Page 96 of The Promises We Broke
"It's your Christmas present," he said importantly. "Mom helped me wrap it, but I chose it all by myself."
I unwrapped the present to find a beautiful picture frame with a photo of all of us from the harvest festival. The whole Farrington family plus partners, baby Barrett in the center, everyone smiling and happy.
"Cade, this is wonderful," I said, my eyes filling with tears. "Thank you."
"Now it's even more special because you're engaged," he said proudly. "It's like I knew it was going to happen."
"Now you can put it in your new house and remember your first day as a real family," he said matter-of-factly.
"We've always been family," Gage said, ruffling Cade's hair. "But you're right. This makes it official."
"Presents!" Delaney announced, clearly wanting to lift the mood. "Let's do presents before breakfast."
The next few hours were pure chaos in the best possible way. Barrett dozed contentedly in Delaney's arms between feedings while Cade tore through his presents with the enthusiasm only an almost-eleven-year-old could muster. Halfway through the gift exchange, we heard a soft cry from upstairs.
"That'll be Amelia," Blake said, starting to get up.
"I've got her," Xander said, already heading for the stairs. "She's probably wondering why Christmas morning sounds so much louder than usual."
He returned a few minutes later carrying a sleepy, curly-haired toddler who blinked owlishly at all the people and decorations before breaking into a delighted grin.
"Mama!" Amelia said, reaching for Blake with grabby hands.
"Good morning, baby girl," Blake said, settling Amelia on her lap. "Look at all the pretty lights!"
Amelia clapped her hands at the Christmas tree, then noticed all the colorful wrapping paper scattered around the room and immediately wanted down to investigate this wonderland of crinkly, shiny objects.
Gage gave me a necklace with a small house pendant, and when I opened the back, it was engraved with today's date. The day he proposed.
"So you'll always remember the day we promised forever," he said softly.
"I could never forget," I whispered, kissing him while Cade made exaggerated gagging noises.
I gave Gage a leather journal with "Future Plans" embossed on the cover, filled with pages for all the dreams we'd start making real.
"For our someday list," I said. "All the places we'll go, things we'll do, memories we'll make."
"Starting with 'marry the most beautiful woman in Willowbrook,'" he said, making me blush while his family cheered.
But it was the moment when Gage knelt on the floor to help Barrett with his presents that made my heart full to overflowing. Barrett babbled happily and grabbed for Gage's face with sticky fingers, and Gage just laughed and let him, patient and gentle and completely natural with the baby.
"He's going to be such a good father," Delaney whispered to me.
"Yeah," I said, watching the man I was going to marry make silly faces at his nephew. "He is."
As the morning wore on and the presents were opened and admired, I found myself looking around the room atthis incredible family that had welcomed me with such open arms. Trace and Delaney with Cade and Barrett, so happy and completely devoted to each other. Booker and Reece, him trying to act gruff while she fixed his hair and he let her with a soft smile. Blake and Xander, fingers intertwined, both of them glowing with Amelia sitting on their laps. Jasper in his chair by the fireplace, watching his sons and their families with the kind of quiet contentment that came from finally being where he belonged.
And Gage beside me, his grandmother's ring catching the Christmas lights like a promise as I gestured while talking to Delaney about flower arrangements.
This was my family now. These people who had loved me when I was a heartbroken teenager, who had welcomed me back with such joy, who had supported us through every step of healing and falling in love again.
I turned to share this feeling with Gage, but his spot on the couch was empty. I looked around the room, but he'd vanished as quietly as he'd always been able to do.
I knew immediately where he'd gone.
"I'll be right back," I told Delaney, stepping outside into the crisp Christmas morning air.
I found him at the pasture fence, offering apple slices to Bullet while the horse listened with the kind of patient attention that only animals seemed capable of.
