Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
He tears into the package, and when he pulls it out of the box, he falls back onto the floor, laughing hysterically. “This is epic. I love it.” He holds up the Popeye bobblehead but with his face on it. I found it online, and like I said, I couldn’t pass it up.
“Your turn.” He reaches for another package, and there is only one left under the tree, which is a big box. I have no idea what might be inside. He hands me a medium-size box.
I make quick work of the wrapping paper and pull out a new camera bag. “Archer! This is the exact one I wanted.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“I listen when you talk, Firecracker.”
Leaning over, I kiss him before going back to the camera bag. I pull it out of the box and the protective packaging. Something red catches my attention. I turn the bag, and tears prick my eyes. The word Firecracker is embroidered on the strap. “Archer.”
“You like it?”
“I love it.”
“I thought this way, no matter where you are, I’d be with you. Or the memory of me.”
“You will forever be with me no matter where I am, Archer Kincaid. I love you.”
He climbs to his knees and crawls toward me, kissing me tenderly. “I love you.”
“You have two more,” I tell him. “One, you already know what it is.” I point to the frame that he got, just like his brothers and his parents. “And then there’s this one.” I hand him his final gift and bite down on my bottom lip. I hope he loves it as much as I do. I know men aren’t necessarily as sentimental as women, but I hope he loves it anyway.
I watch intently as he tears off the polar bear Santa wrapping paper and lifts the lid from the box. He removes the album and opens the first page.
“‘This is the day I met you. It will be a day that forever changed my life.’” He reads the caption aloud. He doesn’t need to show me to know it’s a picture I took of him at Alyssa and Sterling’s wedding.
“What is this, Scarlett?” he asks as he turns the page.
“I wanted to give you a piece of me. A piece of us. So I started printing pictures, but then I decided to annotate them, so to speak. A piece of my thoughts about the moments we shared together. Not all of them have thoughts, but most of them do.”
“Scar.” His voice cracks. He clears his throat and tries again. “Baby, this is… the greatest gift I’ve ever received. It’s like a window into your heart.”
“Our story,” I tell him.
“Yeah, baby. Our story.”
I curl up in his lap, and together we flip through the pages. He takes his time reading every single description. I read them with him, reliving each of those moments. I don’t know how I’m going to leave him. It’s been weighing on my mind since we confessed that we love each other. I can’t give up my dreams for love, but if there was ever a man who could hold me still, it’s Archer Kincaid.
“Scarlett, baby, I love this so much.” He closes the album and wraps his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I’ll cherish it forever, Scar.” He’s quiet and then adds, “Maybe we can add more memories to it. Not just the next few months, but you know, in the future.”
“I would love that, Archer.” He has no idea how much I would love that. I don’t know what it will look like or how we will make it happen, but if there is a will, we’ll find a way.
“Okay, time for your last gift.” He taps my thigh, and I move so he can grab the bigger box and slide it across the floor to me. “This is the one I’m not sure about. I think it’s the right one. If not, we can take it back and get the one you wanted.”
“I’m sure whatever it is, it’s perfect.” I tear off the wrapping paper and gasp. “Archer! No! You did not! Archer!” I say again, because I can’t believe what I’m seeing. “Is this for real?” I ask as I stare at the box.
“Yeah, baby. It’s real. Is it the right one?”
“Yes. I—how—Archer!”
He laughs. “I listen when you talk, Firecracker.”
“This is too much.” I’m staring at the box that holds a brand-new state-of-the-art SLR camera.
“It’s not too much. Every time you get into your camera bag, which I know you pack like a pistol, and every time you lift your camera to take a picture, I’ll be there with you. I don’t want you to leave, Scarlett, but I understand, baby. I understand, and I support your dreams. I want you to chase them and maybe come back to me every now and then.”