Page 73 of Lucky Sucker

30. LUKE

It was a promise and an intention. I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. I couldn’t think about someone who could possibly replace him, or the feelings I had. It was the natural next step from my feelings, and I didn’t want to jump the gun and propose. We hadn’t even graduated or lived with each other yet, there was still a lot to find out about each other, and that’s part of the promise.

In the car back to the bed and breakfast cottage, he couldn’t stop looking at the ring, admiring the colors from the rainbow as he rolled it around. He deserved the biggest mug of hot chocolate after being brave and coming so far out onto the ice with me. He deserved so much more in fact, but I’d start small.

We spent the rest of the day curled up in the bedroom together, watching TV, eating the amazing food they served, and playing games. Wren was in the most playful state I’d ever seen him in. IT was freeing to experience I with him.

Since Christmas day was the following morning, we made sure to get an early night, but not before a big bubble bath with the colorful soaps. I joined him in it, the first time I’d had a bath in a while, but the first time that I’d come out of a bath smelling like tutti frutti with my skin coming out with a silvery shimmer to it. The curse of pigmented soap and bubbles.

“You’re all sparkly,” Wren said, rubbing his hands up and down my arm.

“You are too.”

He gasped. “We sparkle together.”

“Yes, we do,” I said. “Don’t forget once you’re all dry, you need to put that ring back on. You know, to make sure the promises stay and come true.”

He nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”

I ruffled a hand through his wet hair. “Your hair is sparkling too.” I’d need to make a note of that so we didn’t accidentally buy it again. I didn’t mind sparkling, but it was not a good look on me. The light kept catching my skin and causing me to look around like someone was shining lights in my eyes.

Wren was far too excited for Christmas to sleep.

The projector played the stars on the ceiling and occasionally shooting stars would whoosh by in the background. And then a faint Santa Claus on his sleigh would go by and court Wren’s excitement, back to being fully awake.

“We twinkle like the stars,” he whispered.

“You are a star,” I told him, turning in the bed to look at him. “You’re my star.”

“No,” he giggled, barely turning his head. He was focused on Santa watch. “You’re a star. The biggest star. And I’m not just saying that because you’re my Daddy, but because it’s true.”

I pressed my lips to his cheek and smooched them there for as long as possible. The residue taste from the soap on his skin, surprisingly not awful.

“We’ll have to get some sleep soon,” I whispered to him. “Santa doesn’t come to boys who stay awake.”

Wren let out a fake yawn, triggering a real one, and forcing one from me as well. “Good job I’m super tired,” he said. “I used all my energy up on the lake, and then survived on the adrenaline of your promise ring.” He pulled his hand out from under the duvet and looked at it. “It’s so petty. I want to get you one. A promise to be the best and most sweet boy, so that I can have cuddles and kisses forever.”

I kissed his cheek again. “That’s a promise I can get behind.”

Even while my future was up in the air, not knowing what would happen to me after graduation in May, I still promised to have a future with Wren. I didn’t care where I went, or what I ended up doing, I had ideas of plans in case professional hockey wasn’t on the cards for me. And I could finally admit to myself that I wasn’t scared of the future, I was willing to embrace it, flaws and all.

Falling to sleep with the content nature of my thoughts on the future, I found myself waking to an excited Wren as a stray line of blinding white light made its way over my body from the curtain. “It’s Christmas, it’s Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, baby,” I said, letting out a big stretch.

He planted a large wrapped object on my chest. Light to the touch. The wrapping was very messy, but it was Wren’s wrapping, and I appreciated it.

“Are you opening presents now?” I asked.

“Open it, open it,” he said.

We’d agreed on no big gifts, it’s one of the reasons I wanted to get the promise ring on his finger yesterday, so it wasn’t considered a Christmas present. I tore the paper off to discover two crocheted and stuffed plushies, one of me in my Orcas jersey, holding my hockey stick, and him, attached at my hand, a little smaller, also in a jersey and holding a much smaller version of Bloo in his hand.

“This is incredible,” I said, admiring the details. I was even wearing skates. “How long did this take you?”

He shrugged. “A couple of days,” he said. “Also, if you only wantme, you can snip this piece of yarn and they will separate.”

“Why would I separate us?” I asked.

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