Chapter 10
Laney
The following day
Christmas
Two of my uncles and their families came to Galveston for Christmas this year, so we had a house full of people in spite of my brother and his wife being gone.
Randall and Kenny from the hardware store also came by with their families. We had plans to eat lunch, but everyone got there early so we could visit beforehand. James came at eleven, and most people were already there by then. I wished he had been there at sunrise to wake me up. I found myself wanting to spend every waking second with him. I dreaded him leaving.
I had on a green sweater with black pants, and James had on a light blue button-down shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. I couldn't get enough of him. I stared at him any chance I got. I wanted to spend every Christmas with him.
My mom took a lot of pictures, and I made sure James and I were in several of them together. The film would get developed after he was back in Georgia, and I knew I'd be so happy to have them.
Christmas morning and early afternoon were chaotic. Kids were running around, and everyone was in a good mood, so there was lots of laughing and talking and shifting of ideas and topics. My parents' house was a reasonably-sized place, but it seemed small with all the people crammed into it.
We all spread out as the afternoon passed. A couple of Randall's kids had gotten skateboards for Christmas, and my cousin, Thomas, had gotten a pogo stick. We all went outside that afternoon to try them out.
James had been outside with me, playing with the new skateboards, but he came in about an hour before when my dad called him in. I came inside to find them in the dark living room. My baby cousin was taking a nap in the living room, so the blinds had been drawn. There were several people sitting around on couches and in chairs, and they were talking at a mostly normal volume, but it was pretty dark and cave-like in there with the curtain closed over the sliding glass doors.
It was cozy, and I went to the place where James was sitting on the couch. I wanted to plop myself straight onto his lap, but my dad and my uncle were sitting there, so I opted for sitting next to him. They were in between comments in their conversation, and I used the opportunity to cut in and talk to James.
"I got a hundred and fourteen," I said with a winded huff I said as I settled-in next to him.
James knew I was referring to my record of bounces on the pogo stick, and he pulled back with a surprised expression that made me smile. "No, you didn't," he said.
"I did," I nodded.
"You were getting like thirty-two when I was out there."
I shrugged my shoulders, being comically overconfident. "I'm a fast learner, what can I say? I wasn't a cheerleader for nothin'."
James grinned at me. "You'll have to show me your skills," he said.
"I wanted to, but you never came back out."
"I was having him tell Tom one of his stories from the war."
"And he did a card trick for us," Uncle Tom added.
My mom yelled from the kitchen, saying that we should come in there to fix a plate of leftovers for dinner. Everyone got up (everyone except James and me). I shifted to sit closer to him, leaning half onto his lap like I wanted to do a minute ago.
"Would you like to open your present?" I asked.
James had given me a gift earlier. It was a gold chain with a delicate gold and pearl pendant. I wasn't expecting him to give me jewelry, and it gave me butterflies to wear it in front of my family and have them ask about it. My sweater was dark green and the neckline perfectly framed the small pendant. I had opened the gift before lunch, and I received compliments on it all day—even from people who had no idea it was a gift.
I had told several people that, "James got it for me," and each time I said it, I felt all funny inside like wearing his necklace meant we were serious.
I bought him a thoughtful gift, too, but it wasn't as significant as my necklace.
"Do you want to open your present?" I asked.
"No."
"No? Why?"
"Because I want to trade in that present."
I tilted my head at him. "Trade it in? Why?"
"For a different present."
"You don't even know what it is."
"Yeah, but I want something else."
"What?" I asked, staring straight at him.
"What do you think it is," he said.
"I don't know. That's why I asked you."
"You," he said.
My insides melted, and I leaned into James. "You can have that and your other present," I said. My body was alive with nerves and anticipation. I felt close to James, protected by him. I was in heaven curled up next to him.
"I mean it," he said.
"Mean what?"
"That I want you for Christmas."
"I mean it that you can have me for Christmas," I said, smiling. "And the present I got for you."
"What I mean is that I want you all the way," he said. "That you're just all-the-way-mine."
"As in…" I trailed off, staring into his blue eyes.
"Marry me," he said.
I hesitated for a few pounding heartbeats before whispering, "Yes."
"Are you serious?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yes. Are you?"
"Yes." He hesitated, staring at me, looking like he was trying to put his thoughts into words. "Okay, so if it's really happening…. we can tell people now, or we don't have to. Just tell me if you're going to do that because I would want to know if—"
"No," I said. "Let's just keep it to ourselves tonight."
"Yeah," he agreed with a nod.
"But it's happening?" I asked.
"Yes," he said. "Absolutely. Tomorrow, if you want. I'm all in."
I smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. I left my lips there longer than I normally would for a cheek kiss, and James put his hand on my thigh.
"I'm nervous," I whispered after I kissed him.
"Why?" he asked, voice quiet, neutral.
"I don't know. My heart's racing all over the place. I feel like we really meant what we were saying just now."
"We did mean it," he said. He was speaking softly, and his deep voice had a slow, sticky quality to it.
"I love you," I said vulnerably. "Is it okay for me to say that?"
"Is it okay?" he asked, smiling. "It’s preferable."
I smiled and glanced down shyly, biting my lip. "Is it preferable that you love me?" I asked.
"I don't know. You tell me. Is it?"
I nodded.
"You want me to love you?" he asked.
I nodded again, unable to look straight at him.
"Well, I do," he said.
"I do too," I agreed. I stared at James with a thoughtful, loving expression. "I love your eyes," I said. "And about a hundred other things about you. I'll have to make you a list."
He smiled and shifted as my Uncle and two cousins came barreling into the room with their plates in hand. They were speaking at full volume and looking like they planned on making themselves at home in the living room.