“What is it?” she demanded.
Chuckling, I carried it inside and set it on the living room floor. “It’s a present for you.”
She ran over to the kitchen and brought back a pair of scissors. “Can I open it?”
I waved a hand at the box. “Go for it.”
Lydia was like a kid at Christmas. I couldn’t wait to see her face when she saw the painting. She removed one layer of the box, and inside was another box for her to open. Once the protective outer layers were gone, I could see the painting was wrapped in glittery red wrapping paper.
She lifted her face to mine and tears were in her eyes. “Jake, did you really just get me what I think you did?”
I shrugged. “Don’t know. Take off the wrapping paper and find out.”
“The anticipation is killing me, but I love it,” she said, clutching her chest.
She slowly hooked a finger under one of the corners and tore it apart, doing the same with the other side. The way she did it reminded me of Charlie inWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factorywhen he opened the candy bar to reveal the golden ticket.
Lydia took in a deep breath and let it out. “Here we go.”
In one quick motion, she ripped open the paper and slapped a hand over her mouth when she saw what was inside.
“Oh my God. Youdidget it for me!” she cried. “Enchanted Fallsby Kenneth Halvorsen.” Her lips trembled when she looked up at me. “It’s exquisite. I love it so much.” She gently ran a finger over the painting, her face full of wonder. “I could stare at this painting for hours.” She carefully propped it up against the couch and came over to me. “Thank you, Jake.”
I held her in my arms. “You’re welcome. I’ll hang it up wherever you want.”
She giggled. “Good. It’s going up today.”
“I figured that,” I said, laughing back.
“I guess it’s time for your present.” She let me go and went to her purse, where she pulled out a small box decorated in green-and-silver swirled wrapping paper. “It’s hard to figure out what to get someone when they literally have enough money to get whatever they want,” she said, staring down at the present.
“I don’t need you to get anything for me,” I told her.
She lifted her bright greenish-golden eyes to mine. “I know you don’t expect anything, Jake. That’s one of the things I admire about you.” She held out the present to me. “Although, I do believe you’ll love this.”
I unwrapped the gift to reveal an old brown leather case. I’d seen it before, but it was many years ago. My throat thickened and I held back the emotions threatening to spring free from within me. I knew what was inside the case.
I opened the case and inside was a gold-plated pocket watch that still ticked as if weren’t over a hundred years old. And on the back, engraved in gold, were the words:Time is precious. Make the best of it.
“Oh, Lydia.” I couldn’t form any other words, but I knew I was definitely going to live by that saying.
She sniffled. “My grandmother wanted me to give it to you. She said out of everyone in the family, my grandfather would’ve wanted you to have it. Making his Liddy Bug happy made you deserving of it.”
I held back my tears. “I’m honored. I wish he was here to give it to me.”
Lydia cupped my cheeks. “Me too.”
“This is by far the best Christmas Eve I’ve ever had,” I said.
She nodded in agreement. “And it won’t be our last.”
28
LYDIA
Christmas morning
The smell of coffee woke me up.
