Page 114 of The One for Me
“And look at me now.”
I give her another kiss. “Caught by a man who has no intention of letting you go.”
“Maybe I like being caught.”
“Maybe I like catching you.”
“Maybe we were meant to catch each other.”
I smile down at her. “I’m glad we finally did.”
“Me too.”
“Merry Christmas, my love.”
She rests her head on my chest. “You’re the best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Devney
“Here, open this one!” I say to Austin as he smiles without sadness for the first time.
He grabs the present and tears it open. “Wow!” The joy in his voice makes me feel hopeful for a better road ahead of us. “You got me a new glove.”
I eye Sean with a smirk. “Not just any glove. We had this one made for you.”
“You did?”
Sean nods and then takes it to show him. “See here, this is an extra padding that will help you recover the ball from the glove faster. And this...” He points to some other area. “Is where you can adjust it for the next few years.”
“This is so cool!”
The two of them talk a little more about the intricacies of the ridiculously expensive glove, and I lean back with my coffee. This morning has been amazing. I woke up in Sean’s arms, made love to him, came out to the best surprise, and have been snuggled in the living room with the fire blazing.
Of course, I miss my brother and Hazel, but I’m trying to allow myself a little piece of happy. Austin is my son. Regardless of the fact that he’s always been my nephew, I’ve had these moments where I think . . . maybe my mother was right.
Austin and I are having our first Christmas morning where we woke up as a family.
There’s a sense of right that fills me, but there is also guilt because my brother is gone and it’s why I’m experiencing this.
“Aunt Devney?”
I look up from my mug. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
This kid is the sweetest thing. “I’m fine, I was just thinking of the present I got for Sean that I want to give next.”
“Oh!” Austin perks up.
I get up and go to the window, making sure the present has arrived. Jasper had been working on it for the last few weeks, and thankfully, a few of his friends stepped in once we lost him. I had forgotten about it until they called two nights ago to say it was done. Last night, his brothers had offered to make sure it made it here without Sean knowing.
I dip under the tree, careful not to touch it too much in case the homemade stand doesn’t hold up. I grab the small package and nerves hit me. Getting him gifts has always been so easy, but I agonized over what to get him this time. Searching for hours to see if there was something that would say all the things I want to say.
I love you.
You mean the world to me.
