“I can?—”
“Sit, Blake. Let me play doctor today.”
I sit, pulling my favorite buffalo plaid blanket around myself. I’m still only wearing his shirt and my underwear, and the house is chilly in that perfect Christmas morning way. He returns a few minutes later with water, pills, and two steaming mugs. I down the Advil gratefully and then wrap my hands around the coffee mug, inhaling the rich scent.
“Better?” he asks, settling beside me and pulling me against his side like he can’t stand even a foot of distance between us. He’s still somehow so warm without a shirt on.
“Getting there.” I take a sip and sigh against him. “Okay, let’s do this before I fall back asleep.”
“Me first.” He grabs a medium-sized gift bag and hands it to me, watching my face intently. “Open this one.”
I pull out tissue paper to reveal a gorgeous black leather medical bag. Definitely expensive, with my initials embossed on the front in gold.
“Damon.” My throat tightens. “This is?—”
“I didn’t know you’d need a new one when I got it, but now you don’t have to worry about the one we left last night. I’ll get you all the tools and supplies you need to fill it too.”
I run my fingers over the smooth leather, the intricate stitching, and the brass hardware. “This is so beautiful. Thank you.”
“There’s more.”
He hands me an envelope next. Inside are two tickets—pit-level, to see My Chemical Romance next summer. If I wasn’t in so much pain, I’d probably start jumping up and down.
“Oh my God.” I stare at the tickets, not believing what I’m seeing, then back at him. He has the cutest dimples and smile. “These must have cost a fortune… I can’t believe?—”
“That doesn’t matter.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, trailing his fingers down my jaw before brushing a kiss there. “I want to take you to see your favorite band. To see your face when they play “I’m Not Okay” and “Welcome to the Black Parade.” To see you lose your shit being that close, jumping around in the pit.”
“But you hate crowds.”
“I love you more than I hate crowds.” I’m speechless. He’s outdone himself. He reaches for another gift and I don’t stop him. He’s too excited and it’s melting my heart. “This one’s more sentimental.”
I unwrap the silver paper, revealing a leather-bound book. I open it carefully and reach for him. There’s page after page of photos. Me studying at the hospital with my brow furrowed. Me laughing with Bailey in our kitchen. Me sleeping peacefully inbed. Me looking at him with an expression so full of love it makes my chest ache to see it reflected back.
“You took all of these?” Emotion clogs my throat.
“Yeah, I wanted you to see yourself how I see you.”
And the tears start to fall. “I love you. So much.”
“One more.” He stands and disappears into the spare room we have set up as an office. I take another sip of my coffee and put the mug down, still staring in awe at my three perfect gifts. Then I hear him moving something heavy. When he comes back in, he’s dragging something tall and large covered with a sheet. “I didn’t think it would come in time, but it got delivered last night.”
“What is it?”
He pulls the sheet away with a flourish.
It’s a skeleton.
I’ve had my eye on these… He must have known.
A full-size, vintage teaching skeleton, beautifully preserved, with joints that actually move and a slightly creepy permanent smile.
“Oh my God. Is it?” I’m on my feet, moving before I can get my thoughts out. “Where did you find this?”
“A private seller. I may have peeked at your browser history. Took me three months to find the perfect one and another month to have it restored properly and delivered.” He’s watching me with that intense look that makes me melt. “I think it was before we moved in here, you said you wanted one for your future office one day and I… Do you like it?”
“I love her.” I run my fingers along one of the skeletal hands, examining the beautifully preserved carpals. “We need to name her.”
“How do you know it’s a female?”
