Overcome by the apology, Claire knelt beside Jennie and gave her a huge hug. "Thank you for apologizing. I appreciate it so very much."
"Can we be friends again?"
She wanted to be more than friends, but it was a start. "Of course."
Jennie wiped her eyes. "OK, Dad. It's your turn."
With the mood lightened, Claire protested, "If we're going by age, I'm after Jennie."
"True," Alex agreed, "but we're saving the best for last."
She couldn't argue with that, so she patiently watched him unwrap his present in short order. A pleased smile appeared as he slipped his new watch onto his wrist. "Just what I needed and exactly what I wanted. Now I'll always be on time. Thank you."
"Claire's next," Jennie informed them.
Jennie and Joshua climbed onto the sofa next to her. "Open," Joshua demanded.
Inside the shoebox-sized package, Claire found another wrapped box. "This is a trick gift, I see," she joked as she ripped through another layer, only to reveal another, smaller box. It reminded her of the Russian stacking dolls she'd bought her mother several years ago.
"You two must have used an entire roll of paper."
Alex grinned. "Not quite. Keep going. You're almost there."
The final layer of paper hid a small jeweler's box that was too small for a necklace or a bracelet. "Oh, my," she said, staring at it as if it might be a mirage.
"Go ahead. Open it," he urged.
She glanced at Jennie. The child's eyes sparkled as she nodded. "Daddy bought it, but I gave him my allowance to help him afford it. So it's from both of us."
Claire opened the velvet case and found a ring nestled inside. The large diamond was surrounded by smaller, colored stones. "How beautiful."
"It's a combination engagement and family ring," Jennie advised her importantly. "The little pieces are supposed to be all one color, but we thought it would be better if each one was our birthstone. I'm blue, Josh is green, you're pink and Daddy's red. The jeweler man said we can add more if we need to."
Claire struggled to speak. "I don't know what to say."
"Then I'll say it for you," Alex said as he took it from her and placed the ring on her finger. "Yes, Alex, I'll marry you and make a home with you and Jennie and Joshua."
Tears came to her eyes and she brushed them away. "I'm overwhelmed. I'd wanted this so badly and I was so afraid it wouldn't happen."
Alex rose to his knees beside her. "We know all about being afraid, don't we, Jen?''
Jennie nodded. "Yeah, but we're not afraid any more, so you shouldn't be either."
Claire eyed the diamond as it sparkled under the lamplight. "It's beautiful. And you really don't mind if I accept this?" she asked Jennie.
"No. I'm going to share my dad with you and Josh, and Josh has to share you with me and my dad."
Alex squeezed her hand. "You see? We worked everything out."
Claire glanced at Alex, aware of how close his mouth was to hers. "I never thought I'd ever be this happy again. I honestly was dreading tomorrow."
"You should never dread tomorrow," he said softly. "We never know what wonderful things it holds for us."
He was so very right and she told him so. "Thank you. For everything."
"The feeling is mutual." And he sealed their fate with a kiss that Claire would remember forever.
A Very Special Christmas Page 17