Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
“Do you really like it?”
I gave him a hug and said, “I absolutely love it. It’s perfect.”
“Oh, good. I really hoped it would make you happy.” It did that and more. I was deeply touched by it.
I pulled my backpack onto the bed and took out part of his gift as I said, “I hope you like what I got you.” I handed him a small, red envelope and watched as he pulled out eight iridescent, jewel-toned fabric swatches, each of them two inches square.
He murmured, “Pretty,” as he ran the fabrics between his fingertips.
“Do they look familiar?”
“Kind of, but I don’t know why.”
“When we were in Austin, we walked past a fabric shop that wasn’t open. You plastered yourself to the glass, raved about the beautiful silk fabrics in the window display, and talked about all the things you’d love to make with them.”
He looked up at me with surprise as I continued, “I called the shop later that day and ordered a full bolt of every color. They were shipped to the pink Victorian in San Francisco, and the swatches were included with my receipt. It was sent here, since this is where I get all my mail.”
Kit threw his arms around me. “That’s an incredible gift, Devon! Thank you so much.”
“It’s my way of saying I believe in you and your talent. I know you’ll make wonderful things with that material.”
“I’m going to have the best time with it! I already have a ton of ideas.”
I pulled a fabric-covered notebook from the backpack and handed it to him. “Here’s a new sketchbook for all of those ideas. Your old one is almost full.”
“It’s too pretty to use!”
“Please use it anyway. And there’s one last thing. I’m terrible about wrapping presents, by the way.” I took his hand and slipped a silver ring onto his index finger. It was made to look like delicate branches and the tiniest leaves, wrapping around several times to form a lacy band. “I spotted it in an antique shop in New Orleans, when I went out to get us coffee. I wanted you to have it because it’s ethereally beautiful, like you.”
He straddled my lap, throwing his arms around my shoulders as he whispered, “I love it. I’ve never seen a more beautiful ring.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Was it the antique shop with the wooden cat in the window, around the corner from our hotel?”
“Yeah, it was. How did you know?”
He sat up and smiled at me. “That shop was really special. It’s where I found your earrings.”
I kissed him and said, “Merry Christmas, Kit.”
“This is already the best Christmas ever.” I nodded in agreement, and he asked, “Do you think Belinda and Ed are up yet?”
“Let’s get dressed and go find out.”
Sure enough, the two of them had gotten up early and done their own gift exchange, just like we had. They were waiting for us in the family room—the most casual and comfortable room in the house. It had a huge fireplace with a fire burning brightly, two walls of bookshelves, a round table by the window for board games, and two comfortable plaid sofas bracketing a big coffee table. It was also the location of the “real” Christmas tree, the one with all the sentimental ornaments we’d collected over the years, as opposed to the fancy designer trees dotted around the house.
I was happy when I discovered they’d gotten as much for Kit as they had for me. This included a trio of very nice cashmere sweaters, warm boots, gloves, and high-end ski jackets. Apparently they didn’t trust our winter coats to keep us from freezing—and I didn’t point out that we’d be going home to much warmer California after this. It was still a kind gesture.
The next gifts we opened were boxes of fancy chocolates for both of us, and a drawing tablet for Kit. “It’s for your sketches,” Mom explained. “That way, you can keep all your designs in one place, try out different colors, and make changes on the fly.”
Ed added, “We don’t know much about this kind of thing, but it’s what the guy at the electronics store recommended when we told them our son’s boyfriend is a fashion designer.”
Kit seemed overwhelmed. “It’s perfect. Thank you! I don’t even know what to say.”
My mom beamed at him. “You don’t need to say anything, sweetie. We just want you to be happy.”
“All of these gifts are wonderful,” I said. “Thank you so much.”
“There’s actually one more.” Ed produced a small gold box from the end table drawer and handed it to me.
By the size and shape, it looked like it might contain a piece of jewelry. I was confused when I removed the lid and revealed a set of keys. But then I noticed the familiar silver keychain, which was shaped like a fish, and asked, “Are these the keys to the cabin?”