Can You Hear Your Heart

Chapter Twenty Nine

I wake up with a strong hunger pang. I wince and slowly sit up on the bed. My heart then reminds me yesterday's events. My muscles tense until I feel soft lips on my shoulders.

"Good morning, beautiful," Shaun whispers in my ear. I smile and let his lips relax my muscles. I turn my head and let my lips taste his now. "Merry Christmas...."

Christmas?!

"It's Christmas," I say with a smile. I start to feel my little one jump with joy at these words. I chuckle at this and let Shaun wrap his hands around my belly from behind. We both feel her excited kicks with a smile until I say, "I have your present. My sister brought it in my bag with clothes yesterday."

"Oh wait!" Shaun jumps off the bed and runs out. I hear him open and close the door. I furrow my brow at his sudden weirdness. Well no. He's always been weird, but not on Christmas. Now that I think of it. I'm going to miss ice skating like we always do around this time of the year. We used to go to an abandoned area in the woods, and Shaun would crouch down and touch the ground. The ground immediately froze up into a beautiful ice skating circle. Those were the good old days.

I hear the door open and I stand up to see what it is. I quickly take my small wrapped box out of my bag and gasp at the large box standing out in the living room. Shaun does a small huff of exhaustion and stands proudly next to a box with a crib inside ready to build.

"Merry Christmas my favorite girls," Shaun says with a playful smile. I touch the box and my heart jumps with joy. I let a tear fall as I wipe it away quickly. "This is amazing, Shaun. Thank you. How did you get one so quickly?"

Shaun hesitates until he says, "Well....I sorta went out last night once you fell asleep."

My eyes grow wide. "You did what?!"

"Wait! Hear me out!" Shaun says with raised hands. "I wanted to give you this today, but I couldn't just let it pass just because your mother happened to aim for Christmas to hunt you down."

"But Shaun...you could've been hurt. They could've followed you. They could've killed you!" I'm not sure why this is happening, but sad tears start to fall out quickly.

Shaun wraps warm arms around me and kisses my head. "It's okay, baby. I'm not that easy to kill anyways."

Then I understand why these tears. This fear of letting him go as I say, "I can't loose you, Shaun. I can't loose you again...." Shaun keeps me quiet as his lips lay on mine and I fall for them. It's a longing kiss until it turns sweet and comforting.

He pulls away and runs a tender hand down my cheek. "I promise. You will never loose me. I promise to always by your side, IceLady." He kisses my fingers and his eyes shine playfully as he notices my ring. "Oh! This is a beautiful gift! Who gave you this?!" I chuckle as the tension slowly rises.

"A very handsome man," I respond back as I pick up the box I had left on the couch. I smile at him and softly say, "This is your gift." I place the box in his hands and he gives me a grateful smile. "I know it's not a lot, but....I think you'll like it. It's special to me so...."

Shaun chuckles as he slowly unwraps the present with such tender. He quietly says, "You are special to me. My best friend. My girlfriend. The mother of my baby girl, and now my fiance." He lays a kiss on my cheek to whisper, "I can't wait to call you my wife, too...."

My heart flies to these words and I lay a hand on my jumping belly. She knows what's inside. As usual....she is the spotlight to every aspect in our lives.

Shaun's eyes soften when he sees the gift inside. He drops the box on the ground and holds a picture and a frame I designed with my ice particles. It took me a while since pregnancy has slowed down the process, but I was able to make it into a magical frame.