He takes the box from my hands and opens it again. Lifting the necklace from the velvet case, he explains, “I knew you were going to have hard times ahead of you and I wasn’t sure what you needed, so I got you everything I could think of and stuck them on a charm necklace.”
He places the charm holder in my palm and points at the little golden objects. His finger presses against a cross. “This one is for faith, and this one is for hope.” He points to a daisy, and then to a four leaf clover, “And this one is for luck, because God knows you needed some.” I elbow him lightly and he laughs. “Well, you did. This one here, is for strength” he flicks an object that resembles a rock, and goes on explaining which symbol means what and why he bought it, until I see it—a little frog.
Pointing at it, I ask, “What’s this one for?”
Chris doesn’t look up. His head remains bowed to the glittery objects in my hand. “To remind you that I’m always here for you, Brooke.”
My eyes flick up to his face. I try not laugh because it’s not one of those cute frogs with the googlie eyes. It’s an ugly toad with warts and a big mean mouth. “Wait a second, you’re the gross frog?”
He nods, but doesn’t meet my gaze. “Yeah, I was cursed. I fell madly in love and never got the kiss to set me free.” He glances up at me and those blue eyes make me forget everything else. “I’ve always loved you, Brooke.”
My throat tightens and there are no words, just a rush of emotions that confound my mind. My mouth opens like I’m going to say something, but all I can do is gasp. Chris presses his finger to my lower lip. His eyes follow the movement before looking back up at me. “I’m yours, body, mind, and soul. I always have been. I always will be.” Dipping his head, he leans in and kisses me as his arms wrap tightly around my waist.
When he’s done, he leans his forehead against mine and smiles. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Chris. I can’t believe you felt like that about me. I—” My jaw hangs open as I try to express how I feel, because I love him too. I didn’t realize that I could feel like this, and now that he’s here, I never want him to leave.
Chris leans in and kisses me again, which makes me smile. “Believe it. Christmas is a time for miracles and I was given the best gift I could possibly imagine—you, my perfect present.” He smiles hard and kisses me again.