They ate dinner together, then Jesse did dishes while Ellie got the kids cleaned up and dressed in their birthday doodads—a pink party dress for Daisy and a little shirt, vest, and bowtie for Daniel.
When the dishes were done, Jesse hiked up the hill, took a hot shower and shaved. He dressed in an actual shirt—not a T-shirt—and a pair of jeans without holes. It was a special night after all.
By the time he got back to Ellie’s place almost an hour later, Claire and Cedar were hanging puffy decorations and streamers from the ceiling and tying helium balloons in every color to the chairs.
“Hey, Jesse.” Claire gave him a hug. “What do you think?”
He glanced around. “It looks like a party.”
Ellie had set the table with photos of the twins as newborns in the center.
Jesse picked them up one at a time. “I can’t believe they were ever this small.”
But Ellie was busy. “Can you reach the crystal cake dish? It’s too high for me. Watch out. It’s heavy.”
“Sure.” He reached over her head and lifted it down with one hand.
“Show-off,” she said.
But it earned him a kiss.
He checked his watch, starting to feel impatient.
What was keeping them?
The doorbell rang, and Ellie’s parents stepped inside, arms full of brightly wrapped gifts. Daisy and Daniel ran to greet them.
“It’s my birfday,” Daisy told them.
“It my birfday, too,” Daniel said.
The doorbell rang again.
Finally.
Claire answered the door, then walked back to the kitchen carrying the bouquet. “Oh, Ellie. Look at this. These are for you.”
It looked as beautiful as he’d hoped it would—three dozen perfect, long-stemmed roses in a crystal vase.
“Oh, my God. They’re beautiful.” Ellie looked up at Jesse through wide green eyes. “Are these from you?”
“You’d better read the card and find out.”
She set the flowers down in the center of the table behind the photos of the twins, then took out the card, opened it, and read it silently.
Jesse had worked long and hard on that card and had the words memorized.
My dearest Ellie,
Three years ago today, you gave birth to two beautiful babies. You were alone then, facing motherhood by yourself. Here are three dozen roses, a dozen for each year you raised Daniel and Daisy on your own.
I wasn’t there then, but I’m here now. You will never be alone again.
Love,
Jesse
Tears filled her eyes, and she pressed the fingertips of her right hand to her lips. Her head bowed for a moment, her eyes squeezed shut. Then she looked up at him, tears on her cheeks, a quavering smile on her lips. She set the card down and slid into his embrace. “I love you.”
*
Ellie made a trip out to the recycling bin with cardboard and wrapping paper, a warm glow in her chest. She wasn’t sure she’d ever gotten a gift that had touched her more than the roses Jesse had given her today. Somehow, he understood how difficult it had been to become a mother when her husband had just died. Everyone else had told her how lucky she was to have the twins, ignoring her grief and loneliness. But with just a few words, Jesse had acknowledged the hardship of these past three years. Instantly, it had all seemed easier.
Well, she had a surprise for him, too.
She waited until everyone had gone home and the kids were in bed, then snuggled up beside him on the couch with a glass of wine, the house filled with the scent of roses. “The roses, the card—that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He kissed her temple. “I’m glad you liked them.”
They talked about the party—and the ridiculous number of toys her sister had gotten for the kids.
Then Ellie changed the subject. “I’ve got something for you.”
“You do?”
She let a sultry tone slide into her voice. “It’s in the bedroom.”
He nuzzled her ear. “I like surprises that happen in the bedroom.”
She stood, set her wine down, and drew him after her. “I have something that needs to be filled. Can you fill it for me?”
“I’m happy to die trying.”
Fighting not to laugh, she led him to her bedroom and flicked on the light, then drew him over to the closet and opened the door. “Jesse, I want you to fill … my closet.”
He took in the sight of the empty shelves on the left—and the open rack. Then he stepped back, his head turning as he glanced around her bedroom. “The photos of Dan—they’re gone.”
He took her left hand, his brow furrowed. “Your wedding ring. You took it off.”
“I’ve had it off all evening. You didn’t notice the things missing from the mantel either.” She pointed to the flag and shadow box on her dresser, then told him how she’d spent the day sorting through all of Dan’s things. “I put off dealing with this for so long. When I dropped his clothes off at the thrift store, I felt so much lighter, like a weight had been lifted off my chest.”
Jesse’s eyes narrowed. “Why did you do this now?”
Was she moving too fast for him?