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Tim wakes up on December 25th when he feels Lucy stretching and stirring beside him. She’s wearing the shirt she’d peeled away from his body last night, and nothing else.
Merry Christmas, indeed.
Before either of them can make use of the lack of clothing between them, though, he hears Kojo’s toenails clicking against the floor and a heavy harrumph when he reaches the front door.
“Hang on, buddy, I’m coming.” Tim sighs, leaning over long enough to press a lingering kiss to Lucy’s mouth before he rolls out of bed.
“Oh, I’ll come too!” Lucy follows him, eager to get out of bed for maybe the first time since he’s known her. “Give me just a minute, I bought something that’ll be perfect for this!”
They both step into sweatpants, and Tim trails behind her into the guest room, where he knows Lucy has been stashing her Christmas presents. It’s a good thing his sister moved back to California this year, because there’s not an inch of extra room on the queen-sized bed. He knows there’s a quilt on it, but it’s completely hidden underneath a pile of presents.
“Lucy … this is too much. I told you, I don't need anything this year.”
“What?” Lucy calls over her shoulder, rummaging through the stack. “Oh, no, most of these are for Kojo. Then there’s one for Nolan, Angela, Aaron, Nyla, there should be something in here for Leah and Lila, Jack, uh, a few for Genny and the boys. And yes, there’s one for you too. I know what you said, but I wanted to.”
That makes him smile; secretly he’s glad there’s a present with his name on it. He’s got something for Lucy too, and there’s a little thrill that goes through him every time she shows him just how much he matters to her.
She stands up, holding a wrapped package in each hand and making a triumphant noise. “Aha! Found them! I think, anyway. These should be the right ones.”
“Maybe if you didn’t buy out the entire pet store …"
“He deserves nice things.” Lucy shrugs and slides past Tim. “Kojo! Come here, baby, look what I picked out for you.”
Tim has never understood wrapping presents for dogs or babies. They have no concept of what’s in them, so it feels like a waste of time and tissue paper.
But now he’s watching Lucy, sitting on his living room floor and tearing the paper away from a present she’d wrapped herself. She’s cooing at the dog, who’s sniffing around in fascination.
Maybe this year, he gets the point of it. Just a little bit, at least.
“What is it, Koj?” Tim leans against the back of the sofa to watch. “What’d Mom buy?”
“It’s …" Lucy pulls at the last of the paper. “A new harness! Look at that, buddy, it’ll look so good with your fur!” She’s right, Tim has to admit when he sees the bright blue material. Lucy starts unwrapping the next gift. “And this one is … a matching -” she cuts herself off. “Gorilla?”
Tim leans closer to see, and sure enough. She’s got a stuffed primate in her hands. Until Kojo trots over and takes it between his teeth. He prances happily over to Tim, who reaches down to tug at the loose arm hanging out of his mouth.
“It sure is! But matching? What does it match with?”
“It was supposed to be a leash.” Lucy stands up, holding the empty wrapping in her hands. “I found a leash to go with the harness, so he’d have a whole new set for walks. It’s in here somewhere …"She wanders back into the guest room and starts poking at the packages again. “Maybe I should have labeled what’s inside of them? He doesn’t read, so it would have been alright …"
Tim comes over to help her look, standing close enough that their arms brush together. He shakes a couple of the presents, until he finds one that’s a little heavier and feels like something is coiled up inside.
“This one?” Lucy checks it and confirms.
“You help him with it.”
“He’s a dog, Lucy.”
“Exactly. He can’t open it himself.”
Tim rolls his eyes fondly, but sits down on the couch in front of Kojo.
“Here, buddy. It feels like a leash, but let’s see … yep, it’s a leash.” He’s not even close to matching Lucy’s enthusiasm, but she smiles anyway.
“Hold it up! Here, let me take a picture of you two!” Tim’s smile is genuine, when he sees how excited Lucy is to capture the memories of their first Christmas together. He straps the new harness around Kojo’s middle and clips the leash onto the metal loops.
“Alright, bud. Leave your gorilla here, you can play with it when we get back.”
Kojo is almost nose-to-nose with the front door, but turns around to look at Tim. The new toy is still hanging from his mouth. Tim tugs on the leash.
“Kojo, drop it.” He repeats the command again, but Kojo doesn’t listen, so he looks to Lucy. “You’ve spoiled him, you know?”
“Tim, it’s Christmas. He can take it around the neighborhood.”
There’s no way he can argue against two sets of big brown eyes, so Tim gives in. They walk Kojo around the block, gorilla clamped tightly in his jaws the entire time.
“Look how much he likes it,” Lucy says as they turn the last corner. She slides her hand into Tim’s, leaning closer to his side. “He’s having such a good Christmas.”
“He’s not going to know what to do with so many new toys.”
“Sure he will,” Lucy shrugs. “He’s very smart.”
When they get home, Lucy trades her sweatpants for a pair of fuzzy PJ bottoms while Tim fixes breakfast. He keeps the meal simple, since he knows Genny is planning a small feast for dinner in the afternoon, but when Lucy isn’t looking, he slides a bear claw from her favorite bakery out of a high cabinet and sets it on the side of her plate.
When she sees it, her smile is brighter than the star on top of the tree.
As soon as they’re finished eating, Lucy is back in the guest room, asking if Tim is ready for his present.
“Let me get yours, and we can exchange,” he replies, changing into jeans and rooting around in his sock drawer for her gift.
They come back together on the couch, sitting entirely too close together for how large the piece of furniture is. Lucy tucks one foot underneath the opposite thigh, sitting sideways so her shin presses against Tim’s hip and her other leg dangles down to the floor.
“You go first,” she says, as soon as he’s situated. She passes him a slim package, not quite flat but almost. It’s wrapped in solid red paper with a smooth gold bow. It looks like the sort of packaging they give out at department stores, but he never doubts that Lucy did it herself.
He slides a finger carefully underneath the tape at one end and shakes out a dark blue box. When he takes the lid off she leans into him, like she’s trying to see the gift.
Or the tears that immediately well up in his eyes, try as he might to hold them back. It doesn’t matter how good the gift is, he’s not going to cry about it.
But it is a really good gift. One of the best he’s ever received, if he’s honest. He reaches into the box and pulls out a shiny silver money clip. When he runs his thumbnail across the surface, it catches in the ridges of the engravings.
Lucy’s handwriting is etched flawlessly into the face of it.
Love, the best rookie you’ve ever trained.
She’s signed her name underneath, neat swirls forming the letters he’s seen written at the bottom of countless reports.
They’ve never felt so significant before.
“Lucy, I …" His voice is watery, and he can’t find the words to say. “Thank you. I’ll be right back.”
He kisses her when he stands up, taking her hand in his. He doesn’t let go until he has to choose between holding her hand and pulling her across the house with him.
It’s an excuse, a little bit, a reason to step away for a second and compose himself. But mostly, he wants to put Lucy’s gift to use right away.
He steps into the bedroom, turning blindly toward the dresser. Without having to look, he reaches for the top corner, where he knows his money clip should be sitting.
Should be, it turns out, are the operative words.
Because he reaches for his money clip, and comes up empty. He turns his head, looking at the place he knows he’d set it when they came home last night.
It’s not there.
The top of the dresser is empty, except the dealership keychain with his truck fob on it.
“Lucy?” He calls, backtracking a few steps toward the doorway. “Have you seen my money clip?”
“Of course I’ve seen it,” Lucy replies. “I bought it.”
“No, the old one. It’s not on the dresser, but I know I put it away last night.”
“Oh, the old one,” Lucy draws the words out. “No, I don’t know where it is.”
But he can hear the laughter bleeding into her voice. She’s trying to stifle it, but he’s known her too long.
“Lucy …" He turns her name into a warning as he comes back into the living room. “What’d you do?”
“Nothing,” she says, laughing way too hard for him to believe her now.
“You’re sure?” He’s onto her now, and he doesn’t mind giving that away. She’s sitting on one of her hands, and suddenly, he’s pretty sure he knows exactly where his clip is. “Let me see your hands.”
“I don’t see why that’s relevant.”
“Come here.” Tim steps up to stand right in front of her. He waits for a moment, to see if Lucy will give it up. When she doesn’t, he lunges forward and digs his fingers into her side.
She squeals and pulls her knees up to her chest, trying to curl away from his playful attack.
And sure enough, his original money clip is on the couch cushion, right where her leg had been.
“Officer Chen.” He tries to use his most authoritative voice, but it doesn’t work. “What’s this?”
“I’m sorry!” She cries, finally rolling away from him. “I’m sorry!”
“Oh, you are in so much trouble!”
“It’s not my fault!”
“I guess you’re going to tell me Kojo did it?”
“’Never tell a crook where you hide your money!’” Just like a couple years ago, she throws his words back in his face, and he wonders why he didn’t see this coming.
“Fine,” he sits back and holds his hands up. “Fine, I’ll give you this one.”
“You’re not giving me anything,” she argues. “I won.”
“I didn’t know we were playing.”
“And isn’t that half the fun?” She’s still laughing, but she curls back into Tim’s side when he slides the new clip across the folded bills. “Do you like it?”
“I love it, Lucy.” He kisses her again, and once more when she tries to pull away. “Your turn.”
Tim shifts onto one hip and pulls a little black velvet box out of his pocket. There’s a red ribbon wrapped around the lid, courtesy of the cashier on duty when he’d picked it up at the jeweler’s the week before. He turns to pass it to Lucy, and her eyes go wide.
“Tim …" She slides away from him, putting a few inches of distance between them. “I’m … this is … it’s only been a few months. This is … what we have is great. But it’s so new and I just … I don’t want to rush things.”
“What?” He reaches for the lid of the jewelry box, and Lucy covers her hand with his.
“I’m not saying no. It’s not a no. Maybe more like a … not yet.”
“Lucy, can I show you what it is first, at least?” He drops the box into his other hand and flips it open.
It’s a necklace, a tiny silver seahorse with an opal inlay on its belly. Three tiny diamonds adorn its fin, and there’s a dark blue sapphire for the eye.
“Oh.” She breathes the syllable as much as she says it.
“It’s not a ring,” he says, obviously. “I wanted to get you something. Something … meaningful. Do you know what the seahorse represents?”
Lucy shakes her head and wipes a stray tear from her cheek.
“Neither did I.” They both chuckle. “But apparently it’s protection, and luck; two things you’ve always given me, and I always want you to have.” He takes a deep breath, trying to remember the rest of his practiced speech. “Friendly and gentle too, just like you. And this isn’t a proposal, but the lady at the store told me they represent love too. They mate for life, build families together and … I don’t know about you, and I know it’s soon, but I think that’s where we’re headed.”
Lucy doesn’t say anything. But she reaches out with one finger, shaking just a little bit as she runs it along the delicate pendant. Then she turns around and pulls her hair over one shoulder.
Tim fastens the clasp around her neck and runs his hands down her arms. Instead of turning to face him again, Lucy leans back until she’s settled against his chest.
“It’s perfect, Tim. All of this, it’s perfect. You and me and Kojo and this and … everything. It’s perfect.” She reaches up to find the back of his head and pulls him down for a kiss.
“I’m glad,” he replies, trying to fit everything he’s feeling into just two words, when he’s used to using three.
“And yeah,” she says, in the moment before their mouths meet. “We’re headed that way.”