early, they might at least understand that.
When she thought it, she wondered if she could actually convince Thomas to come back early. All she needed to do was see him again, be around him, and away from Julian and things would go back to normal.
The meal was jovial that night. The presents exchanged. It’d been a secret Santa kind of deal, so that there weren’t a ton of gifts being passed around. She’d pulled her father’s name out of the hat, and Christian had pulled hers.
Her father had pretended to love the map of the campus she’d gotten him. Considering it was his alma mater, she’d figured he’d love it and hang it up in his study somewhere, but he’d actually become more animated when she’d shown him her bronze medal from her last meet.
Christian had bought her tiny diamond studs, which had made her eyes open wide. “Oh wow, Chris, you really shouldn’t have. These must have been so—”
“Cubic zirconia,” he snorted. “You know I’m broke as a joke.”
Laughing as she slipped them on, she said, “I love you. They’re awesome. Thanks.”
Julian hadn’t looked at her as he’d handed his gift to her mother. It was a rolled sheet of paper and Elisa knew without even seeing it that he’d sketched her something.
“Oh my goodness, Julian.” Her mother had covered her mouth. “This is so…I’m just so…” She shook her head and then stood to hug his neck.
He accepted her touch with an awkward pat to her back. And when her mother finally flipped the sheet around Elisa could see why her mother had reacted as she had.
Julian had taken the time to painstakingly draw a photorealistic replica of her beloved rose garden. From the tiny gnomes that hid amongst the bushes, to the “I love my garden” placard her father had built for her mother four anniversaries ago.
And this time when she glanced up, Julian was looking right back at her.
Pretending like she needed to go to the bathroom, Elisa excused herself and instead locked the door, splashing cold water in her face.
“Get it together, Elisa,” she muttered, staring at her crimson reflection in the mirror.
She’d put on makeup tonight. She never put on makeup. The mascara was now streaking down her cheeks. Snatching up some tissue she scrubbed it off her face.
Everything he did was perfect. Everything.
“Why couldn’t he at least have one freaking flaw? Just one.” With a disgusted roll of her eyes, she walked back into the living room.
But apart from Julian, everyone else was gone. Stopping short in the doorway, feeling a lot like being in there alone with him would be like walking through a mine field, she gripped the wall.
“Where is everybody?”
“The den.”
She was just about to head that way when she caught him signing. It would have been beyond rude for her to pretend like she hadn’t seen it.
“Come here, Smile Girl.”
“Julian.” She frowned. “I don’t know.”
“Please.”
And if it had been anyone else, she could have just said no. She could have just walked away, but she was bound to Julian in a way she’d never been bound to another soul in her life.
Each step she took closer to him made her body tremble harder and harder.
He patted the sofa beside his wheelchair.
She was stiff as a board as she took a seat, placing her hands primly in her lap.
“I made you a present, too.”
He looked shy when he said, and she wondered what he would think if he ever found out that the picture he’d drawn of her was even now framed and resting on her dresser. That it was the first thing she saw every morning when she woke up and the last thing she saw every night.
Reaching into a black cylinder by his side she hadn’t seen earlier, he pulled out another sheet of drawing paper.
Even rolled up she could tell this one was different from her mother’s. The weight of the paper was heavier. Her hands shook.
“Open it.”
“But I didn’t get you anything.”
He shook his head and when his finger
When she thought it, she wondered if she could actually convince Thomas to come back early. All she needed to do was see him again, be around him, and away from Julian and things would go back to normal.
The meal was jovial that night. The presents exchanged. It’d been a secret Santa kind of deal, so that there weren’t a ton of gifts being passed around. She’d pulled her father’s name out of the hat, and Christian had pulled hers.
Her father had pretended to love the map of the campus she’d gotten him. Considering it was his alma mater, she’d figured he’d love it and hang it up in his study somewhere, but he’d actually become more animated when she’d shown him her bronze medal from her last meet.
Christian had bought her tiny diamond studs, which had made her eyes open wide. “Oh wow, Chris, you really shouldn’t have. These must have been so—”
“Cubic zirconia,” he snorted. “You know I’m broke as a joke.”
Laughing as she slipped them on, she said, “I love you. They’re awesome. Thanks.”
Julian hadn’t looked at her as he’d handed his gift to her mother. It was a rolled sheet of paper and Elisa knew without even seeing it that he’d sketched her something.
“Oh my goodness, Julian.” Her mother had covered her mouth. “This is so…I’m just so…” She shook her head and then stood to hug his neck.
He accepted her touch with an awkward pat to her back. And when her mother finally flipped the sheet around Elisa could see why her mother had reacted as she had.
Julian had taken the time to painstakingly draw a photorealistic replica of her beloved rose garden. From the tiny gnomes that hid amongst the bushes, to the “I love my garden” placard her father had built for her mother four anniversaries ago.
And this time when she glanced up, Julian was looking right back at her.
Pretending like she needed to go to the bathroom, Elisa excused herself and instead locked the door, splashing cold water in her face.
“Get it together, Elisa,” she muttered, staring at her crimson reflection in the mirror.
She’d put on makeup tonight. She never put on makeup. The mascara was now streaking down her cheeks. Snatching up some tissue she scrubbed it off her face.
Everything he did was perfect. Everything.
“Why couldn’t he at least have one freaking flaw? Just one.” With a disgusted roll of her eyes, she walked back into the living room.
But apart from Julian, everyone else was gone. Stopping short in the doorway, feeling a lot like being in there alone with him would be like walking through a mine field, she gripped the wall.
“Where is everybody?”
“The den.”
She was just about to head that way when she caught him signing. It would have been beyond rude for her to pretend like she hadn’t seen it.
“Come here, Smile Girl.”
“Julian.” She frowned. “I don’t know.”
“Please.”
And if it had been anyone else, she could have just said no. She could have just walked away, but she was bound to Julian in a way she’d never been bound to another soul in her life.
Each step she took closer to him made her body tremble harder and harder.
He patted the sofa beside his wheelchair.
She was stiff as a board as she took a seat, placing her hands primly in her lap.
“I made you a present, too.”
He looked shy when he said, and she wondered what he would think if he ever found out that the picture he’d drawn of her was even now framed and resting on her dresser. That it was the first thing she saw every morning when she woke up and the last thing she saw every night.
Reaching into a black cylinder by his side she hadn’t seen earlier, he pulled out another sheet of drawing paper.
Even rolled up she could tell this one was different from her mother’s. The weight of the paper was heavier. Her hands shook.
“Open it.”
“But I didn’t get you anything.”
He shook his head and when his finger
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