I moved a little so I wouldn't look so comfortable in James's lap. "That looks good," I said, seeing my uncle's plate as he sat on the adjacent couch. I really didn't care about his plate, I was just trying to act normal at a time when I didn't feel normal at all.
"I think all this tastes better as leftovers," Uncle Tom said.
I smiled at him and made a non-committal sound of agreement before turning around to face James. "We're getting married," I said. I whispered it where there was no chance of anyone else hearing, but I just had to double check. I had to hear him say it again.
James smiled. "Yes, we are," he agreed.
"I was just making sure," I whispered. "Yes sir, I like leftovers, too," I said in a louder tone, turning to speak to my uncle.
I was purposefully carrying on two conversations at once to be silly, and James squeezed my leg where no one could see.
I smiled and turned back to him. "I love you so much. I can't wait to get married. You're my boyfriend." Again, I whispered the words where James was the only one who could see me, and he tried with difficulty to keep a straight face.
I couldn't look at him without smiling, so I turned to my uncle. "We were just about to go in there and make a plate," I said in a louder tone.
James moved his hand, touching me where no one could see, and I squeezed him back. "Would you like to go make a plate," I said, turning to ask James but speaking loudly enough for everyone else to hear. "And I love you," I added in a whisper.
"Sure," he said at a reasonable volume. "And I love you, too," he added, in that same reasonable volume. I turned to see if any of my family had heard, but they were paying attention to their food and not looking at us at all.
"So, I guess that's that," I said to him. "It's decided. Merry Christmas. You get me."
"This is the best Christmas ever," he said.
"I also got you this leather sleeve for your deck of cards. It's really sleek, it's just like a little pouch. I had somebody custom make it, and I told him it had to be small and light enough to go in your pocket.
"I'm going to use that," he said.
I nodded. "I know. It's cool. You'll like it. My mom's friend, Donnie, made it. He builds furniture, but he does leather stuff on the side. I had him put your initials on it."
"Oh, I'm excited to get that," James said. "When do I get to open it?"
"When I get off your lap and let you stand up," I said, grinning.
"Never, then," James said, completely serious.
I smiled and relaxed, letting my head rest near his shoulder. I gazed at the lights on the tree, feeling the most content and at ease I could imagine feeling. "I'm fine with staying here forever," I said.
I felt him shrug a shoulder. "I'm fine with staying here forever, too," he said.
Epilogue
Two years later
Christmas again
James and I got married right away.
He went back to Georgia after that Christmas trip, but we just couldn't stand being apart. James chose to finish another year with the Army in Georgia, and I enrolled in college in Galveston, but we went ahead and got married even though we couldn't be together full-time.
For a whole year, we had to settle for seeing each other on weekends and breaks and absolutely any chance we got. It was a twelve-hour drive from Galveston to Fort Benning, and New Orleans was roughly in the middle, so we met there several times.
That's where we were at the moment. James had been in Fort Benning working as a consultant for the last week, and we were meeting him in New Orleans for a short, pre-Christmas holiday. My family had decided to come with us.
I enticed my sister-in-law with stories of how much we loved this hotel. I told her about eating beignets and drinking coffee in the French Quarter, and once she was on board, Daniel was easy to convince. My parents heard about our plans and decided to come, too. We all thought we'd make a mini vacation out of it. James would meet us in New Orleans, and we would spend tonight and tomorrow night there before heading back to Galveston for Christmas.
We were meeting James at the hotel where he and I always stayed when we came to this city. I hadn't seen James in a week, and I was fidgeting and giddy because of it. We had been married for nearly two years, and I still got butterflies at the thought of seeing him. I rode up the elevator, crammed into it with the rest of my family. It was nearly impossible to contain myself. I was smiling and shifting and chatting about anything that came to mind.
"You guys are going to love these rooms," I said. "We never get one of the big suites, so I don't want you to think it's elaborate or anything, but there's a king size bed and a small balcony overlooking Royal Street where all the action is."
"Well, that's all we need," Abby said.
"I didn't even know we needed action," Mom added.
"I had no idea there was a balcony until the lady mentioned it when we checked in," Dad added.
"We got three of the same kind of rooms, all in a row on the same floor," I said. "We'll be able to see each other from our balconies."
"Oh, my gosh, I can't wait," Abby said.
"Me neither. I love this hotel. There's always stuff to watch on the street below without having to get in it. James and I used to sit out there and eat dinner sometimes."
I started bouncing as the elevator stopped.
I couldn’t wait. I hopped into the hallway as soon as the elevator door opened. "Bye, see you later," I said, waving to my family.
I thought we would beat James to New Orleans, but the lady at the front desk told me he had already checked in. I left my family and rushed down the hallway, unlocking my room as quickly as I could while carrying bags.
I unlocked the door, closed it behind me, and in one quick motion, I dropped all of my things and shed my coat and shoes. James wasn't in plain sight, and the room and balcony were visible, so that meant he was in the bathroom. I knocked twice before opening the bathroom door.
Steam and light poured out.
James was in a towel. For goodness sake, it was a Christmas miracle. My husband was hard-bodied and shirtless, waiting for me in a steamy bathroom. He was irresistible. I moved toward him, smiling.
"You made it," he said, grinning back at me as he reached out, pulling me into his arms. He was still a little wet, and I did not care one bit.
"You're as warm as toast," I said.
He pulled back and looked down at me. "You're as beautiful as…" he hesitated, but then said, "butter."
"Butter?" I asked.
"Sorry, I’m too distracted," he said. His blue eyes pierced through me. "I just said butter because you said toast. I can't think of anything as beautiful as you, so I just said the first word that came to my mind."
I leaned up and kissed his perfect lips. I missed him so much it hurt. I was aching for him.
"How's my little boy or girl doing?" James asked.
Gently, he moved, putting his warm hand to my stomach. He picked up my shirt so that he could touch my bare skin, and I smiled up at him.