My Everything

The Necklace

The next morning Sophie awoke to shrieks of joy as she heard tiny footsteps clunk down the steps.

She knew how the Christmas mornings routine went as a parent. You were lucky to get in a cup of coffee before the presents were torn open. She quickly found her glasses,  grabbed a robe, placed her wavy curls in a messy bun on top, and headed down stairs to get some coffee. On her way down she collided with Chace who was distracted by wiping the sleep from his eyes. He caught sight of Sophie and a grin stretched across his face, "Hi there beautiful." He couldn't help himself as he placed a stumble kiss on her cheek. She felt the soft warm lips and tickle with a smile that rivaled his.

Sophie playfully hit him.

"Stop it! I know I am not beautiful this early in the morning."

"You accuse me of being dishonest. It's a fact you are beautiful even now, that breath though," Chace dodged another hit from Sophie.

The rest of the adults headed down stairs and took residence on the couch as the kids started masterminding their plan of which presents were theirs and what to open first. With the busyness of the last few weeks Sophie hadn't much of an opportunity to shop. She regretted that now as Phoebe eagerly waited to open her gifts. Phoebe opened the first and it was a box of new purple rhinestone roller skates. Sophie knew she hadn't purchased those as Phoebe read the tag they were from Chace. Present after present Phoebe opened was either from Chace or Pam.

"You guys, this is too much!" Sophie stated in disbelief.

Chace whispered in her ear, "Oh don't spoil my Mom's fun. She was so excited to shop for a girl again. I almost had to carry her out of the store."

It was Pam's turn and Sophie handed her a small green box with red satin ribbon from Phoebe and herself. She gently unwrapped the gift and teared up as she saw the thoughtfulness that went into it. It was a picture frame ornament in the shape of an ice cream cone with Phoebe's face covered in ice cream that had Pam's Ice Cream Shop engraved on it.

"I just wanted to give you something to remember us by. I'll never forget the kindness you showed us that first day in your ice cream store," Sophie said through a strained voice.

"I love it. I truly love it," Pam got up and found the perfect place to hang it on the tree.

Chace handed Sophie a small box, "This one is for you." Sophie turned beet red. She wasn't anticipating getting anything and she hadn't gotten around to getting Chace something. She thought of a few things but the man had everything and more that he could ever want.

She received the gift from Chace and eyed it suspiciously praying it wasn't an expensive item. She tore off the paper and opened the white box. Inside was a plain gold chain. No charm attached. No inscription. A plain gold chain. The noise had died down a bit as everyone watched Sophie inspect the item curiously. She didn't want to seem unappreciative but she didn't understand the significance of a plain gold chain. She lifted it up from the box top and held it in her hands to examine it further and give her a few more minutes to think of a realistic grateful response when Chace replied, "I figured it was time for you to put those," he pointed to Sophie's wedding bands, "on it and wear them around your neck."

Suddenly her heart raced and as she could feel the blood rushing to her face. She looked at her wedding bands that still took residence on her left ring finger and thought of what it would look like empty now. She began twirling them with her thumb, a nervous habit she did when she wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't the only one as the rest of the room held their breath waiting on Sophie's response.

Chace could see the look of panic on Sophie's face and began to over explain his motives, "My mom wears my dad's rings on her necklace. I thought you could do the same. They look really nice and she still can remember him still." Chace continued to ramble when his sister put her hand on his knee to silence him.