Page 61 of Starts With a Bang

Molly Beth shrugged and reached for a scone.

“What about you, Christian?” Helen asked.

“I’ve called some friends, and they’re going to help me pack and move out as soon as I return to Fort Collins. I’m going to stay with Mom until I can sort out a place of my own.” Then Christian snickered. “Apparently, Emerson is so universally disliked my friends offered to move my stuff out before I got back. One of them was ready to go over as soon as we disconnected the call.”

“I’m so happy you have amazing friends,” Helen said.

Janet looked at her watch and made a sound of distress. She picked up her fork and tucked into her breakfast.

“Do you have somewhere you need to be?” Molly Beth asked.

“AA meeting,” Janet said. “There’s a group in Vail. I’ll attend their meetings until I can get home and find a local group.”

Helen stood up, rounded the table, and hugged her daughter. “You make me so proud.”

The tears came then, first with Janet, then Helen, and finally Molly Beth. We picked up our plates and carried them to the family room to give the women some privacy. Janet looked nervous about her meeting until someone suggested we go to lunch and do some shopping afterward. Dom looked less eager about the shopping part, but he quickly got into the spirit once we walked through the charming town. He even snuck off once to make a purchase he wouldn’t let me see.

“You’ll have to wait until Christmas,” Dom said.

“Two days? That’s forever.”

He showed me mercy on Christmas Eve. We tiptoed back out to the tree after everyone went to bed. Dom moved the gifts around and pulled out a box wrapped with shiny red paper and adorned with a silver bow. “Don’t bother telling me it’s too pretty to open. I saw you tear into your birthday gifts.”

I looked up from his present to meet his gaze. “But this is from you.”

Dom leaned forward and kissed me. “And there will be many more. Open it.”

I took the stick-on bow off the package and placed it on Dom’s bare chest. “Just so you know, you’re the only present I need.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said, gesturing for me to hurry.

I carefully unwrapped the gift, much to his annoyance, and held my breath when I opened the lid. Shredded silver paper filled the box, and I gave Dom a suspicious look.

“There’s something delicate in there, so handle it with care.”

I carefully sorted through the paper strips until I bumped into something made of glass. Curving my fingers around the cool surface, I eased it from the protective bed. I knew immediately the significance of both the gift and Dom’s words of caution when a beautiful crystal heart ornament hung from my fingers. Tears filled my eyes. This was more than a Christmas ornament; this was Dom giving me his heart and urging me not to break it.

“It’s stunning.” I carefully laid the heart in the palm of my other hand and studied the intricate details. It wasn’t made of solid, smooth glass but several delicate strands knitted together like a sweater. My own heart pounded in my chest like a bass drum when I looked into his eyes. “I will treasure this always.”

Dom reached forward and gently stroked the glass heart. “There were several options to choose from, but this onesnagged my attention and wouldn’t let go.” He smirked. “Kind of like the man holding it.” Tears slid down my face, and he brushed them away. “The knitting on this ornament reminded me of how you put my heart back together again.”

“Dom,” I whispered.

His green eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “One text thread at a time until you pieced me back together again and wove yourself into the fiber of my being in ways no one else ever has or will.”

Gently placing the heart back in the box, I set it aside and crawled into his lap. I’d made a similar sentimental purchase from the same boutique he’d bought my gift. I reached under the tree for his present and handed it to him. “Merry Christmas.”

Dom kissed me before accepting the box I’d wrapped in navy blue paper with silver snowflakes. He took forever to untie the silver ribbon, even though his body thrummed with eagerness.

“Demure season is over, baby. It’s time to indulge,” I told him. “Tear into it.”

Dom glanced up with a scowl. “I don’t know what a demure season means.”

I waved him off and threatened to unwrap the gift myself. Dom twisted his upper body so I couldn’t snatch the box, but he moved his nimble fingers faster. He chuckled when he saw the store logo on top of the box.

“Yeah, yeah. Great minds,” I said.

Dom snickered as he removed the lid. He stared down at the ornament for so long that I wondered if I’d made a mistake. I’d found a display of round silver ornaments with illustrated couples painted on them. I’d found one with a similar likeness to us. The brunet guy even had a thick covering of scruff on his jaw. Cartoon Dom and Sven stared lovingly into one another’s eyes and wore matching sappy grins. The artist had painted a gorgeous mountain view in the background and the year belowthe couple. Dom gently traced the ornament with his index finger.

---