Love Letter

Ian:

Lynne was speechless after I showed her the kindle on her Ipad. I cannot tell if I have officially overstepped and freaked her out. I have never done anything like this. Most gifts I had ever purchased were jewelry, and I usually let the floor person at the store pick it out. Jewelry was never a personal gift. Everyone saw jewelry as romantic and sweet; I saw it generic, and everyone got it. The gift I had just given Lynne was the most romantic gift I could have given her. I could have made a playlist to go with a few of the books while she read them, but that may have been pushing it. The iPad and I being here on Christmas was pushing it already. Before Lynne, I had a rule that I did not buy gifts for anyone I had been dating less than three months. I had known Lynne for about two weeks, and I felt closer to her than any relationship I had been in. It was as if I had known her for a lifetime already, which scared me, but I knew if I did not see where this went, I would regret it forever. Or any relationship I would start after this. I would always wonder if I made the right decision to not give this a second thought.

"Ian, this is a wonderful gift, but I cannot take this," Lynne says again, pushing it away.

"Okay, how about this? You give me something in return," I say to Lynne, and I see that she took that wrong. "No... Not that" even though I had been thinking about that constantly since meeting her, it was hard not to. "What is your middle name?" I ask.

"Okay – no, I would rather give you this," she holds up the Ipad "then tell you my middle name," she says, laughing.

"It cannot be that bad," I say, the curiosity almost killing me.

"Oh, it is – it really is," she says, giggling. I turn, and she looks me straight in the eye again like she had done the night before. "Winifred," she says.

"Lynne Winifred Bettendorf," I say. "Can I take you on another date?"

"When?" she says, smiling.

"Tonight," I say, and her face falls, and I know she is thinking about me leaving. "And the next six days until you leave to go back to New York City." She smiles when I add the next six days.

"You have to do one thing for me," she says. Hmm...

"Depends on what it is," I say casually like I am not intrigued.

"You know my full name; it is only fair that I know yours," she says.

"Ian Michael Lore," I say instantly.

"Well... Ian Michael Lore, when are you heading back to the city?" she asks curiously, picking at the bedspread beneath her hands.

"I had planned on staying for a month," but I now knew that those plans would be hard to keep.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" she asks excitedly, changing the topic.

"It is a surprise," I say, taking her hand and standing up. "But let's go see your family, and then I will need an hour or so, and then I will come back for our second date," I say.

"Please tell me it is not sky diving because I was just kidding. I could never do that," she says, holding onto my arm.

"I'll never tell," I say, following her lead into the living room.

Meredith was back in the living room; she did not look all that pleased, but it was better than the profanities from before. When we passed her on the couch, Lynne squeezed her shoulder, and it was endearing to see Lynne showing kindness to someone who had been so hateful toward her for half a decade.

I made a game plan with Fred, Zach, and Keith for what I was thinking for Christmas night.

"I can do that. I will be back in an hour or so," Keith says and then whispering to his wife and heading out the door.

The twins slip out to the backyard without anyone seeing them. "I'll be back in an hour or so," I say to Lynne, kissing her on her head while she sits on the couch next to Kelly, who looks like she is in a bad mood while watching a cheesy Hallmark movie. I thought those movies always made women oo and aw, especially during the holidays.

I knocked on the door at the cabin before going in to give my sister and Kevin time to be decent if they were not. The living room had wrapping paper cluttering the floor with a few gifts sitting on the table and no Keith or Amanda insight. "Amanda, I'm home," I yell, stepping into the kitchen smelling something delicious. I tell Keith and Amanda about what my plans are. Amanda asks if the two of them can join it. "Why not..." I say. It was fun to act like a little kid from time to time. I show up an hour later on the dot-like I said I would.

It was around six o'clock, and I was hoping that it was just not just the guys that would be excited over what we had planned.

I lead Lynne up to her room, bringing her into her closet. "Are you going to dress me?" Lynne asks, red going through her cheeks after she says this.

"Hmm..." I say, not wanting to respond with what I want to do. "Do you have snow pants?" I ask.

Twenty minutes later, after going to the closet by the garage, Lynne is standing with black snow pants and a black and white ski jacket. Victor and Meredith watched as everyone was adorning weather wear and Keith had got back with his son's snowsuits and wives that were at his cabin. It was handy that they used to go skiing in Aspen when their dad was alive.