Chapter Fifty-One

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Sometime overnight Friday, I got up to use the bathroom, which woke Brad, which led to him wrapping his arms around me and kissing me when I returned, which led into us having sex. It was natural, it was normal, and it was as passionate as it always was.

Christmas Eve we stayed in our pajamas all day, laid around, and held each other. 

"Babe?", Brad asked as I was leaning up against him listening to him breathe.

"Hmmm".

"Can I give you your present now?"

"Yeah. I've got something for you, too".

I jumped up and ran upstairs to dig Brad's hat and whiskey out of my luggage.  They weren't wrapped but I knew he wouldn't mind. They were in a bag that he couldn't see through.

I came back downstairs and dropped it in his lap.

He grunted. "Uh, thanks, babe", he said. "That was close", he said, shifting the bag.

I laughed, feeling myself flush. "Sorry", I said.

He opened the bag and put the hat right on.

"Love it", he said with a grin.

He looked so adorable! I felt a surge of affection for and leaned over to give him a kiss.

He pulled out the whiskey. "Is this from the distillery you went to?"

"Yep. Wanna try it?", I asked, jumping up to get him a glass, but he snagged my wrist.

"Sit, babe. I want you to open your gift".

He handed me a little wrapped box. It looked jewelry-sized but I wasn't nervous. We already got the wedding ring out of the way so nothing else he could give me would freak me out now.

I opened it calmly, feeling his gaze upon my face. It was a delicate silver cord bracelet holding a silver disc engraved with a P. It was simple, beautiful, and totally me.

I met his eyes. He was trying to gauge my reaction.

"Brad, I love this", I said, smiling up at him.

He looked relieved.

I picked it up and slid my hand through. He reached over and tightened it for me.

"That's fantastic", I said. "Since it's not loose, I can wear it all the time!"

I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Love you, baby", he said.

"Love you, too".

...........................................................................

Bre allowed Steve to come with her on Christmas Eve day to watch her older two nephews in a Christmas program at the private school they attended. She did not allow him to touch her again since their baby had moved, and actually cringed away the last time he tried to hug her, which reminded him so much of Paige when she lived there, he didn't dare try again.

He wasn't leaving her alone, though, and she hadn't had any protests about that. Steve had texted both Brad and Paige his progress in staying, and that they had felt the baby move. Brad only replied with a thumbs up while Paige gushed enthusiastically about everything he had said.

Christmas Eve night, Steve made Bre lay down while he made supper because she was looking tired. Since the round ligament pain had rattled him, and because his normally steadfast wife had been shouting and throwing up, he had been watching her very carefully since he returned Friday night. He didn't like what he saw. He saw a great deal of sadness and he knew he was the cause of it. He also saw how tired she was and knew a lot of that was probably emotional exhaustion, also from him.

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