Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter
Thirty-Four
Amariah
Christmas morning greeted me softly. No alarms or notifications, just the low crackle of the fireplace, the faint clink of dishes as Mama tinkered in the kitchen, and the familiar sound of music drifting down the hallway.
Whitney Houston was belting out how much she loved the Lord.
Her velvety, rich gospel tone wrapped me in the warmth of childhood memories on this day.
In the days leading up to Christmas, Mama allowed me to enjoy the commercial fanfare of the holiday, but on Christmas Day, she was adamant that we celebrate the true reason for the season.
Every song played and movie watched honored Baby Jesus.
I lay still for a moment, soaking in the nostalgic recollections as I peered up at the ceiling.
The faint glow of the morning light filtered through the curtains, beckoning me to rise.
The only protest was that I wanted to lie there and reminisce about last night.
My sleep had been filled with sweet dreams of the gala, specifically Jacob holding me in his arms as we danced the night away.
If it hadn’t been for the fact that Mama was tired and needing to relieve Mrs. Gold from caretaking duties, we might’ve stayed like that until the morning.
I’d wanted Jacob to stay when he followed me home to be sure Mama and I arrived safely, but he insisted he didn’t want to disturb my parents and also pushed me to get some rest. Apparently, I needed it, since I had no clue when I dozed off.
As I lay in bed, a peaceful serenity overcame me. I woke up with no worries. Everything in my life felt restored. For the first time in years, I didn’t feel pulled in two directions. I felt…balanced.
Tossing the comforter back, I trudged to the bathroom and took care of my hygiene before going through my dresser, setting out my jewelry, and pulling on a pair of leggings, a pair of plush socks, and one of my old faded sweatshirts with the Luke’s Hardware name and logo printed on the front before padding to the living room.
The scent of cinnamon rolls and fresh coffee wafting in the air tickled my nose as I entered to find my parents together on the sofa.
Mama was tucked against Daddy’s side with his arm resting on her thigh, just like they used to do when I was growing up.
It was a beautiful sight—one that had become rare.
The wheelchair was sitting off to the side, which is where Daddy mostly sat instead of on the furniture, but I guess he wanted a bit of normalcy today.
I believe we were all due for a bit of that.
“Merry Christmas, baby,” Mama said, smiling widely when she saw me.
“Merry Christmas,” I replied, my voice already thick.
Dad raised his arm slowly, his movements careful but his eyes bright. “Come here.”
I crossed the room without hesitation, squeezing beside him, careful not to block his breathing tube as he pulled me into a hug that felt stronger than it had since I’d arrived last month. He kissed the top of my head and lingered there.
“I’m not sure if I told you, but I’m so glad you’re home,” Daddy said in a soft, low rasp.
“So am I.”
“We used to complain about waking up before dawn so that you could open gifts. Now, look at us, up hours before you. Sleep gets a little more difficult to maintain with age,” Mama said, stroking the side of Daddy’s face with the back of her hand.
“But opening presents doesn’t!” I said gleefully. “Can we open them?”
Both of my parents shook their heads at me. No matter how old I got, I would still be a kid at heart on Christmas.
“Grab the cinnamon rolls out of the oven first, and then we can have at it,” Mama said, tickled at my antics.
A few neatly wrapped presents sat under the tree.
We took our time opening them, laughing at old jokes, teasing one another the way we always had.
Mama gushed over the spa day gift I’d given her, complete with her own robe and slippers, because I knew she’d never wear the ones the facility provided.
Daddy cried over a photo book I’d made. It was a collection of snapshots of our family through the years.
He especially loved the old photos of him and Mama, lingering on them as he lightly brushed his fingers across them.
Then it was my turn. There were two. The first was for my professional life—a brand-new attaché case with my name engraved on it.
While I was ecstatic about that one, since it was the first career-related gift they’d ever given me, the second one melted my heart.
It was a throw blanket with a picture of Daddy and me, a personalized message from him, and his handwritten signature woven into the fabric.
The message read: Believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. I can’t promise to be here for the rest of your life, but I promise to love you for the rest of mine.
Love, Daddy
Adam Thomas Luke
“Any time you need to be near me,” he said, “wrap yourself in this blanket and know I’m always near, Maribug.”
Tears flooded my lids, and I swallowed hard. “Thank you, Daddy.”
He squeezed my hand, his eyes saying more than his voice could. A sudden knock sounded at the door, startling both of us.
I frowned slightly as I motioned to Mama that I’d get the door. “Were we expecting—”
The rest of the statement lodged in my throat when I opened it, and I froze.
“Surprise,” Jacob said, standing there beside his mother, Mrs. Gold, both of them bundled in coats, bearing gifts.
I gasped. “A surprise indeed.”
“Merry Christmas,” Mrs. Gold said warmly, stepping forward before I could ask another question. “Are we too early?”
“No,” Mama said instantly, ushering them inside. “You’re right on time.” She turned to look at me. “I invited them over.”
Jacob’s eyes met mine, soft and intentional. “We wanted to spend part of the day with you, if that’s okay.”
“It’s more than okay,” I said, my heart racing.
They spoke to Daddy, and we all sat around eating the breakfast cinnamon rolls and drinking coffee while enjoying small talk around the fireplace.
Jacob sat next to me with his arm draped around the back of the armchair as I sat wrapped in my new blanket.
Once everyone had finished eating, Mama cleared the dishes and came back with a gift box and a card.
Mama handed Mrs. Gold the beautifully wrapped gift. “This is just a small thank-you,” she said, “for being my forever friend and helping us out with Adam’s care.”
Mrs. Gold blinked rapidly when she opened the gift. It was a gorgeous, colorful, handmade scarf. “This is…oh. Thank you, friennn. Ain’t that how the young folks say it?”
I burst into teary-eyed laughter, watching Jacob pinch the bridge of his nose and shake his head at our mothers’ high-fiving each other and dancing in place.
“Mrs. Luke, please don’t let my mother drag you into being a city girl.”
I swatted Jacob on the arm. “Let them live their best hot girl lives.”
Mrs. Gold pointed at me. “That’s my girl.” We slapped hands.
Jacob cocked his head to the side, his eyes going wide. “And you’re encouraging the madness,” he teased.
Daddy let out a slight chuckle, lifting his hand. “It’s best to let them have it, son.”
Mrs. Gold gifted Mama her favorite perfume, and then Jacob gifted her a new baker’s apron, which she gushed over. Jacob handed my father a box next. Inside was a framed print of Luke’s Hardware, restored and glowing, the words Legacy Built Here etched beneath it.
“Wow,” Daddy cooed in awe. “It’s an exact replica of the original building.”
Jacob placed a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed. “For everything you’ve poured into this place,” he said. “Your other gift isn’t wrapped because it’s in motion.”
Dad straightened, his curiosity piqued.
Jacob eyed me, and I nodded, giving him permission to divulge the news.
He placed an arm around my shoulders. “In conjunction with Amariah, my partners and I are starting the process of incorporating the sporting and hunting goods section of the store. Officially. Luke’s will be an official retailer of the Golden Safety Helmets. ”
My father stared back and forth from him to me, stunned. “You didn’t have to—”
“I wanted to,” Jacob replied. “The store matters. Your life’s work matters.”
I bent over, placing my hand on Daddy’s knee. “We’re ensuring Luke’s Hardware is around for years to come.”
Daddy pressed his hand to his chest, nodding slowly, emotion flickering across his face as he mouthed, Thank you.
My heart swelled at his sheer joy. I couldn’t take much more, or I’d be a bucket of water. Knowing that my daddy was happy and worry-free was the highlight of the day.
“Before we finish, I actually have something for you,” I said to Jacob before going to the tree, retrieving a box, and handing it to him.
Shock etched his face as he accepted it and tore into the wrapping paper as if he were a kid again. When he opened it, his eyes misted as he rubbed his finger across the engraving. It was a collectible train with the name Rodney Gold etched on the side. His father.
“Wow.” He eyed me, patting his chest in appreciation. “This means the world. Thank you.”
He placed the train collectible back in the box and set it on the coffee table. We embraced each other for a long while, basking in the sweetness of the moment.
When we pulled away, Jacob had one more gift up his sleeve. “This one’s for you.”
He slid a black velvet box out of his coat pocket and placed it in my hand. I should’ve known he’d get me something. I also knew not to protest, so rather than question him about it, I opened it. Inside the box lay a delicate silver chain with a small elegant key.
I looked up at him, confused. “What’s it for?”
He smiled and lifted a matching chain around his neck from inside his hoodie. A small padlock rested against his chest. “Remember the locks from when we were eighteen?”
I pushed up the sleeve of my sweatshirt to reveal the lock on my charm bracelet. “How could I ever forget?”
“My goal in the past was to add charms to it every year until we graduated, ending with this one.” He pointed to the key. “Life didn’t pan out exactly how I planned, but God has a way of repairing and restoring what’s meant to be, in His time and in His way.”
I couldn’t formulate words from the emotion welling inside as I fought to blink back tears. Jacob brought his hand to my face, caressing it and using his thumb to wipe the droplets away.
“It’s the key to my heart,” he said simply. “This month has brought a revelation for feelings that I have always had. Feelings, I know you have for me. Feelings we’ve wasted eighteen years not exploring. Feelings that will never go away.”
Reflections of the time we’d spent together and the gifts he’d given me danced in my mind.
Everything we’d always felt for each other had bubbled to the surface, and I knew—had always known—that Jacob held my heart.
Admitting our feelings out loud to each other was only half the battle.
No matter how we felt, we still had one glaring issue that we could no longer ignore.
“What about the distance?” I whispered, leaning my face into the palm of his hand.
Placing his hand on my waist, he pulled me close to him so that there was no space between us. “Distance doesn’t scare me. Losing another second of time together does.”
“How will we make this work?”
“To start, we can visit each other,” he answered.
“But honestly, nothing is holding me in Skye Ridge anymore. Koby can manage the store. We don’t have to be here to oversee the operations.
I’ll move. I’ll build a life with you in D.C.
I don’t need certainty of every step right now. I just need you.”
“You’d be all right with uprooting your life for me?”
“My life has already been uprooted without you. You ground me,” he said. “I just want us. Officially. Fully. As a couple. Because I love you, Amariah Luke. I’ve loved you since our first snowball fight, and I’ve never stopped.”
Silence held the room as we stared into each other’s eyes. Standing before me was the man of my future. The only man I trusted to share my life with. The only man I’d ever loved.
“I love you, Jacob Gold,” I said, then nodded. “Yes.”
He cupped my face, and when he kissed me, it was unhurried, certain, and lasting.
When we pulled away from the kiss, our mothers let out a thunderous cheer, and we basked in the glory of becoming an official couple. Finally. From the couch, my father patted his chest and smiled, pride shining in his eyes as he mouthed one word to Jacob, “Grateful.”
And in that moment, surrounded by love and legacy and the quiet miracle of Christmas morning, I understood something clearly for the first time in a long while.
Sometimes coming home wasn’t about being shackled to the past, but rather, rewriting a new beginning of a new chapter of life and love. This was the beginning of everything.