Page 15 of Turtle Dove

“There are presents, Daddy, DUH, and he ate the cookies! Get up! Let’s go!” She is jumping on the bed at our feet.

“Go wait for us by the tree. We’ll be down in a just a second,” I say, sitting up in bed and yawning.

“Okay.” She jumps off the bed and lands on her feet. “But hurry!”

“We will. I promise.”

“Okay!” She scurries off and out of the room.

I lean over and kiss Gray on the shoulder. “We should go. Text your Dad and make sure he’s all set for the surprise?”

“I’ll do that now.” He reaches out and pulls his phone from the nightstand and fires off a text.

“Perfect.” I move the covers off of me and try to slip out of bed, but a warm hand pulls me back down. “Hey!”

He wraps around me from behind and buries his face in the crook of my neck. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.” I snuggle back against him about the time we hear Cadence shout from downstairs.

“Uh, I’m going to open gifts without you!”

We both laugh.

“We should get down there,” he says.

“We should. We only have so long before the gift arrives,” I reply.

“She’s going to freak out. I’m excited to see her face.”

“Me too. I can’t wait.”

***

Twenty minutes later, the living room is a mess of wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift bags, boxes, toys, clothes, and one very happy little blonde.

I’ve never seen Gray smile so much. I’ve never seen so much joy and happiness in one place. He loves spoiling her. He loves making her happy. Especially this year, after the Robby fiasco.

Coffee is brewing. Breakfast casserole is in the oven. Christmas candles are lit. It’s the perfect morning. There’s only one last thing we need to seal the deal.

Gray looks down at his phone then to me and he gives me a nod. It’s time.

“Cadence,” he says, “I think there is a gift missing. How many did Santa leave?”

“Umm.” She looks around and is counting with her fingers. “Four...I think.”

“Hmm, well I think Santa always leaves five. I think there is one missing,” he says.

“We better find it. It has to be around here somewhere,” I chime in. “Maybe he misplaced it.”

She bolts up from the floor. “Where could it be?” She begins looking around and we slowly and carefully lead her to the front door.

Grayson’s father came this morning and placed her last–and most special—gift on the front porch in a red and green box.

“Maybe it’s outside?” I suggest.

“Well, I don’t think he’d be silly enough for that, Melia, but we can check,” Cadence replies; and I can only laugh.

Grayson is by my side when she pulls the door open and sure enough, there it is. A box.

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