Talon
The next morning, I showered and wrapped new bandages around my injured foot. The cuts were far from healed, but they weren’t nearly as ugly-looking as the day before. I figured in a few more days, I would be right as rain.
The ache in my foot was barely on my radar this morning, though. I had much bigger things to think about today. Everything had been leading up to this day. I would finally be done with all the headaches, all the sneaking around behind Charlotte’s back, and all the pain I’d inadvertently caused her. If I hadn’t already fucked everything up beyond repair, today would end in celebration instead of fighting and tears.
When I walked out of the bedroom, Charlotte and her parents were already sitting around the dining room table, drinking coffee and eating donuts. Seeing them all gathered together made what I was about to do seem more real. This was really happening, and I was both excited and nervous.
“Good morning, Jordans,” I said, giving them a smile and a little wave.
Charlotte smiled. “Morning, sleepyhead.”
After spending the day together yesterday, I felt like things were better with us, but every once in a while, I noticed Charlotte giving me sideways looks when she thought I wouldn’t notice. It was like she was sizing me up and trying to figure out whether she could trust me.
My heart ached every time she looked at me like that. I didn’t want her to question our relationship for a second, and the fact that she was made me hate myself even more for hiding my plans from her. Today, would put an end to all of that.
I sat down at the table between Charlotte and Bob. Charlotte poured me a cup of coffee, and Bob passed me over a donut on a napkin.
“Donuts for breakfast,” I said. “I love it.”
“Well,” Bob said. “Charlotte offered to cook, but I figured this was easier.”
He said it with a straight face, and I had to choke back a smile. “That was thoughtful of you, Bob,” I said.
Bob grinned at me. “I would have picked up orange juice, but I heard you had a problem with orange juice recently.”
“Dad!” Charlotte said, shaking her head at him. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s all right,” I said, smiling. “It’s pretty funny. It will be funnier once these stupid cuts heal. So, I’ve never done Christmas with the Jordans. What’s your tradition? Are we doing dinner first and then presents?”
Gloria laughed. “Oh, no, sweetheart. We always do presents first thing. Well, after breakfast these days. But when Charlotte was little, she was too excited to open her gifts to eat.”
“Mom,” Charlotte said, embarrassed.
“That sounds great to me,” I said.
We finished up our donuts and took our cups of coffee over to the living room. Bob and Gloria had obviously brought over gifts because the pile of presents had grown since the night before. Unless, of course, Santa had visited us in the middle of the night. If that was the case, I was going to have to rethink a lot of things in life.
Charlotte sat beside the tree and started handing out gifts one at a time. She passed a few to her parents first, and they opened them up, laughing and thanking her for the gifts. I watched with a smile on my face. This version of Christmas morning was a lot different than the ones I used to have with my own family.
My parents were a lot more subdued than the Jordans. They accepted their gifts with a formal politeness that bordered on ceremonial. Not the Jordans. They filled the living room with warmth and affection. This felt like a celebration, instead of a barely-tolerated tradition.
“Give your parents my gifts,” I told Charlotte, getting into the spirit.
She looked through the pile and found Gloria’s first. Her mother tore through the wrapping paper with an almost childlike excitement. She pulled out a purple, porcelain hippo.
I wanted to make sure she understood why I got her the gift. “I figured because of—”
“The zoo!” she said, brimming with enthusiasm. “I love it, Talon.”
Charlotte passed a present to her father. He undid the wrapping paper and held up his sweater. It was a red knitted sweater with snowflakes and reindeer on it.
He nodded. “Very festive, Talon. Thank you.”
“Look closer, Bob,” I said. I’d taken a risk with this gift, but I figured it was time for Bob to get used to my sense of humor.
He stared at the sweater with a quizzical expression. Then his eyes widened. “Wait. Are these reindeer humping?”
Bob stayed silent, and I held my breath, hoping I hadn’t crossed a line. Then, Bob burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that his face turned red and he could barely breathe. The rest of us laughed, too.
Charlotte shot me an incredulous look. “Seriously, Talon?” But she was laughing, so I knew she was all right with my off-color gift for her father.
She dug through the pile of presents and handed me a stack of gifts. “These are for you,” she said. “From me.”
I opened them up and found my favorite movie, my new favorite band’s greatest hits album, and a cookbook for simple, comfort food recipes. All of her gifts were so thoughtful and personal. It showed that she really knew me and that she’d put thoughts into these gifts. I loved every single one of them, almost as much as I loved her.
“Thank you, Charlotte,” I said, going over to her and giving her a hug.
She smiled at me. “There’s one more.”
She passed me a small, square box. I opened it and saw the watch I’d been eying for the last six months.
“You remembered,” I said, emotion choking my voice.
It might seem like no big deal to other people, but I rarely ever got gifts that were so considerate and so loving. But that was Charlotte in a nutshell. She loved me just like I loved her, and she made sure to show me whenever she could.
I gave her a warm hug and put the watch on my wrist immediately. “Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome,” she replied.
I sat beside Charlotte as she passed out the rest of the gifts. When the space under the tree was empty, she looked around beneath it like there had to be one more. She didn’t say anything or complain, but I knew she was looking for my gift to her.
She glanced over at me with her face scrunched up in confusion, but again, she stayed quiet. Charlotte wasn’t the kind of girl who demanded a gift or felt entitled to anything. I knew she wouldn’t yell at me for not getting her something, no matter how much it hurt her feelings. Lucky for her, I hadn’t forgotten her gift.
It was in my pocket.
I placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her so she looked at me. I saw the baffled look on her face and smiled at her.
“Don’t worry, Charlotte,” I said. “I didn’t forget your gift. I just wanted to get you something extra special this year.”
A grin spread slowly across her face. “Is that so?”
I nodded. “Yeah, you’ve always been such an amazing woman and girlfriend. But you’re more than just a girlfriend. You’re my partner. You’re always there for me with a reassuring smile, a much-needed hug, or a joke that brightens up my whole day.”
She glanced at her parents and looked down, clearly feeling a little embarrassed by such a public display of affection.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I said. “Every single day that I’m with you is better than the last. It feels like an impossible dream, but every time I wake up, you’re still by my side. I thank my lucky stars that you came into my life and took a chance on an awkward kid from Texas.”
She laughed, and her eyes were wet with unshed tears. But she still looked at me with a confused look on her face, like she didn’t understand what the hell was going on. She’d know soon enough.
“I didn’t know what love was until I met you,” I said. “You’ve opened my eyes to a whole world of possibilities. I can’t imagine living my life without you in it. There is no future for me if you’re not standing at my side.”
I got up on one knee and pulled the black velvet box out of my pocket. I opened it up and held it out to her. Her eyes landed on the sparkling diamond ring, and she gasped.
“Charlotte Jordan,” I said. “Will you make me the happiest man who ever lived by being my wife? Will you marry me?”