After dinner, and after everyone piled up plates with all the treats and cookies Taylor had made. We went into the room with the tree and sat down ready to give out presents.
“You shouldn’t open mine until you tell everyone,” Virgo whispered to me as we got settled.
“Who should go first?” Mrs. Tupp asked, looking around.
“Actually.” I stood up. Everyone’s eyes were on me. “I have something to tell everyone.”
“What is it dear?” Aunt Renee had a knowing look in her eye.
“Everyone.” I paused to look at each of them. I remembered how deeply I cared about them and how much they cared back. “You are my family. You’ve all been there for me and Taylor, even during our darkest moments. And because of that I want you to know that the family is getting a new member.” I touched my stomach and smiled, some tears pricking my eyes. “I’m pregnant.”
The room went into an uproar. Everyone was talking all at once and giving me congratulations.
“Why aren’t you surprised?” Michael asked Virgo.
“I have a sixth sense.” Virgo shrugged.
“I knew too.” Aunt Renee said.
“How?” I asked. She didn’t look surprised either.
“You didn’t have a drop of wine during dinner sweetie,” she explained. “On Christmas? No way, you had to be pregnant.”
“Now that you mention it,” Carol spoke up.
“I’m happy for you two,” Lincoln said seriously. “Oh my god. I’m going to be a grandfather.” He seemed to realize in the moment.
“Yes dad,” Taylor said. “I’d love for you and Carol to be his grandparents. You’ll be great.”
Carol looked surprised but it soon settled into a happy look. She was already a big part of our family. I couldn’t wait to get to know her even more.
“And we are the godparents,” Virgo wrapped an arm around Michael and squeezed.
“We are?” He asked.
“Yeah. I called dibs.”
I laughed at the commotion and settled back down. “Now that I’ve interrupted everything. Let’s get to the presents.”
From Carol and Lincoln, we got some champagne.
“Sorry.” Lincoln looked apologetically at me.
“It’s fine.” I said, shaking my hands. “You didn’t know.”
“We’ll save it,” Taylor said. “We’ll use it to celebrate the birth.”
Aunt Renee’s gift was thin and rectangular. I opened it up carefully and revealed a picture frame with two sides. One was filled in already: it was a picture of my parents on their wedding day. I recognized the veil I had worn so many months ago.
“I want you to put a picture of the two of you on the other side,” Aunt Renee explained. “And you better send a copy of the photo for me too. I want to put it up on my wall.”
“We will. I promise,” I said, hugging the picture frame to my chest.
Mr. Tupp handed us a piece of paper, unwrapped. It was a very professional looking certificate that said: Congratulations on Graduating Couples’ Therapy. I couldn’t hold in my laugh at the gift, Taylor also smiled and shook Mr. Tupp’s hand.
Mrs. Tupp handed both of us a box wrapped simply with brown paper. We opened it up together and revealed a puzzle.
“That’s a milk puzzle.” She explained. All the pieces were white like the one I’d seen that time in her office.
“Wow.” I looked at the unhelpful picture on the front.
“I know it looks impossible,” Mrs. Tupp said. “But if you keep to it, and work together, it eventually will all fall into place.”
“Thanks, Elaine.” Taylor said with warmth in his voice.
“And if you ever need help with it you can always call me.”
Next Virgo and Michael gave me our gifts. Virgo gave me a bib with a little cartoon needle and thread and the words “sew cute”.
“O.K. you definitely told her, there’s no way you guessed,” Michael said as I revealed the gift.
Virgo only laughed in response.
Michael gave both of us a collection of spice mixes. “It’s so hard to gift shop for billionaires. But I hope you like them.”
“I’ll invite you both over and I’ll use them in a dish.” Taylor said eyeing the ingredient list. It was subdued, but I could tell he really loved the gift.
“What did you get for Taylor?” My aunt asked.
“Stand and twirl for me Taylor,” I said, and he did, showing off my work.
“You have a gift,” Aunt Renee said clapping. “And your design is pretty good too.”
A laughing fit went through the room.
All that was left was the box Taylor had gotten for me. He got up from our spot and brought it over to me. He didn’t say anything, just looked at me with an intensity in his gaze.
I slowly unwrapped the paper and revealed a ring box. I looked up at him. “Taylor.”
He took the box from me and got down on one knee in front of me. After a few gasps, the whole room went silent to watch.
“Lydia. We’ve been married for half a year. But I want to do it right this time.”
I slid off the ring Taylor slid to me over his desk when he suggested our business deal. I let his mother’s ring fall to the floor and bounce away under the couch with a few plinks.
“Lydia, will you marry me?” He opened the box revealing a simple ring with two diamonds on a gold band.
“Yes!” I yelled. I put my arms around him and pulled him up to spin him around. Everyone in the room clapped. I even heard Michael cheering.
“I want to change
