Page 181 of Every Silent Lie
“But I?—”
“Take it.”
I look at Dec, feeling one hundred percent mortified as he takes the box from April, passing it to me. And now they’re going to see my embarrassment multiply as they all watch me open it.
“What’s Father Christmas brought you?” Albi asks, inspecting the box.
“I don’t know. Want to help me open it?” Yes, I’m using the child as a shield, hoping to deflect some attention.
“Yeah!”
I lower to the couch and Albi clambers onto my knee, and I slowly peel the paper away, revealing a black box inscribed with Dec’s name. And mine.
DEC & CAMRYN
There’s a date too. I breathe in my surprise and glance at April. She shrugs, nonchalant. I turn my eyes back onto the box.
December 1st
“What’s that say?” Albi asks, his fingertip following some scripted gold font.
“That says Daddy’s name,” I say, pointing at it. “D E C.”
“Dec.”
“And that says my name.”
“Camryn.”
“That’s right. And that’s the date I met your daddy.”
“What’s inside?”
“I don’t know.” And I’m intrigued, as is Dec, since he’s joined us on the couch to see.
I pull the lid off and find a little gold card on top of a pile of cream envelopes, all with cards in. The gold card read:
A Year of Dates.
“One a week,” April says. “You each take it in turns to choose a date each week. Every Friday. Date night. Blaine and I will have Albi.”
What? “April,” I breathe, “That’s?—”
“Every Friday night?” Dec asks, interested, taking the box from my hand. “And you’ll have Albi? Overnight?”
“I can’t come?” Albi asks, sullen. “That’s not fair. I want to come on date night with you and Camryn.”
“Hush now, fella, I’m striking a deal.”
“Are you busting balls, Daddy?”
“You got it. So, overnight?”
I chuckle, hugging Albi close. “We can do date night too.”
“Yay!”
“Overnight,” April confirms.
