"Maybe on Saturdays." He gave her a dubious look. "When I do yard work."
"I dare you to wear it in public." She glared at him.
"I'll wear it in public when you're with me. So people can see who thecrazyone is."
Her eyes widened, and they all burst into laughter.
He opened his mom's gift next; a new white button-down dress shirt and gray slacks. To replace the ones he ruined last Sunday, wrestling with the roses. Surprisingly, she hadn't gotten upset with him for replacing the trellis, and thankfully, it looked like the roses would survive.
"Thank you, Mom."
"You're welcome, Mijo."
Gabe wasn't sure why he saved Paige's gift for last, but eager anticipation filled him as he pulled the gift bag toward him. He was equally curious what gift she had supposedly bought for him weeks ago—and what she picked up this morning that made her late getting here. He found two presents inside; each wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a ribbon. He opened the bulkier one first. A six-pack of Marvel character socks.
"Those are so Gabe," Grace said at the same time Mom said, "They're perfect."
He grinned at Paige. "I love them."
"I saw them when I was shopping for a new swimsuit a few weeks ago, and they just screamed your name."
"I'm touched that you thought of me." He lowered his voice, but his mom and Grace couldn't help overhear. Mom would assume they were already dating at that time, but he knew differently.
"I noticed my first day at PT that you like funky socks."
"Funky?" He grimaced. "I prefer to think of them as fashionable."
She patted his arm. "Call them what you want, honey, they’re still funky."
He loved the way the endearment rolled off her tongue in regard to him.
"Thank you, mi corazón." He longed for another kiss like they shared at the Arboretum. Dropping his gaze to her lips, he leaned toward her.
"Open Paige's other gift." Grace's excited voice broke the spell Paige had over him.
"Okay, okay." Hiding his disappointment, he took out the other tissue-paper wrapped present and tugged on the bow.
His brows shot up when he uncovered a square hardcover book with a picture of him and his mom at his high school graduation on the cover. Silence descended on the room as he opened the book.
He found a picture of his mom on the first page. She was just a baby in her mother's arms. The next two pages held more images of her childhood and adolescence. Then he turned another page to find apicture of his mom framing her pregnant belly. Soon pictures of Gabe as an infant in his mother's arms filled the pages.
He kept turning page after page, recognizing many of the images from the family scrapbooks plus a bunch he couldn't recall ever seeing before. Pictures of her pushing him on the swing and reading to him. Pictures of her cheering for him at his wrestling matches and hugging him each time he graduated; first high school, then college, and finally, PT school.
Tears blurred his vision. Paige had documented his relationship with his mom in pictures. Grace and Mom had obviously supplied the pictures, but Paige must have spent hours poring over this book, organizing and determining the perfect placement of each photo.
His heart spasmed when he reached the back page. Script that looked like his mother's handwriting filled the page. In large letters at the top, he read:A letter to my son.
His gaze jumped to the first line.
My dear son,
I never thought I'd have to say goodbye to you so soon…
Emotion seized his throat, threatening to cut off his air supply. His eyes burned with hot tears that begged for release. He stopped reading.
"I can't." His voice croaked. "I'm sorry, I can't read this right now." He shot his mother an apologetic look.
"It's okay," Mom said. "Read it when you're ready."
