Page 81 of All Your Tomorrows

His vulnerability broke me and I just wanted to stay in his arms forever. “Say it again,” I said.

“I don’t know how to,” he repeated.

I shook my head. That wasn’t what I meant and he knew it.

He looked me straight in the eyes with his lips pulled up in one corner. “I’m falling for you, Nora.”

Fireflies danced in my belly.

“More than I have the right to.”

Gahhhhh. He’d be the death of me.

“Nora?” Mr. Fletcher interrupted.

As if caught doing something I shouldn’t be, I jumped away from Kyler and dropped my arms. My eyes shifted guiltily to the base of the steps where his parents stood staring at me. “Yeah?” I said, my high-pitched voice reflecting my embarrassment.

Mrs. Fletcher stifled a smile. “What were you doing?”

Kyler laughed.

I shot him a look before looking to them. “Dancing.”

“Ohhhh,” Mr. Fletcher said, catching on to what was going on with me and their spirit son.

“Yeah,oh,” I said, confirming his unspoken assertion.

They exchanged a look and I could see his mom understood as well.

“Why don’t you come upstairs so we can give you your gift,” Mrs. Fletcher said.

“You got me a gift?” I asked.

“Of course we did. You brought our son back to us,” she said.

“You didn’t need to get me anything,” I assured them. “It makes me happy to be able to bring him home.”

Once we were in the living room with coffee and cookies, Mrs. Fletcher handed me a small box with a big red bow on it.

“What did they get you?” Kyler asked from beside me.

I pulled off the bow and then slowly tore open the shiny wrapping paper to reveal a small cardboard box. I opened the cover of the box, but the green tissue paper inside concealed the gift.

“I hope you like it,” Mrs. Fletcher said, her eyes on the box.

I reached into the tissue paper until I grasped something solid. I pulled out the most beautiful crystal heart paperweight. As I examined it, all the intricate facets reflected in the lights from the Christmas tree. “It’s exquisite.”

“I had a feeling our son had already given you his, so I wanted you to have something tangible.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I smiled at Kyler.

He shrugged. “What can I say? My mom knows me.”

“Youor your type?” I asked him facetiously.

“Let’s just say I know a good thing when I find it.” He pressed a kiss to my temple.

I smiled before looking at his mom. “I love it.”

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