I race back to my bedroom and playfully hop onto my bed next to Campbell. “You’re ridiculous,” she laughs before kissing her fingertips and touching them to my cheek.

When she attempts to pull her hand back, I grab her wrist and bring her fingers to my mouth, kissing the pads of her tiny fingers. “Close your eyes,” I tell her.

She hesitantly complies and I turn her hand over, palm up. I place the small box wrapped in shiny blue paper with a black bow in her hand and scoot back on the bed.

“Okay, open your eyes,” I tell her once I’ve given her a little space.

“Blue.” She grins. “Did you wrap it yourself?” she asks.

“I know it’s your favorite,” I say. “I have to admit, though, I went through a whole roll trying to wrap it. I now know why I have all Christmas presents gift wrapped at the stores; wrapping is a bitch.”

She giggles. “Well, I appreciate the thought. I know I haven’t received a lot of gifts in my life, but I would say you nailed the wrapping job.”

“I wasn’t going to let someone else package this, nor any other future gifts for you, Cam. Let this be the first of many, love,” I tell her, encouraging her to finally open the present.

My excitement is willing her to just tear it open, but she does no such thing. She slides her finger under the tape and lightly separates the paper, careful not to tear it. She folds the paper and lays it gently on the bed, like she would use it for some future gift.

Her eyes widen when she uncovers the square jewelry box. She immediately looks to me and fumbles to say anything coherent.

“Simmer down, Cam,” I laugh. “I’m young and in love, but I’m not stupid. I get that marriage is off the table. Just open it.”

She relaxes at my words and snaps open the box. Immediately she frowns, misunderstanding the pendant that lies inside.

I take it from the box and hold the gold circle in my hand. She snaps the box shut and places it next to the paper.

“This is a love token. Women used to send their soldiers to war with a token of their love around their necks. It was usually a coin that had a hole in it. It was a reminder that no matter what they faced, not to forget the comfort of the love they had at home. So, I had this one designed for us.”

“Am I going somewhere?” she asks hesitantly.

“You’ve already been to war, Campbell. That necklace you wear now is a reminder of that. This one is different.”

She protectively grips the flower necklace that hangs from her neck. I’ve never seen her without the necklace; I’m aware of its value to her. She’s told me a foster parent, Sharon, gave it to her, and although she’s shared little else about it, I understand its significance.

I show her the same flower engraved into the white gold pendant. “It’s always important to remember where we come from, even if it’s painful to think about,” I explain, rubbing my finger across the forget-me-not on the medallion. “But this,” I say turning the token over to reveal the words inscribed, “is the promise of your future.”

“What does it say?” she asks, taking the token from me and examining the Irish words etched into the metal. Both of our last names are derived from Irish and English origins dating back to the Norman Conquest of 1066. So I thought it fitting that Gaelic be used on her gift to reflect the words that connect us.

“Forget me not, my love,” I tell her. “These words, this token, is your past, your present, and hopefully a future with me. I’ve wanted to be with you since the night I met you at the bar with Brooks, and I have never been able to untangle myself from your web. I know I’m not the relationship guy. I realize I’m a risk, and I absolutely know that you’re scared of what attachments could do to your heart. I’m not asking you to wear it right now; honestly, I don’t want you to. When you’re ready to take a more permanent leap with me, that’s when I’d like to see it around your neck.”

Her eyes move from mine and fixate on the token, no doubt mulling over my explanation. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Campbell, I–”

“No, let me get this out,” she interrupts, before bowing her head, hiding her eyes from me. “I don’t share with people about how I grew up; I don’t want people to think that where I came from is all there is to me.”

She pauses and I reach for her, grabbing her hand to thread our fingers together.

“There are things that happened that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to share with you, Lakin. But I need you to know that what you did for me this evening, the cake, this gift…it’s overwhelming. It reminds me of all the things I never had while at the same time, it makes me so thankful it’s you here to offer me these things.”

I take the token from her and place it back into its case. Her body immediately relaxes as I alleviate the pressure of the moment. “Thank you,” she exhales when she hears the box snap shut.

I rest the box in her palm and then lightly lift her chin with my fingers. I need to see her eyes; she needs to see mine. They are the windows to my soul, and I want Campbell to look through to see my sincerity.

“Cam, I’m not going anywhere,” I say softly. “This…me...us, it’s yours when you’re ready.”

She smiles and leans into me, instigating a kiss. A needy, scorching kiss that only Cam could deliver. I would forever walk through fire to be on the receiving end of her attention.

I only hope she forgets me not.

Campbell

I shoot a text to Jen and settle back into the sofa in the lounge area of the bridal shop. That girl is notoriously late; she’s lucky we love her anyways.

“What did she say?” Vivian asks as she sits next to me and rummages through her giant mom bag. “I don’t know how long they’ll hold our appointment,” she adds when she finds her lip gloss and lathers her lips in shimmer.

Standing next to a rack of fluffy bridesmaids dress, Carly pulls one off the rack and holds it up to her frame. “Why don’t we just start picking things out so she has some options when she gets her?”

Olivia pulls down a dress for herself, ripping it away from the hanger. “Ohhh, pretty, Momma,” she says, rubbing the silky fabric between her petite fingers.

“Liv, honey, look don’t touch. Let’s put it back on the hanger,” Carly patiently reminds her as she takes the bridesmaid dress from Olivia’s hands and places it back on the rack. I’m zoned into the interaction between the two when my phone vibrates in my hand, alerting me of a text message.

I casually look down, expecting Jen’s name to flash across the screen, but instead Lakin’s is there.

“Is that Jen?” Vivian asks, attempting to peer at the message. “Tell her to get her ass here pronto.”

When she looks at Carly to apologize for her foul language, I try to hide my phone as nonchalantly as possible. I can feel my face flush and I take a deep breath to compose myself. I swipe the lock screen and the text brings a smile to my face.

Lakin: Just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you. Have a good day with the girls.

“Well? Is she almost here?” Carly inquires.

“Um, yeah, like fifteen minutes away,” I lie. She rolls her eyes and goes back to searching through the racks of dresses. Vivian then stands and catches up to the sales woman who is supposed to help us today.

I direct my attention back to my phone and hover my fingers over the keypad to send a message back to him, unsure of what to say. My phone buzzes again before I get anything typed.

Lakin: Dinner tonight.

Me: Shouldn’t you be working?

Lakin: Avoidance, just like that, huh?

Me: I’m proficient at only a few things, avoidance happens to be one of them.

Lakin: I’d say you scored advanced in many categories last night.