Teenagers, Love and Pregnancy

Chapter 20

"This -- you -- are the best Christmas present I could have asked for," I said as I snuggled close to Kendall, breathing in his familiar scent and watching the snow fall softly on the front lawn. John had brought us a blanket and cider, and we were sitting on the porch swing, wrapped up in wool and each other. Our hands, arms, and legs were intertwined, and the part of me that I had been missing for so long was finally back where he belonged. And of course, how could I ignore the new weight on my left hand? A new ring perched there, with a gold band and a fat princess-cut diamond.

"Did you really think this was your only present?" Kendall whispered in my ear before kissing my cheek.

"Kendall, you just proposed to me! There can't be more!" I said with a laugh.

"Try me," he said. With those words, he scooped me up, blanket and all, and carried me bridal-style to his car. He tucked me into the passenger seat, fastened my seat belt, and then climbed in the driver's side door. He blasted the heater as we drove slowly through the countryside, taking the scenic route to his house. I stared out the window and looked up at the sky, at the twinkling stars that shone through the thin clouds and the snow that fell gently toward Earth.

"Looking for Santa?" Kendall teased.

"I can't help it," I said with a laugh. "I looked in the sky for his sleigh every Christmas Eve since I can remember. It's just a habit now, I guess."

"Besides," I continued. "I've got my Santa right here." I reached across the console and squeezed Kendall's arm.

When we got out of Kendall's car in his driveway, we totally bypassed his house. He held my hand as we walked in silence, our shoes crunching over the thin blanket of snow that coated the grass and the air in front of us becoming vapor. We walked across the field behind Kendall's house toward the woods that framed his property.

As we walked, I noticed a pair of orange extension cords running perpendicular to where we were walking, barely covered by the snow.

"Blindfold time, my dear," Kendall said, stopping.

"What?" I asked with a laugh.

"Come on babe," he fake-whined, popping out his bottom lip. "For me?"

I laughed as Kendall tied a blindfold over my eyes.

"Can you see?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Are you lying?"

"No Kendall!" I giggled.

"Do you trust me?" he suddenly whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine.

"Of course," I whispered back.

Kendall put his hands on my hips and led me in a seemingly straight path across the woods. The more we walked, the more I could hear music, although I couldn't pick out the song. As we got closer, I realized it was my all-time favorite Christmas tune: "I'll Be Home for Christmas", the Frank Sinatra version.

"You ready?" Kendall asked.

"Ready."

Kendall took my blindfold off, and I was instantly blown away by the scene in front of me. We were in the woods behind Kendall's house, the ground covered with a mixture of light snow and pine needles. A fire in a pit in front of me crackled warmly, casting a romantic light on everything. One of the pine trees growing in the forest was completely decorated with glass balls in shades of red and gold, complete with gold Christmas lights and a bow Kendall had somehow managed to tie at the very top of the tree. A stereo played "I'll Be Home for Christmas", and in the center of it all, a hot tub bubbled, sending steam into the cold December air.

"This is. . .amazing," I said in awe. "How long did this take you to set up all the way out here?"

"About a week," Kendall replied, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"So you have been home!" I said, slapping his hand good-naturedly.

"Maybe," he said cheekily, pressing his lips to my neck. "But I couldn't tell you. I wanted this to be a surprise."

And I was surprised. And cold. But mostly, in love.

"You're shivering," he mumbled suggestively in my ear. "Let's warm up." He took my hand and drug me toward the hot tub.

"But I don't have a bathing suit!" I protested.

"Neither do I," Kendall said, letting go of my hand. I watched as he stripped to his boxers and lowered himself into the steaming water.

"Well?" he said with a wink. "Are you coming or not?"

"Kendall. . ." I said slowly. "I'm eight months pregnant. I'm not sure if you wanna see. . .all that."

"Cameron, you are the most beautiful girl on Earth, pregnant or not. Come on."

Slowly and self consciously, I stripped to my underwear and climbed into the water with Kendall, feeling all my tight muscles and aches and pains melt away.

"Is this even okay for the baby?!" I asked quickly.

"Relax," Kendall said, gently massaging my shoulders. "I've done all the research. I've programmed the tub to be a few degrees cooler than most, and as long as you don't stay in for more than fifteen minutes at a time, it's perfectly safe."

I relaxed as Kendall kissed right where my shoulder and neck met, slowly moving his lips down my arm. I turned around and moved my hands out of the water to clasp them around the back of his neck.

"I don't think I can even put into words how much I've missed you," I said, staring into my future husband's green eyes. They pulled me in and held me tight, making me want to stay forever. They were my future. I imagined waking up to them each and every morning, and the thought made me beyond happy.

"Me neither," he said. "I thought about you every single day and night I was gone, counting down the hours until I got to come back to you. I love you Cameron, more than I've ever loved anyone, more than I ever thought I could love anyone. You make me want to be a better person. I'm proud of who I am when I'm with you, Cam, and I never want to let go of that."

"Then never let go of me," I whispered, my words barely audible over Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas".

"Deal."

Kendall wrapped his arms around me and kissed me passionately, warmth spreading over me that was created by something much more powerful than the heat of the hot tub. I kissed him back, remembering for the first time in months what it was like to feel him in my arms and be part of him. Every inch of him was the way I had dreamed about for months -- the slight stubble on his face, the muscles in his back, the definition of his arms, the sharp edge of his jawbone. He even tasted like I remembered, like peppermint.

"Cam, honey," Kendall said, pulling away and putting a hand on my cheek. "Are you crying?"

I laughed, feeling tears roll down my cheeks for the first time.

"I just missed you so much," I said, feeling stupid.

"I don't want you to ever miss me again," he mumbled as we kissed again.

When our fifteen minutes were up and we got dressed again, we laid down by the fire, on a bench Kendall had positioned there, with him stretched all the way out his side and me on my back, my head resting on his chest and our fingers on the left hand intertwined. As he rubbed my belly with his right hand, we talked about everything, from how we were going to raise our baby to what his life in Seattle had been like until I fell asleep, feeling safe, warm, and at home in Kendall's arms.

When I woke up, I was in my own bed, and for a moment, I wondered if the best Christmas Eve of my entire life had been a dream before I saw the ring on my left hand. Somehow Kendall had managed to get me home, carry me upstairs to my room, and tuck me in without waking me up. I stood up with a smile on my face, realizing last night was the best sleep I had had since Kendall had gone to Washington. Then, I got ready for what was surely going to be a great Christmas.