Page 134 of You Found Me
“Of course, hon,” Mom answers with a smile. “Okay, crop top, it’s your turn.”
Beckett shakes his head, smiling at the nickname as he opens the box. He sits there without saying anything for a minute. So long that I start to worry they’ve picked something upsetting.
“B?” Spencer calls out to him, which pulls his eyes toward us, and I see they’re wet.
“You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you. It’s something I’ll treasure forever.”
When he gets up to hug my mom, Spencer grabs the ornament from Beckett’s hand. And when I see it, I know why he’s so emotional. My sweet, amazing parents heard me talking about how Beckett is a chef and wants to open his own place and got him a homemade ornament of a restaurant with the name “Beckett’s Bistro” written on the bottom. Spence looks at me, a giant smile on his face and I know mine mirrors his.
When he sits, Spence hands him the gift we got him. “Are you serious? Tickets to see Tyler Childers?”
I nod. “A little chaos birdy told me you wanted to see him but wouldn’t buy tickets for a lame reason—her words, not mine. I brought it up to Spence and he agreed that you needed to go. And personally, I always want a concert buddy which is why we got you two.”
“I appreciate your blabbermouth bird friend, and both of you. But let’s move on from me, please. I don’t like all of this attention.”
Spencer nods at the gift from him for me to open and when I tear off the poorly wrapped gift, I smile seeing it’s the exact stethoscope I was looking at last month. “You didn’t have to get me this! I was planning to get it for myself.”
“I know. I am terrible at gifts. I just hoped you wouldn’t buy it before today.”
“Well, it’s perfect and it seems our minds are more alike than I thought.”
“Oof. That’s a scary thought,” Beckett jokes.
“Oh? So I also got a stethoscope? I hate to say it, but I think it’ll be wasted on me.”
I playfully shove his shoulder. “Don’t be cute. I meant I got you something I know you wanted because we talked about it.”
He smiles, ripping the top off of the wrapped box, and moves the tissue paper away to reveal a new leather work bag. His old one is something he’s had since he graduated college and it shows. It doesn’t help that he found it second hand while thrifting with June. “This is perfect. The darker color is a nice change from the tan one I’ve been using. Thank you.”
“That’s not the only gift. Open the bag and there’s something else in there.”
“Oh yeah? The bag is more than enough. I’ll admit though, it is nice to get an extra surprise.”
I pinch my thigh to keep it together but when he lifts the bag flap and peeks inside, I lose it. Beckett is the only one who knows what’s inside and he’s recording this moment. Our parents all appear confused. That changes—at least for his parents—when Spence pulls out a stuffed chihuahua with a pink collar around its neck with the name PJ on the tag.
June chuckles while Bill guffaws. “That looks just like Petunia!”
Spencer looks at me, then at his brother. “I assume PJ is short for Petunia Junior and that you helped her pick the stuffed animal out?”
“She mentioned doing this as like a small step into exposure therapy, except she had the look all wrong. I only gave her a few tips. PJ was all her idea.”
I hear my mom ask what’s going on and listen as June explains how Spencer got the scar on his eyebrow. At her laugh, Spencer reaches for Beckett’s tickets, but Beckett is too quick. “I should make you give those back.”
I smile at Spence, batting my eyes. “You don’t like the stuffy, Daredevil? She’s just so cute and at least this one won’t bite.”
When everyone falls into laughter, Spencer leans in, whispering, “You’re in for it, Shortstack. Be prepared for that sweet ass to hurt later.”
I feel my core tighten as my stomach dips. “Give it all you’ve got, Spence.”
***
Spencer
Being able to spend Christmas and the last week with Emmy and our families has been incredible.
Our parents get along really well, which is why they’re still in town on New Year’s Eve. When they heard it was Emmy’s birthday and the night of her party, Mom insisted they stay.
Emmaline told me that we didn’t have to continue our drives. That Chance was no longer an issue, so I didn’t need to play protector. I agreed—only to keep her from arguing with me. However, I got Beckett to drive me to the hospital. It’s not that I’m worried about Chance, I just got used to picking her up after work. It’s becomeour thing. Besides, it’s her birthday.
