“But when I saw you on that floor in the bathroom, looking helpless but also full of pride while bickering with me, I knew,” I say, looking her directly in the eye.
“That was the moment I knew I could no longer keep my vow of never loving or marrying another woman.”
Ellyn’s eyes fill with tears at the same time someone around us whispers, “Marriage?”
But I don’t bother to look around to see who’s just asked that question. Instead, I lean in to brush my lips against Ellyn’s, knowing this is the woman I want to spend the rest of my Christmas Eves and Christmas mornings with.
CHAPTER 36
Ellyn
“Grandma, it snowed!” Randy runs up to me and Joel in the middle of the street, cheering before he throws up a handful of fake snow.
Joel and I both smile at his excitement.
It’s Christmas evening and our families have just had Christmas dinner at my house before we all came out to join the neighborhood’s annual Christmas gathering and judging of home decorating competition.
“That’s exciting, huh?” I ask Randy.
He nods cheerfully. “It’s snowing over there!” He points toward the area where the snow machine is spraying the air with snowflakes.
Then he grabs my hand, “Come on, Grandma and Mr. Townsend!”
“Let’s go, grandma,” Joel says, pulling my free hand while holding Amelia in the other arm.
All around us families, including our own, laugh and converse as they walk about, pointing out the beautiful displays of Christmas cheer throughout the neighborhood. There are acouple of food stands set up giving out hot chocolate, funnel cakes, and an assortment of candy canes.
“What do you think?” Joel asks, squeezing my hand.
“Of what?” I look around.
“Our Christmas celebration?” His eyes drop to the beautiful heart-shaped, diamond charm that he gifted me this morning as a Christmas present.
I run my hand, that Randy’s now freed since he ran off to stand by his mother, over the necklace.
“I think everything’s perfect.”
He leans in and brushes his lips across mine.
“Pret-tee.” Amelia claps.
“You’re the pretty one, pretty girl!” I tell her, shaking her arm and making her giggle loudly.
“I think you’re both beautiful. Where’s my kiss?” Joel complains as I’m fake chomping on Amelia’s hand.
I turn to him and lift on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. Amelia, seeing me, leans in and presses her mouth to his opposite cheek. Though her kiss is way more drool filled than mine, both bring Joel a joy that shines in his eyes brighter than all of the Christmas lights combined.
He wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“It’s almost time for the judges to decide on the winners.” His excited voice fills me with a child-like giddiness.
No, the truth is, that childlike happiness has been around ever since he came into my life. It’s an ever-present euphoria that I haven’t felt in a long, long time.
Like, never.
I don’t think I’ve had this level of love and admiration for another man.
“Are you nervous?” I ask.
