Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
I purposefully made sure this letter wasn’t delivered until Christmas Eve. I wanted to give you time to get to know her. As I gave you to her as my dying wish, I’m giving her to you for Christmas. I’m sure things started out more than a bit rocky. You never did like it when I meddled in your life. This time, however, I promise you it was necessary. For you both.
Well. You’re married to her now. I know you could have gotten it dissolved, but those things take time. Especially when you’re out of state. I’m hoping you found it inside you to treat my girl gently. If you did, then everything has worked out. Your wife will need proper engagement and wedding rings. I’ve enclosed mine. With some slight alterations. (If you knew the lengths I went to in order to get the money for that project, you’d laugh at my hypocrisy. More than a few laws were broken. Blackmail was involved as well.) Put them on her finger and she will wear them with pride, cherishing them always. That’s the kind of woman Hope is. You’re the kind of man who will protect and cherish her.
I love you both.
Proud mother to a wonderful son and daughter-in-law,
Verna Wagner
* * *
When Hope finished the letter, there were tears streaming down her face. She looked up at me, grief and pain there, but she met my gaze questioningly. Did she still not get it? Was she still insecure with me? I could understand if she was. That would take time, given the way we’d started out.
I smiled gently at her, picking up the jewelry box where she’d set it on the dresser and opening it, taking the rings out. “Give me your hand, sweetheart.”
She did. It trembled slightly as I slipped first the wedding ring on her finger, then the engagement ring. My mother had had it altered slightly, leaving no mistake she meant for Hope to have it. The diamond was a princess cut. I recognized it as the one my mother always wore. At least she had before I left.
“There’s no doubt my mother intended these for you, Hope. The emeralds are almost the exact shade of your eyes.”
“They’re lovely.” She sniffed, her voice wavering. Looking up at me, she asked, “Is this what you want? I mean, really? I don’t want to trap you, and I feel like Mrs. Wagner did that on my behalf.”
“Honey, if she did, she knew what she was doing. I can’t go back to not having you in my life. I love you, Hope. I’m glad my mother forced the issue. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
With a glad cry, Hope threw herself into my arms, hugging me fiercely. “I love you too, Max! I love you so much!”
Holding her felt too good to let go. I could happily do it all night. Unfortunately, there was a loud knocking at the door. “Time’s up, Warlock! Get your Santa-clad ass back to the fuckin’ party!”
“Fuuuuck…”
Hope giggled before pulling back, giving me a lingering kiss. “Come on! The kids need Santa and his merry Elf!”
I laughed and followed my woman out the door and back to the party. Kids were every fucking where. The things seemed to be multiplying like fucking rabbits! I glanced at Hope where she was already in the middle of a group of them, herding them back to the line for Santa. With a weary sigh, I sat in the chair on the dais the women had decorated in a tacky, gaudy homage to commercialized Christmas.
One at a time, the kids came up to me. Some of them whispered their wishes to me, others were loud and excited. Jezebel took their picture, then I sent them on the way to the huge-ass Christmas tree where Holly and Bella, Rycks and Lyric’s daughter, saw to it they all got their presents.
Then Hope led her friend, Jerrica, to me. The child crawled up in my lap shyly and gave me a hug. “I don’t need anything for Christmas. I already got everything I wanted.”
“You did? Well tell me what you got.”
She blinked at me, giving me a puzzled look. “Don’t you know? I mean, you gave them to me.”
“Uh, sure. But, you know, I need to make sure my elves got it all right.”
The child grinned. The explanation on the fly must have worked, which relieved me more than I was comfortable admitting.
“My sister, Iris, got her emancipation papers.” She said the word “emancipation” slowly, like she had difficulty with the word. “Once she actually turns eighteen, if she has a steady job and a place to live, the judge said she could adopt me and take me away from the group home.” Her smile was bright, and I could see this truly was a glorious thing to this little girl.