Page 87 of Why Not Forever?

“Now you’re sounding like your Auntie Vic. The first thing she said when she got up this morning was that she wanted her present.”

“That’s not true! The first thing I asked was what time we had to be here.”

Kynlee grabs my hand, pulling me into the house. “What did Uncle Tanner get you, Auntie Vic?”

“He’s taking me on a trip in a few months.”

She looks up at me, confused. “That’s not a present. A present is something like the Frozen Lego set Mom and Dad got me.”

“Did I hear you’re going on a trip?” Harper asks as I enter the kitchen, carrying the pies and handing them over.

“Yes. In March. To Hawaii.”

“Tanner is taking you?” She sets the pies in the fridge. “My brother Tanner?”

“Yes, your brother Tanner,” he says, coming into the kitchen behind me.

“But you don’t even like to leave your house,” she says.

He shrugs. “I’m making some changes.”

I link my arm through his. “We’ve been leaving the house together,” I say. “Going out for a bunch of things. And I got him tickets to some hockey games coming up in the new year.”

“Huh.” Harper says. “I never would have expected it of you, Tanner. Seems like Vic is good for you in a lot of ways.”

“Hear that, Tanner?” I say, looking up at him. “I’m good for you.”

He laughs, leaning down to kiss the tip of my nose. “I already knew that.”

We go to the living room where the rest of his family is already sitting around, chatting, laughing. There are presents stacked under the tree so high the bottom branches are blocked from view.

I notice one member of the family isn’t here. Keith is conspicuously absent. Juliet and Cooper are both here, laughing with their cousins. I’m glad they get to take part in their family events, even if their father doesn’t want to.

When it’s time for presents, I hold my Secret Santa gift in my lap, waiting for my turn to give it away. Annette likes to give the gifts in order from youngest to oldest. So the little kids get their presents first, followed by the teenagers. For two of the boys, Jaxon and Carson, it’s their last year before they join the gift exchange. Then we’re on to the Secret Santa. When it’s Tanner’s turn, everyone looks around to see who is going to give him a present.

I hand him the gift I’d brought.

He tips his head back and laughs. “If you get your spouse, you can request a different name.”

I shrug. “I was glad I got you this year. Kind of took the pressure off of figuring out what to get someone I don’t know well.” I glance around the room. “I hope to know you all better by next Christmas, but this year, it was nice to have it a little easier.” I look back at Tanner. “Plus, I knew exactly what I was going to do as soon as I pulled your name.” I tap the box. “I knew what this present was going to be before your other present.”

“Open it, Uncle Tanner,” Cooper says from his spot next to his sister.

“Okay, okay.” He tears the paper and finds a shoe box inside. He gives me a curious look before lifting the lid. Just before he sees inside, I meet Juliet’s eye and wink at her. Tanner sets the box lid aside and he covers his mouth with his hand. He’s smiling, though.

“You made all these?” he asks. “When? How?”

“I can be sneaky. I might have spent some time at the office working on this instead of doing my job. And you’ve been working late a few times over the last couple months.”

He pulls out piece after piece of origami, three friendship bracelets, a few painted rocks, and a felt flower with a button centre. He holds that between his fingers and looks at Juliet.

“Do you remember making a bunch of these one summer?” he asks.

“Where do you think Auntie Vic got the idea?” she says. “She asked me about the origami, so I showed her a few things. Then she asked what other things we would do together.”

“I helped,” Rebecca says. “We did the painted rocks when I was Kynlee’s age.”

One of the other nieces, Blake, says, “I remember making the bracelets with you, Uncle Tanner.”

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