Page 38 of The Wedding Planner's Manny
“What?”
“Your ex,” he said in a hushed tone of voice so the kids wouldn't hear.
“Oh.” Was he thinking my ex was the reason I'd drifted off just now? Nothing could be further from the truth. “No, I'm not particularly missing her. Not for my sake, anyway.” I glanced at my sons as I said this. It would have been nice of Laura to at least send a card or something, but nothing.
“I see. Is she the reason Caleb hates Santa?”
“Pretty much.” I sighed. “He asked Santa to bring his mommy back and I told him Santa can't do that. I might have had a temper tantrum on my hands tonight if Nathan hadn't stepped up. I don't know what's up with him today. First he was all grumpy and now he's acting like the best big brother Caleb could have.” As I spoke, the dog jumped up onto the couch and climbed on my lap, waiting to be petted.
“Have you named him yet?” Rhys asked, pointing at the dog.
“Nah, I can't think of anything good. Nathan keeps making suggestions, but I'm telling him this is my dog, and he doesn't get to name him. He's not responsible enough to keep a dog.” Nathan wasn't getting a dog. I was. Even if I couldn't figure out what to name the little guy.
Rhys only nodded. “You'll think of something. And I'm sure next Christmas is going to be better for all of us.”
I glanced at him. What did he mean by that? “Are you missing your ex?” I hadn't even considered that until now, but Christmas turned many of us nostalgic.
“No,” Rhys said. Then, “Maybe a little bit? If I can be honest with you. I can't be honest around my family. They don't understand. Not really.” He moistened his lips, a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was mentally going through every conversation he'd ever had with his family. “Theypretendto understand, you know? They nod and look sympathetic, but at the same time, I can always see thepityin their eyes, the silent judgment that they can't quite let go of. Neither of them gets how I could miss a Vinist... never mind the fact that I loved him.” Or I thought I did, anyway. Rhys looked to me as he finished speaking, seeking my face as if looking for the same things he saw on his brothers' faces when he talked about this.
“I get it,” I said. “I miss Laura sometimes. Our relationship had a lot of problems. We grew into different people than who we were in high school and we fought all the time. It was so bad, sometimes things would go flying. She nearly hit Nathan with a plate aimed at me once.” I shook my head. “In spite of all of that, though, I still miss her sometimes. I miss the good days, you know?
Before things went to shit. When we'd just go out and spend a nice day as a family. Even when something's broken, you can still find a few beautiful shards. Just remember that picking them up can hurt you.” Just like getting back together with my ex would hurt me, even if that was a possibility.
I couldn't quite decipher the expression on Rhys' face as I finished my little speech. Wordlessly, he got up from the couch and approached the tree again. Then he picked up one of the gift boxes he'd placed there earlier and came back with it. The box was small and wrapped in shiny red paper. It had my name on it.
“You want me to open this now?”
He shrugged, almost helplessly. “I just really want to give you a gift right now.”
“Oh, okay.” I wasn't sure where that sentiment was coming from, but I accepted it. Gingerly, I took the box from him and unwrapped it. Under the paper, I found a movie. The one I'd told Rhys about. The one I couldn't find. I stared at the DVD in my hands.
It was the perfect gift.
“How did you find this?”
Rhys shrugged. “I'm good at obsessively digging through Google until I find that one piece of information I need. It's no big deal.”
No big deal my ass.“You're amazing, Rhys! Thank you!” I looked over at the kids. “Who wants to watch a movie tonight?”
Both my kids' attention snapped to me. And to the wrapping paper on the couch around me. “You opened a present early!” Nathan pointed out. “No fair! We should get one too.”
“I want present!” Caleb cried in agreement, launching an attack at the gift boxes still underneath the tree.
“Okay,” I said. “You can pickone. That one isn't for you. That's Nathan's. Try the one next to it.”
Caleb handed the large box he was holding to his brother and took the smaller one next to it. Lifting it, he shook it in his hands. “What inside?” he asked, and then he tore the wrapping off the gift and discovered the new Lego set I bought him. “Lego!” he screeched. I had to smile even as my ears hurt.
My boy could never get enough Lego.
“Maybe Nathan can help you build it,” I commented.
Nathan only looked at me for a moment before his attention returned to the gift he was holding. He'd unwrapped it quietly while I'd been watching his little brother. “You got me a telescope?” he asked, finally, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
“You said you wanted one.” Had I gotten the wrong present?
“I just... didn't think you'd get it for me. We've been fighting a lot.”
I stared at my son. He'd thought I wouldn't get him the present he wanted because we fought?
