Free Web NovelChapter 205: Chapter 205 Danielle.
A few months later...
"What do you think?" I ask Patterson as he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me. I’ve finally finished putting the last touches on the tree. I’m excited to spend this Christmas somewhere that I actually want to be. I’m both excited and a ball of nerves because I want everything to be just right. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"It’s perfect." He kisses the top of my head. "Like you," he adds, making me smile even bigger than I already am. A happy buzz floats around me as I look at the dancing lights on the tree, really taking it in.
"It’s not..." I search for a word. "Extra?" I bite my lip and look over my shoulder at him. His eyes are back on the tree. I see him fight a smile. He’s trying to spare my feelings, or maybe spare himself so I don’t make us start all over again.
"It is, isn’t it?" I let out a long sigh and glance around the rest of the living room that was once bare of human touches. "It looks like Christmas exploded in here," I admit. Owning what I’d done in here. Patterson’s body shakes as he tries to keep his laugher in. After a moment I can’t help but join him because it’s so over the top in here. I’m pretty sure some of the stuff like the giant light-up candy cane I sat next to the fireplace was meant for outdoors. ƒrēewebnovel.com
"This is your fault!" I try to defend my decorating abilities. "Who closes down a store and tells someone to get whatever they want?" I remind him of his ridiculousness in indulging me. For Thanksgiving we flew out to his parents’ home and we met and spent time together.
They called not long after everything happened at the music hall. Like everything in this city, the news about us had spread like wildfire. We still keep making the papers here. Unlike I feared, our story was made into a sweet love tale. Neither one of us was dragged through the mud. The only downside has been my mother crawling out of the woodwork. It was jolting when she strolled right up to me outside our building. As quick as she was there, she was gone again from my life. I have a feeling it was Patterson’s doing. I didn’t ask. I tasted a life too sweet. Had met parents that were truly kind and loving. I wasn’t going back to that life.
"I wanted to put you at ease. Besides, who wants to fight the holiday crowds?" I snort at his ridiculous reasoning and throw my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound. I don’t care how many times Patterson tries to tell me it’s a cute sound coming from me. I’ll never buy it. "I didn’t hear you complaining as you ran up and down the aisles grabbing everything," he reminds me right back.
I can’t even argue that point saying he’s exaggerating. When we left his parents’ we all made plans for them to come to us for Christmas. They’re going to stay into the new year. They both want to get to know me better. His mom was already hinting at grandchildren not even ten seconds after I met her in person. I was shocked with how easily they both welcomed me into all of their lives without question. You would have thought I’d been there for years.
I’d come up with the nerve to finally ask Patterson’s mom the second night we’d been at their house why she so easily took to me. She looked at me and simply said, "If my son chose you, then I know you’re the one. That boy of mine has always known what he wants and goes for it." I understood what she was saying. If Patterson told me something, I took it as gold, too. Then she’d added, "It doesn’t hurt you’re the first girl he’s ever brought home or talked about, for that matter." If Patterson hadn’t already made me feel special every day and I wasn’t already madly in love with him, that would have sent me over for sure.
Now they’re coming here and I’ve been wanting everything to be perfect. As perfect as the Thanksgiving they shared with me. I want to show them I care.
When I started talking about how we needed to do something about his condo to make it festive, Patterson hadn’t missed a beat in making that happen. The next day I was running through a holiday store like I was on a shopping spree show, finally putting the credit card Patterson gave me to use.
"We never set them up. My mother always hired people. I like this way better." I let out another small laugh. "Even if it looks extra." It does look a hot mess and it’s growing on me quickly. No, it’s not perfect like a professional would have done, but it’s ours.
"Told you, sweetheart. It’s perfect." He turns and brushes his lips against mine. He’s right. It is perfect. "Thank you for caring so much about making this a perfect Christmas for my parents."
"I want them to want to come here," I admit. Meeting Patterson’s parents showed me what parents could really be like. I enjoyed being with his mother. She doted on me and made me feel like I was her daughter. I look forward to her phone calls every few days. His dad was just as sweet as his mom. He reminded me so much of Patterson with how he treated his wife.
"Oh, they’ll be coming. I think the only reason they haven’t come sooner is Christmas was so close and I told them I wasn’t ready to share you yet."
"You’ll never be ready to share me, so you might as well get used to it," I tease, breaking from his hold to go get my coat for our date night. I don’t make it two feet and he’s pulling me back into his body.
"I won’t. Not even after I take my last breath on this earth. I’ll still want more." His mouth falls onto mine as my heart gives a flutter. It always does when he talks about us as a never-ending love. That we would always be together. He hasn’t asked me to marry him, but he tells people I’m his forever. I try not to think why he hasn’t asked me. I know he loves me and that’s all that matters.
