Worth It Still

"Hey, cut that---" A much smaller snowball spattered on the arm of his heavy coat. "Lori!" he said, his voice full of mock indignity.

"Target: Connor!" the girl yelled a little late, slapping Rebecca a soggy high-five.

"Alright," he said turning to Ryan. "Now we play a new game, called: use your Aunt Rebecca as a hockey puck. You get the skates, I'll drag her down to the pond."

Rebecca screeched as he went for her. Clouds of snow kicked up around her boots as she ran. He caught her in a gentle tackle and pulled her down to the snow. He desperately wanted to kiss her just then, but not in front of the kids. He just held her for a moment, until Lori came up to them. "Target: Connor," she said, depositing a two-handed snowball in his face.

"Maybe this is why we can never have kids," he said, spitting powdery snow out of his mouth.

"You'd make a great father." She kissed him on his wet, red cheek.

"Hey, what did Uncle Connor get you?" Lori tugged on Rebecca's coat. "Maybe we could play with that."

"Adults don't get toys for Christmas," Ryan said rolling his eyes at his sister.

"He's right, Lori. We get underwear and socks, and lot's of 'em." Connor looked directly at Ryan. "Enjoy it while you can, kid."

Connor and Rebecca sat in the snow for a while longer, long enough to watch Ryan hand the controls over to the little girl. Connor smiled and Rebecca kissed his cheek again.

"Alright you guys," Jan stepped outside. "Inside, and out of those wet clothes."

"Aw mom," Ryan protested.

Jan shooed her kids inside. "That goes for their Aunt and Uncle too." She looked down at her younger siblings. "I'm sorry, for what I said last night." She sort of laughed. "You know, I always thought you two were kind of like Romeo and Juliet, in a backwoods sort of way." That was as much as they were going to get from Jan.

"So," Rebecca said as they climbed out of the snow.

"So," Connor repeated.

She was grinning wide. "So, I believe you still owe me a present. And it damn well better not be underwear."

"Don't worry it's not underwear. I like it when you pick out your own panties, you have such good taste." He pinched her butt through her slick snow pants.

They met in the empty kitchen, changed out of their wet clothes. There were dirty plates and glasses all over the counter, but at least they had some privacy. He saw his present, a box wrapped in gold paper. He handed her a little black leather pouch.

"You got me a shaving kit?" she asked. "Connor, really a Lady Remington would have worked just as well, I'm not that hairy."

"Not the shaving kit, Beck. I hid your gift in my shaving kit." She dug through the cologne and gel until she pulled out a black velvet box. His heart pounded, he finally got her this year.

She opened the box and saw the diamond bracelet he had saved all year for. "Oh Connor." She breathed slowly as she examined it. She saw the marking on the inside of the box, she realized that it was not costume jewelry. "Oh Connor it's real?! How much---"

He shushed her. "Only the financier knows for sure. Do you like it?"

"I love it, but---"

"I want you to wear it then, since you don't have a wedding ring..." He fastened it around her slim wrist.

"Am I worth it?" she asked as she watched the stones glitter in the window light.

"You were worth it ten years ago and you're worth it still." He kissed her properly.

She took the gold box off of the counter and handed it to him. He tore through the paper and opened the cardboard flaps. He pulled out a baseball glove, a vintage blue infielder's glove. "It's a George Brett glove. I know he was your favorite."

"Yeah," Connor said giving her a little kiss. "Beats socks and underwear any day." He pulled out the wadded newspapers she had packed the box with. "Is that it?" He didn't mean to sound cruel or ungrateful, but she had built up quite a reputation for one-upping him in gifts.

She shook her head no.

Oh great, this was going to be a repeat of the laptop, or the leather recliner, or the plasma television.

She took his hand. "Beck if you got me another T.V. so help me..." She brought his palm to rest on her stomach. "Beck?" His eyes opened wide.

She nodded.

"You're? I mean we're! Beck!" he yelled, hugging her tight. Tears streamed down her face as he lifted her off the floor. "Oh, sorry, I'm sorry, I'll have to be more gentle." He put her down and kissed her, over and over.

"How are we going to tell mom? Are we going to tell?" she asked.

"I don't know. I just don't."

"Our lives will change so much, Connor."

"Change is good. This is good." His hand felt her stomach again. He looked into her chocolate eyes and kissed her. Then he took her into the living room to spend Christmas with their family.

The End