“What about kids? Are you hoping to have some?”
She pressed her lips together and paused as if choosing her words carefully. “I’d like to be a mother if God blesses me in that way. But at my age—”
“Women in your age bracket have babies all the time. It’s not impossible. You look healthy to me. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”
There was silence, and it filled the vehicle like a cloud deftly moving through a canyon.
“I might adopt one day,” she said, slowly, as if unsure how I would respond to that.
I wouldn’t mind adopting a child if that was what she wanted. In my book, the more the merrier, as long as we had biological children as well. “I think that’s great.”
“You do?” There was so much hope in her voice, I did a double-take.
“Yes,” I said, nodding. “It speaks to the kindness in your heart. I fully support anyone who wants to care for a child.”
I made a left turn and drove down the block, stopping next to a small house. After parking, we got out of the vehicle and walked to the front door. I stared at her hand, desperately wanting to hold it, and it was taking every ounce of discipline I had not to do it.
“What are you staring at?” she asked, laughing.
“Your hand. I really want to hold it, but…” I didn’t get a chance to finish that statement because she laced her fingers through mine, and the moment we made contact, all was right with the world. “That feels nice.”
“It does.”
The door suddenly swung open, and Ed Green stood there squinting at us as if we were a couple of crazy kids instead of two grown adults. “Were you going to knock? Or did you plan on standing there all day?” He glanced down at our joined hands. “Well, I’ll be. Looks like you finally got yourself a girlfriend.”
I chuckled. “We’re not—”
“That’s right,” Jazmin cut in, “I’m his girlfriend.”
I stared at her dumbfounded and decided to just go with it. She was humoring the old guy, and while it gave me hope, I didn’t want to read too much into it since she probably didn’t mean it. “Yep. I’ve got myself a keeper.”
Ed slapped his hand on his thigh and smiled from ear-to-ear. “I knew you’d do it one day, and ain’t she pretty?”
“She sure is.”
Jazmin blushed and glanced away, unable to meet my gaze. Maybe it was guilt for lying to the old man about us being in a relationship.
“Well don’t just stand there,” Ed bellowed. “Come on in.”
We followed him inside, and he led us to the back where a rectangular box sat in the middle of the room, looking like it was about to fall apart.
“Is that the tree?” I asked.
“Yep. That’s it. I’d put it together myself, but my arthritis is bad in my fingers.”
“Don’t worry yourself. That’s why I’m here.” I got busy opening up the box and pulling out the fake tree. I took out the base and added the trunk on top of that. The branches were all pushed down so the tree would fit in the box, and I lifted them, fluffing them so it appeared like a real tree.
“Wonderful.” Ed motioned to another box sitting on the coffee table. “Here’s all the ornaments.”
Jazmin walked over and began sorting through the pile inside the box. “These are so cool. They’re all vintage ornaments.” She pulled out a Santa Claus that looked like it was made in the nineteen fifties or sixties.
“Yep. I bought those for my wife, Anne, when we first got married. She loved them so much she never saw a need to buy new ones.”
“These are charming,” Jazmin said. She pulled out a reindeer and held it up to the light.
“You two get started,” he said, “and I’ll be back in a few minutes with a snack.”
Jazmin placed the ornament she was holding on a tree branch and glanced at Ed. “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but my wife was very particular about serving guests when she was alive, especially during the holiday season. I plan to continue her tradition.”
Jazmin’s eyes softened. “When you put it like that… We’d love a snack.”
Ed nodded and then hobbled in the direction of the kitchen.
Once he was gone, she turned to me. “He’s cute.”
“Should I be jealous?”
She laughed and playfully shoved me on the shoulder. “Of course not.”
“I don’t know,” I said, a hint of challenge in my voice. “I saw you eyeing him a moment ago.”
She smiled and bit down on her bottom lip, apparently deciding it was best not to respond to my antics. She took two bright red oval ornaments and hooked them on separate branches.
I watched the graceful movement of her figure as she took another ornament and found a place for it on the tree. It was moments like these that sent my heart racing, made me have to stop and catch my breath. She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her, and it was a little scary how easily I could picture a future with her. I wasn’t terrible-looking, but she was way out of my league so she might not be able to say the same on her end.
She glanced up at me, a slight smile on her face. “What? You’re staring.”
“I’m always staring when I’m with you. Can’t seem to help myself.”
I thought she’d respond with a sarcastic quip, but, instead, she grew solemn. “You have a way of making me feel special when you’re around. Thank you for that.”
My eyebrows flew up, surprised at the seriousness
