I wanted.
I’d broached the subject with Dr. Briggs but hadn’t yet come up with a way to bring it up to them without sounding petty.
I stared into the box, admiring the large platinum and gold bands that sat on either side of the exquisite diamond in the center.
“Those are our rings. The three of us,” Gage said. “We had the two we had made melted down again to create these.”
“How is that possible?” I asked, knowing that you could take three rings and make two without sacrificing strength. But there was only so much metal…
“The jeweler added more metal to strengthen them,” Gage explained. “It seemed fitting since we are stronger together.”
My eyes snapped up, meeting theirs. “We are, aren’t we?”
The words barely came out because the tears were winning the battle.
Travis reached for my hand, pulling me forward. I closed the distance between us and found myself wrapped in strong arms. We remained like that while the emotional tidal wave crashed.
“As far as the marriage is concerned,” Gage began.
I pulled back from Travis, shaking my head. “No.”
They both frowned.
“I’m not sure what you’re gonna say, but I’m okay with your marriage being the legal one.”
I could tell Gage wanted to argue, but I held up a hand, gathering my composure.
“I honestly don’t care what the state of Texas says we can and cannot do.
So that piece of paper has never meant much to me.
Travis and I got married a long time ago, so it was already in place when the three of us got together.
But that marriage is voided, and I’m okay with that.
” I smiled, ensuring they saw my sincerity.
My gaze shifted to Travis. “You can have your lawyers draw up whatever you need them to as protection for the three of us. It doesn’t matter to me.
” I pressed my hand to my heart. “We’re a family here”—I tapped my heart—“and that’s all that matters. ”
“Are you sure?”
I could tell by his tone that Gage wasn’t sure he should believe me. And a month ago, perhaps I would’ve been lying, but life after death had taught me one thing: living in the moment is what counts.
Hell, it was the only thing that counted.
Not wanting to break down in tears, I thrust the box at them. “Now, who’s gonna put that giant rock on my finger?”
My husbands looked at one another.
“She was your wife first,” Gage said with a grin. “You can have the honor.”
“But she’s our wife forever,” Travis noted. “Maybe you should be the one.”
“Hey, boys. I’m not gettin’ any younger here.”
They peered up at me and smiled.
“Perhaps we should make you work for it,” Travis growled softly.
God, I loved that gleam in his eyes. It was a promise of what was to come.
“Perhaps I should,” I taunted.
So I did.
And for the record, I put the ring on my own hand because I ensured my husbands were too tired to do anything more than breathe.