by Becca Monroe
After all that came healing and then more love than I’d ever known. We bought the little shop next to momma’s restaurant and Delaney opened a little art studio, selling her beautiful pieces to the locals and tourists. She held art classes a couple times a week and some fun girls’ wine nights. She also held baking classes for the locals and tourists during the week. I was proud of everything she’d accomplished already. We were building a life, and it was time to take the next step.
The house was quiet. The snow falling outside and soon everyone would wake. Josh and Mike were in their rooms. Josie was coming over early this morning and mom and David were heading over about 8. Life was good, and it was about to get even better.
The coffee was brewing, and I smiled when I saw Delaney walking into the kitchen. She wore her flannel pajamas, hair up on top of her head in a messy bun, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
“Merry Christmas beautiful,” I whispered, as I wrapped my arm around her waist and turned her into my chest. I kissed her lips, and she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Merry Christmas,” she mumbled, still half asleep. “Can we go wake the boys up so we can open presents?”
I threw my head back and laughed at how adorable she was. “Someone’s excited for her presents.”
Mike walked in yawning and Josh followed behind.
“Who set my alarm for seven a.m. on Christmas morning? We don’t have kids around, come on!” Mike asked.
Josh smiled. “Mine went off too,” he said, laughing. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say it was you, Delaney!”
She shrugged again and grabbed the coffee mugs out of the cabinet.
David and Mom came in with Josie following close behind.
“Merry Christmas!” Josie hollered to everyone joyfully. “Oh, my gosh! It’s my favorite day of the year!” She exclaimed, running around to everyone and hugging them, stopping in front of Josh.
“Hey,” she whispered, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Merry Christmas.”
His eyes looked down at her with sadness. “Merry Christmas, Jos,” he whispered. “I miss you. Wish you’d move back here from Anchorage. We miss you helping at the station on rescues.”
She started jumping up and down like a little child who just got the one present they’d asked for. “It’s your lucky day then! I got my transfer back to Kodiak!” She announced, and everyone offered congratulations.
The past year wasn’t rough for just Delaney and I.
Josie took a transfer to Anchorage in January, leaving Josh on his own. Let’s just say, he got a full understanding of what not having her in his daily life looked like and he hated it.
Josh hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. “I’m so happy you’re coming back. They miss you at the station, but I miss you more.”
I was the only one who heard Josh’s confession and saw the emotion in Josie’s eyes when he made it. Hopefully, they could find their way to something even more beautiful than the friendship they had before.
“All this is wonderful, but can we please open presents now?” Delaney impatiently exclaimed.
Josh smiled, still staring at Josie after she shared her news. That’s all the Christmas he needed, apparently.
“I made you coffee, babe. Your favorite kind,” I said.
She waved me off. “Oh, I was making sure our guests all got theirs first, then I’ll have some.”
The doorbell rang and Mike answered it. He walked back into the kitchen, a serious look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Brittany’s here,” he said. “She’d like to say something to everyone and I think you all need to hear her out.”
I glared at him over my coffee mug. “Not today. She will not ruin our first Christmas in our home together. She messed up last Christmas because of her interference, I won’t allow it this year.”
Delaney touched my arm. “Mike told me last night she’s sober and working through some issues. We should hear her out and forgive. There’s been enough hate for all of us, for too long.”
I glanced at the beautiful woman I loved. “Fine. But I make no promises on forgiveness.”
Mike nodded and disappeared into the entryway. David and momma stepped into the kitchen, a look of concern on momma’s face. Brittany stepped in behind them, holding Mike’s arm. She cautiously scanned the room.
“Hello, I’m sorry to disturb your holiday. I’ve been sober for a year today. Mike got me into an inpatient rehabilitation facility in California on Christmas last year, and after that I stayed with some friends of his in Texas for a while. I can’t tell you all how sorry I am for the way I behaved and the things I did to all of you when I was drinking. There are so many things I did out of pain and anger, but there’s no excuse. Delaney, one day I hope you can forgive me,” she pleaded.
“I didn’t know your husband was abusive. All I knew was that I was jealous. I’m so sorry,” she said.
Her voice cracked, and she cried. Mike leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and I watched as she wiped her tears and made eye contact with each of us, apologizing to us individually for the wrong doings she committed.
Delaney gave her a warm embrace. “I forgive you and I’m so happy that you are healthy and doing well.”
When she came to me, I looked her in the eyes and realized there was still pain there. The same pain I’d seen in Delaney’s last year and throughout her healing over the last twelve months.
“Jake, I’m sorry for everything. I wish you and Delaney all the happiness, and I know we didn’t love each other. There are things I couldn’t deal with apart from us, and I’m working on figuring them out. I’m so very sorry.”
Delaney smiled at me when I hugged Brittany. “I wish you happiness. Just continue to take care of yourself.”
She strolled to Mike. “Thank you for being here for me this past year. You’ve been a good friend when I didn’t deserve one. Merry Christmas, Mike.”
Brittany’s behavior for the past couple years wasn’t great, but being in the throes of an addiction has a way of jacking up your life in a lot of ways. I was proud of her for getting sober and taking control of her life. “Merry Christmas, Brittany. Have a wonderful holiday today.”
Once Brittany left, I caught Josie and Delaney whispering in the hall and she blew me a kiss, so I knew she was up to something.
“Okay, can we open our presents now?” She asked.
God, I loved this woman. “In order to make my girl happy, let’s open presents!”
“Yay!” She shouted like a five-year-old kid, and I fell a little more in love with her.
Everyone made their way to the living room, and I noticed Josie talking to Delaney again. She handed her an envelope before they entered the room. We dispersed all the presents out and an hour later everything was open, except the two I’d placed under the tree this morning.
Delaney reached for them and smiled when she saw her name. “Oh, I have two extra ones!” She turned and handed me a small narrow box. “Well, look at that, there is one more for you too, babe!”
My eyebrow piqued up. What was she up to? “Thank you, but you open yours first.”
She smiled and opened the first box. It held a large envelope. Her eyes scanned the document, and tears formed.
“Jake,” she whimpered, covering her mouth with her hand.
I couldn’t help but smile at the stunned look on her face, the sparkle in her eyes. Yep, my baby would cry happy tears before this holiday was over. “This is your home too, baby, and I wanted you to know it, without a doubt. All I did was make it official.”
Josie leaned forward on the couch. “What is it?”
“It’s the deed to the house. It has Jakes name and mine listed as the owners,” Delaney announced to everyone. Everyone cheered, but she couldn’t stop smiling at me with a stunned look on her face. This was only going to get better as we went on.
“Open the other one,” I told her. “You’ll love it even more.�
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She turned and unwrapped the box, then opened it to reveal a platinum ring with an enormous emerald-cut diamond in the middle of it. When she turned back to me, I was on one knee in front of her.
“Marry me, Delaney. I will spend every day for the rest of my life loving you the best I can. Your needs will be mine. I’ll share in your laughter and your tears, and I promise your heart will always be safe with me.”
She cried and jumped into my arms. “Yes! Oh my God, yes!”
Everyone was on their feet cheering as I spun her around. She was making me the happiest man in the world. “I love you, but you need to open your present now,” she ordered.
I wiped the happy tears from my eyes. “Okay,” I said, setting her down. She handed me the box with a beaming smile on her face. Josie sat at the edge of the couch, excited as she watched our brief exchange.
My eyes focused on what I was seeing, but I my mind couldn’t comprehend it. I looked inside the box a second time, then again to Delaney, who just kept smiling. Finally, Josh grew annoyed with my silence and stood up. “What the heck, man? Show us!”
I held up the ultrasound photo and the positive pregnancy test. “We’re having a baby?” I asked.
She nodded. “Are you freaked out? Because, I know we talked about waiting a few years, but…”
The photo and test dropped back into the box, and I picked her up in my arms again. “God baby no, this doesn’t freak me out. I’m so happy.”
Momma was crying, Josie was smiling and bouncing up and down. Josh was running around saying he couldn’t wait to be Uncle Josh, Mike was wiping tears out of his eyes and David was videoing all of it. This was what love was all about. Love after pain and joy after sorrow. Life was beautiful, and it was about to get even better.
“I love you, my husband,” she said.
I kneeled in front of her and placed a kiss on her belly.
My heart was full. “I love you, little one, and I love you, baby.”
THE END
THANK YOU
Thank you for reading Trusting Jake!
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National PTSD Foundation of American Veterans Line: (877) 717-PTSD (7873)
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