Christmas Eve . . .
Eve
“You should see her, Eve. I found the tiniest Christmas dress with little tights and shoes. I’ll send you a picture.” Even through the phone, Raven’s excitement is infectious.
“Yes, do that. I need some updated pictures of her for my brag album.” Phone wedged between my ear and shoulder, I tape the corner of the last box I needed to wrap.
Cameron’s coffee table is covered with all the gifts that we’re bringing to Rosie’s care facility tonight. There are even a few on the floor.
“Didn’t you just take some pictures yesterday?”
“Yeah, but she grows so fast, and I need to see her in her very first Christmas dress.” I pull a shimmering golden ribbon around the gift and tie it in a neat bow.
“You sure you guys won’t come tonight? Jonah said he’s never been invited to Rex’s house, like ever. It’s a big deal that he’s throwing a party.”
“Rex’s in love. I’m not surprised he’s doing things he thought he’d never do.”
“Listen to you, little Miss Live-in Girlfriend.” Her soft giggle is followed by a content sigh. “You sure you can’t just swing by?”
“I want to spend as much time with Rosie as we can before the nurses chase us off, ya know?” Plus, I want to show Cameron his Christmas present, and I don’t know how long that will take. “You should see what I did in Rosie’s room: singing Santas, dancing snowmen, and a ton of colored lights hang from every surface I could reach. I swear it looks like the entire population of Whoville exploded in there.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“It is, Rave. It so is.” I never knew how much I could love a child that wasn’t mine, but between Sadie, Rosie, and even Ryder, they’ve all claimed a part of my heart in a way I’ve never experienced before.
“You’ll be here tomorrow, right?”
“With bells on. Tell everyone I said Merry Christmas Eve and sorry we couldn’t make it.”
“Will do.”
I end the call and put the finishing touches on my gifts.
“You went overboard.” Cameron drops down next to me on the couch and props his long denim-clad legs on the coffee table, ankles crossed with socked feet.
“I know, but it’s a special day.” I drop back, and he wraps a possessive arm around my waist.
He pushes my hair back over my shoulder, and the move has me tilting my head, inviting his lips. “Good thing your boss pays well.”
His growled words against the tender flesh of my throat send goose bumps down my arms. “That you do.” My heart races and my body tingles. “You sure you want to start this?”
“Mm-hmm.” He continues to assault my neck and jaw in light kisses and pulls of his teeth.
A low moan vibrates deep in my throat, and I fight the urge to push him back and straddle him right here. “We . . . We have to leave in thirty minutes.” The breathy sound of my voice makes him groan.
“Right.” He drops one last kiss below my earlobe then pushes back, but pulls me down to rest in the crook of his arm. “We’ll pick this up when we get home from Rosie’s.”
“About that, I just . . . I want to say thank you.” It sounds so lame, doesn’t do a sliver of justice to how I really feel. “You’ve given me Rosie and Ryder, and hell, even D’lilah. I love you guys, and you gave me all that. I’ll never be able to repay you.”
“Bullshit. You’re the force that brought my family together and the glue that’s keeping us there.”
“Cam, that’s not—”
He hooks my chin and brings my gaze to his. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved any woman, as much as I love my own kids. Whether or not you’re ready to hear this, I’m sayin’ it. You’re part of this family. Sooner or later I’ll put a ring on that finger and make it official. If you want kids, I’ll give ’em to you. Bottom line . . . I’ve fallen for you, Yvette. I ain’t ever gettin’ up. So you—”
I crash my mouth to his and sink into a deep kiss. His hands fist in my hair, pulling me closer and holding me there. Exactly where I want to be.
My fingers dig into his bicep, and it’s all I can do to not become overwhelmed by him. But instead of sucking up every ounce of this, storing up everything he gives out of fear that it’ll all be taken away, I slow down. My lips glide against his in a slow seduction, nibbling for once in my life rather than devouring out of fear that I’ll never have it this good again. For the first time, I feel entitled, as if I’ve earned this kind of love. And that in itself is miraculous.
Everything I never had crept into my life the day I met Cameron. I swore I’d never let anyone in, built up walls to ensure my heart would be protected, but leave it to the best fighter in the UFL to shatter them.
~*~
Cameron
I don’t remember the last time I smiled so much my damn cheeks hurt. It’s been forever since I’ve been able to be in Rosie’s room at the care facility without sinking into a pit of guilt and depression. But now, surrounded by my kids, my ex-wife, and Eve, it’s as if the world started spinning again, and it’s Eve who set it in motion.
“Okay, it’s Rosie’s turn to open a present from me.” Eve brings over a large box, and sitting in a chair across from my daughter, she places the box on her own knees.
“Hold up.” Ryder raises his hand in mock offense. “The movies, the books, and now you’re giving her more? I got gypped!”
We all chuckle as Eve pulls off the ribbon and rips open the bright red paper. Her hands placed on the box’s lid, she smiles at my daughter. “You ready?” She pulls the lid off, tosses it aside, and lifts up a stack of magazines.
I squint and, upon D’lilah’s gasp, realize what Eve’s just done.
“These are all the old magazines I kept that have your mom on the cover. I’m passing them on to you.” Eve turns from Rosie to a choked up ’Li. “I figured there’s a lot of stories behind these images. Bet your daughter would love to hear them.”
My throat swells, and my eyes burn as D’lilah jumps from her seat to hug Eve. I catch my woman’s eyes and pray that she sees my appreciation.
“Eve, wow . . .” D’lilah takes the stack of magazines and plops them on her lap. “Oh my gosh, this photo shoot was in Japan.” She flips through the pages. “Oh, see here. You can’t tell, but I was so sick this day.” Eve leaves the seat in front of Rosie, and D’lilah takes it. Lost in her story, she holds the photos up to her daughter. “Look at this one, baby. My hair was shorter here, like yours.”
“Doll.” Eve’s eyes find mine. “Come here.”
She glides over to me, and I pull her down to my lap.
“Fuckin’ love you, babe.” I run my nose along her jaw, breathing in the warm sugary scent. “Sweet gift you gave my girl.”
She shrugs. “Nah, they’re just magazines.”
“Not just magazines. You gave Rosie . . .” We both look over to D’lilah and Rosie, who are now surrounded by a smiling Ryder and Rosie’s nurse. “You gave Rosie her mom back.”
Eve sucks in a quick breath and then hides her face in my neck. “I was hoping I could do that for her.”
I run my fingers through her hair, my eyes fixed on my little girl and D’lilah’s light laughter ringing through the room, when suddenly—wait, did she?
“Oh my gosh, Cam, did you see that?” D’lilah’s eyes are glistening with tears.
Eve jumps off my lap and we surround Rosie.
“Yep, I saw it.” Ryder ruffles his sister’s hair. “That was a smile.”
“I saw it too.” It was unmistakable: the tiny twitch of her lip.
“Of course she smiled.” Eve sounds so confident, as if the assumption that she wouldn’t smile is offensive. “She’s perfect.”
I pull Eve into my arms and bury my nose in all that blond hair. “I can’t believe it. You got my little girl to smile.”
She tilts her head back. “I was hoping she would. That was my Christmas present to you.”
I blink at what she just said. “Wait, so this isn’t the first time you’ve seen that?
She shakes her head. “She did it on my last visit. I told her if she could pull that off for Christmas that would be great since I planned on spending all my money on her and her brother. That was the only gift I could think to give to you.”
“Fuckin’ hell, doll.” I wrap her in my arms, amazed that this incredible woman is capable of giving me so much in such a short period of time. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Falling isn’t always failure. Sometimes the biggest victories only happen when we’re brave enough to let go and give in to the pull.
~The End~