“This is a bigger box than usual.” Her silliness disappeared as she opened the box. “Ben.”
She lifted the green velvet inside, holding the blanket out. She was silent, but her hands trembled. She crumpled it to her chest and dropped her head. Her shoulders shook and I feared this was all a terrible idea. She sniffed back a sob and looked back at me. “You remembered.”
I nodded. “I did.”
I put my hands on her shoulders and she leaned into me. She just kept crying. I still wasn’t sure what was going through her head.
“Is it okay?”
She turned around to face me. “I can’t believe you did that.”
I swallowed hard and followed the path of her tear with my finger. “Yeah, I did. Jess, I thought it would be nice. I’m really sorry—”
She pinned herself to me. “I love you. So much, Ben. It’s perfect.”
The vise that had been squeezing my lungs released as I wrapped her up. “You like it?”
She cocked her head to the side, leveling me with a look. “Are you always going to follow me around noticing the things that mean something to me, then doing something about it?”
“I mean, I can’t follow you everywhere, so no. I just like you to feel loved.”
“You didn’t know Madeline, but God, she would have liked you. I’d have had to fight her for you,” she laughed.
“I would have been a little too old for you two at that time,” I pointed out, “and I’m probably a better person at twenty-eight than I was at sixteen.”
She shook her head with a little snort. “You help me keep her memory alive and Ben, it’s... I... thank you.”
“You’re welcome, baby. She was important to you, so she’s important to me.”
She wiped her fingers under her eyes. “We’re supposed to be celebrating you! You made it to round two!”
“We can celebrate that. The lady at the fabric shop just finished this and I couldn’t wait until your birthday to give it to you.”
She ran her hands over the satin edges of the blanket. “I love how heavy it is. It’s almost weighted.” She turned to give me a stern look. “This doesn’t replace my blankie, though.”
I gave a warm laugh. “There’s no replacing Yarn Wad. I’d never.” She rewarded me with a tight hug and a nibble on my neck. “How about you wear one of your sexy little dresses to dinner with me?”
She cracked a grin. “Okay.” She pulled me into a kiss. “Did I ever tell you that you’re the kindest,” she kissed me again, “most thoughtful,” a deeper kiss, “sweetest man alive?”
My stomach was fluttering. I would never get enough of making her happy, of making her feel seen. Yet me being me, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. “A simple ‘thank you, Daddy’ would suffice.”
She laughed, bopping me with the blanket. “You’re such an ass.”
I ran my hands over her bottom. “You sticking with that answer?”
She giggled and bit her lip. “Yep. What are you gonna do about it?”
I hauled her over my shoulder and spanked her butt. “This.”
She squealed and kicked her legs. “Put me down!”
“Not until you agree to go to dinner with me.”
“I already did!”
I slapped her plump little butt again. “No attitude, missy!” Iemployed a high-pitched voice. “‘Take me to dinner, Daddy. I’ll wear that dress you like.’”
“Take me to dinner, Daddy. I’ll wear your favorite dress.”
