“Emmie? I have another present for you,” Kookie admits softly.
“What?”
She is overwhelmed. I can hear it in her voice and see it on her face. Wide-eyed, she stares up at him.
He reaches up and pulls his burgundy hoodie over his head. The one that he bought the Saturday after Thanksgiving. He holds it out to her. Her eyes grow even wider.
“You’re giving me your new hoodie?” she asks in awe.
He nods.
“But…why?”
He grins. “I bought it to give it to you. You liked my old one so much that I thought you might like another one. I’ve worn it for almost a month now.”
“Has it ever been washed?” she asks in a whisper.
He laughs. “Yes.”
Her face falls.
“But not for a couple of days,” he breathes as he leans down towards her.
She glances up at him eagerly before burying her nose in its folds. She inhales deeply, and a look of intense contentment floods her face. “It smells so good.”
He chuckles and shakes his head.
She looks up at him again a little sheepishly this time. Then, she screws up her courage and steps up on her tiptoes as she raises her face to his. She plants a quick kiss on his cheek before lowering herself back down to her normal height. Which is about nine inches shorter than him.
A look of utter astonishment is now blanketing Kookie’s features. I know what he’s thinking.
Did Emmie really just kiss me?
He glances around the room, and his eyes collide with mine. Again, I know what he’s thinking. He wants to kiss her again. But alas! He does not wish to have an audience this time. I grin at him. A gentle blush floods his cheeks with color. He looks away from me and clears his throat.
He gazes down into her eyes again. “Do you want to wear it now?”
She nods and glances down at his old green hoodie. She’s been wearing it all day. She pulls it off and replaces it with his new red one. She looks up at him.
“You’re not going to ask for this one back, are you?” she asks, her voice wavering.
He frowns, and two deep ruts appear between his eyebrows. “No! No, of course not. I just thought you might like two.”
Suddenly, the sun seems to rise in Emmie’s face. “You were absolutely right,” she whispers. “Thanks, Kookie.”
Now he looks uncertain of what to do next. But she captures his attention again a moment later as she speaks.
“I, uh. I have a present for you too.”
“You do?” His whole face is suffused by the light of her own eyes.
She nods. “Let me go get it.”
But as she pivots towards the hallway, she suddenly turns towards him again. And holds his old hoodie out to him. “Why don’t we take turns?”
Confused, he blinks at her. “What?”
A sweet smile tugs at the corners of her lips. “Wearing our sweatshirts. The ones you’ve given me.” She giggles suddenly. “They’re even Christmas colors. I’ll wear the red one tonight, and you can wear the green one. Maybe we can switch before tomorrow.”
A delightful chuckle escapes Kookie’s lips then, and he shakes his head. “Emmie,” he breathes on a giggle. But he reaches out to reclaim his old sweatshirt.
And she turns away quite satisfied. Now her sweatshirts will always smell like Kookie.
She wanders down the hall towards Janna’s room. Kookie glances at me. Then his adorable grin surfaces instantly.
“She seemed to like my presents. Don’t you think?”
I shake my head.
He frowns. “You don’t?”
“She didn’t just like your gifts, Kook. She loved them.” My bright smile teases him.
An expression of intense relief crosses his countenance. “Oh, good. I thought so.”
“I wonder what she got you,” I murmur.
“I haven’t the foggiest idea.”
Neither do I.
But I can’t wait to see!
