Chapter 25 #2
That earns me a relieved-looking smile.
When I open the paper I’m confused for a moment. Did we switch packages somehow? This looks like the same pink box I wrapped for her.
But when I open it and see what’s inside it takes my breath away.
“The little pearls are kind of like the three of us,” J.B. explains nervously.
“I love it,” I tell her, trying my best not to start sobbing.
Of course I need to put it on right away. Derek comes over to fasten it for me. The little pearls settle in the hollow of my neck, feeling like they’ve always been there.
“I love it so much, J.B.,” I tell her, wanting to wrap her up in a big hug, but knowing she would probably hate that. “You know me so well.”
She smiles proudly and it’s just as good as the hug I wanted.
“Your turn,” I tell her, handing her a similarly shaped package.
When she opens it to find another pink box she looks up at me, grinning.
“No wonder you looked confused,” she says. “I guess our great minds really were thinking alike.”
She opens the box and sees the locket.
“It’s so pretty,” she whispers as she admires it.
“It’s mother of pearl,” I tell her softly, realizing how symbolic it seems in relation to her gift.
She opens the locket gently and reveals one of the photos of the three of us putting the angel on the tree.
It’s about the most informal photo you could find, and Derek is smiling so hard that his eyes are closed.
But J.B. looks radiant with her arm slung around his shoulder, and I’m smiling at her like she’s a star, because she is.
On the other side is an older photo of her with her mom that I got from Derek. I was nervous about overstepping with that one, but he told me J.B. would love it. I hope he was right.
J.B. gazes down at it for a moment without saying a word.
“I thought those would be nice,” I tell her quickly. “But you can put any pictures you want in there.”
The next thing I know she’s hugging me super hard, her whole body shaking.
“It’s p-perfect,” she sobs in my ear. “My whole family. I’m n-never taking it off.”
“I love you, J.B.,” I whisper fiercely to her as my own tears finally escape my eyes and slide down my cheeks. “You’re my favorite kid in the whole world.”
When she pulls back, Derek helps her put it on and her hand automatically goes up to finger the delicate chain.
“Where are you going?” she asks suddenly as Derek is disappearing into his room.
“I left something here when we went back to the city,” he says, his voice sounding gruff. “And then I wished I hadn’t.”
“Well, we’re here now,” J.B. says lightly looking over to me with an expression that says she thinks her dad is being a weirdo.
When he comes out again, his hands are shoved in his pockets and his brow is furrowed. He looks worried.
“Darcy,” he says a little too loudly. “It hasn’t been long, and you’re younger than I am. Maybe this will feel like too much, too soon. But I don’t think I can wait another minute.”
Suddenly I know what he has in his pocket, and I couldn’t be happier when he drops to one knee in front of the tree.
“Oh,” J.B. breathes.
“You make every part of our lives better,” Derek tells me, his dark eyes searching mine. “You make me want to live my life with meaning, with joy, just like you do.”
I fight to swallow back my tears.
“I’ll survive it if you tell me not yet,” he says carefully, holding out the simple, beautiful ring that Michael gave him—the one I returned when I couldn’t bear the weight of it any longer but have missed every minute since—the one I thought I’d never see again.
“But one day I’m going to need you to say yes. Darcy, will you marry me?”
But I’m crying too hard to say anything at all.
“Darcy,” J.B. hisses, elbowing me in the ribs. “Answer him.”
“Y-yes,” I manage. “Yes, Derek.”
He slides the ring onto my finger and this time it feels just right. It feels like the truth. It feels like home.
Then he’s kissing me and pulling back to hug us both.
“We’re going to be a real family,” J.B. says softly.
“We already are a real family,” Derek says. “This will just make it official.”
When we’ve pulled ourselves together, we walk over to the lodge in the brilliant late morning sunlight.
The snow and icicles are gleaming and the birds are singing, and I feel the spirit of Christmas all around us like I used to when I was a little child.
When we get to the lodge, Margo greets us like long lost family and when we head back to Michael’s room, he’s with Doc and Mrs. Waterson, as well as Bronson, who is regaling him with a story about something funny that happened in the kitchen.
“Ah, your family,” Bronson says, hopping up. “I’d better get back to the kitchen. Margo said you’ve got unlimited room service on the house, owner’s orders.”
“Merry Christmas, Great-grandpa,” J.B. says, climbing gently onto the bed beside him.
“Merry Christmas to you, young lady,” he says with a big smile. “And to your dad and Darcy, of course.”
He looks over to us and I see the exact moment when he notices the ring on my finger.
“Something’s back where it belongs,” he says, his eyes dancing.
“My hand didn’t feel right without it,” I tell him, giving him a wink.
“Congratulations to you both,” he says, and gives us the kindest smile.
It occurred to me at one point last week that we thought we were being so clever, but it was really Michael that played Derek and me for all we were worth when we first arrived here to see him, and we didn’t suspect a thing.
The moment he pretended he thought we were together, Michael set the wheels in motion for everything that happened after.
I mentioned it to Derek and he laughed and then got thoughtful. He told me that we should be grateful for the push that finally woke us up to our true feelings.
And I am. I always will be.
“I guess I’m going to have to move to the city now to keep an eye on you all,” Michael says. “Maybe I can get an apartment near yours, in a building that’s not so fancy.”
I know that’s not really what he wants, but I also can’t imagine Derek not returning to his work. And we all want to be close to Michael.
“Actually,” Derek says. “I had some thoughts about that.”
He’s obviously been doing some planning of his own.
“Oh, really?” Michael asks.
I expect Derek to say he’ll fix up the guest room of the penthouse just for Michael.
“How does everyone feel about staying here?” Derek asks instead.
“All of us?” J.B. asks carefully.
She means school. She’s asking him if she has to go back.
“All of us,” Derek tells her firmly. “What do you think about all of us staying right here on Angel Mountain?”
Derek Lockwood has had his share of brilliant, million-dollar ideas. But this is definitely his best one yet.