they’re all best. The big
one!” She grabbed hold of it and grinned up at us.
“Go ahead,” Cole said.
I picked my hot chocolate up as she ripped
her presents open and Bentley drained his bottle. Cole watched on
with the biggest smile. As soon as she was finished she’d want her
drink, too. Everleigh’s love of hot – warm – chocolate was as
inevitable as her love of ice cream. Those were the two things I’d
gown up on. Cole used to take me to a diner nearby when we were
teenagers to eat as much ice cream as we could before we felt
ill.
The diner was refurbished while I was living
in Australia after I’d told the truth and Cole had bought our
booth. It was so sweet and still brought tears to my eyes when I
thought about it. Even though I’d left him he still wanted that
booth.
I flicked the TV on to set it to a Christmas
songs channel to make the morning extra festive. Once Bentley was
done with his milk Cole sat him between his legs and handed him a
green wrapped present.
“Think he’ll just chew on that?” he asked
just as Bentley’s mouth opened and the edge disappeared.
Laughing, I took it out and replied, “Yep.
Let me help you, buddy.”
Cole and I watched Everleigh open everything
she had, stopping between each gift to play with it and take a sip
of her drink.
“We could be here for a while,” Cole said,
nodding as she started playing with the Elsa doll that took one
week and fifty miles to track down.
“I think so. We should’ve saved that one for
last.”
“Put Bentley down so I can give you your
presents,” he said.
“I like the sound of that,” I replied,
sitting him in the inflatable ring so he could sit and play with
his toys, too.
“Here,” Cole said, handing me a sack of
presents when I sat back down with his pile of gifts.
“Thank you. We open at the same time,
right?”
He nodded, staring into my eyes like it was
the first time he’d seen me – again. “Right.”
The kids were happily playing
with all their toys , so we had a few minutes to ourselves to open ours in a
certain amount of peace.
We’d got each other the
us ual little
bits we’d asked for. Clothes, my favourite perfume, a voucher for
the local tattoo parlour so Cole could get Everleigh and Bentley’s
name inked into his skin, and other bits.
I unwrapped a particularly revealing
underwear set, careful not to let Everleigh see it. Raising my
eyebrow at Cole, I ran my hand over the soft, white lace.
“For later,” he said, shrugging.
“This a present for me or for you?”
“You,” he replied, faking hurt. “Okay, both
of us.” Sighing, he added, “Me. I got it for me.”
Laughing, I nudged his shoulder and put the
lid back on the box. “Well, maybe I’ll put it on tonight.”
His eyebrows lifted in hope. “Yeah?”
I nodded, biting my
lip , and his
eyes darkened. As much as I was looking forward to a big, family
Christmas I was also very much looking forward to getting my
husband naked.
Groaning, he said, “We have hours. You
shouldn’t have said anything.”
“You’re terrible,” I said, reaching over and
dragging his main present towards us. “Now this one.”
Cole didn’t take much down time
for himself, always making sure we were looked after and the kids were
entertained, so I’d bought him something that I knew he’d want, but
would never buy himself.
“Oakley…” he said, his bright blue eyes
visibly lighting up as he stared at the PlayStation 4 box. He’d not
played video games for years.
“No arguments!” I raised my eyebrow.
Laughing, he lent over and
kissed me. His lips were perfectly soft , and I wanted to deepen the kiss but
we both knew we had to keep it reserved and not scare Everleigh for
life.
“I love you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“There might be one more for you,” he said.
“Everleigh, can you pass me that present in the tree, please?”
“What present in the tree?” she asked, not
even looking up.
“Well, if
one!” She grabbed hold of it and grinned up at us.
“Go ahead,” Cole said.
I picked my hot chocolate up as she ripped
her presents open and Bentley drained his bottle. Cole watched on
with the biggest smile. As soon as she was finished she’d want her
drink, too. Everleigh’s love of hot – warm – chocolate was as
inevitable as her love of ice cream. Those were the two things I’d
gown up on. Cole used to take me to a diner nearby when we were
teenagers to eat as much ice cream as we could before we felt
ill.
The diner was refurbished while I was living
in Australia after I’d told the truth and Cole had bought our
booth. It was so sweet and still brought tears to my eyes when I
thought about it. Even though I’d left him he still wanted that
booth.
I flicked the TV on to set it to a Christmas
songs channel to make the morning extra festive. Once Bentley was
done with his milk Cole sat him between his legs and handed him a
green wrapped present.
“Think he’ll just chew on that?” he asked
just as Bentley’s mouth opened and the edge disappeared.
Laughing, I took it out and replied, “Yep.
Let me help you, buddy.”
Cole and I watched Everleigh open everything
she had, stopping between each gift to play with it and take a sip
of her drink.
“We could be here for a while,” Cole said,
nodding as she started playing with the Elsa doll that took one
week and fifty miles to track down.
“I think so. We should’ve saved that one for
last.”
“Put Bentley down so I can give you your
presents,” he said.
“I like the sound of that,” I replied,
sitting him in the inflatable ring so he could sit and play with
his toys, too.
“Here,” Cole said, handing me a sack of
presents when I sat back down with his pile of gifts.
“Thank you. We open at the same time,
right?”
He nodded, staring into my eyes like it was
the first time he’d seen me – again. “Right.”
The kids were happily playing
with all their toys , so we had a few minutes to ourselves to open ours in a
certain amount of peace.
We’d got each other the
us ual little
bits we’d asked for. Clothes, my favourite perfume, a voucher for
the local tattoo parlour so Cole could get Everleigh and Bentley’s
name inked into his skin, and other bits.
I unwrapped a particularly revealing
underwear set, careful not to let Everleigh see it. Raising my
eyebrow at Cole, I ran my hand over the soft, white lace.
“For later,” he said, shrugging.
“This a present for me or for you?”
“You,” he replied, faking hurt. “Okay, both
of us.” Sighing, he added, “Me. I got it for me.”
Laughing, I nudged his shoulder and put the
lid back on the box. “Well, maybe I’ll put it on tonight.”
His eyebrows lifted in hope. “Yeah?”
I nodded, biting my
lip , and his
eyes darkened. As much as I was looking forward to a big, family
Christmas I was also very much looking forward to getting my
husband naked.
Groaning, he said, “We have hours. You
shouldn’t have said anything.”
“You’re terrible,” I said, reaching over and
dragging his main present towards us. “Now this one.”
Cole didn’t take much down time
for himself, always making sure we were looked after and the kids were
entertained, so I’d bought him something that I knew he’d want, but
would never buy himself.
“Oakley…” he said, his bright blue eyes
visibly lighting up as he stared at the PlayStation 4 box. He’d not
played video games for years.
“No arguments!” I raised my eyebrow.
Laughing, he lent over and
kissed me. His lips were perfectly soft , and I wanted to deepen the kiss but
we both knew we had to keep it reserved and not scare Everleigh for
life.
“I love you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“There might be one more for you,” he said.
“Everleigh, can you pass me that present in the tree, please?”
“What present in the tree?” she asked, not
even looking up.
“Well, if
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