Thank You

Chapter 23

We wandered into the living room to find the boys, memorised by the presents piled around the decorated tree. Gary had surprised me one night by doing the tree for me and he sure did make it look beautiful.

"Mummy who are all these for?" Henry had never celebrated christmas like this. Josh had always said that he was a naughty boy so couldn't have the tree or any presents. Every year I would sneakily buy him something small and give it to him when Josh was at the pub.

"Well santa has left these ones for you Henry..." I directed him to his pile around the tree.

"All of them? All of these mummy?" A smiled beamed across his face as Gary wrapped his arm around me.

"All of them champ!" I loved it when he called Henry that. "The ones from mummy and me are here." Gary then pointed to another pile on another side.

"Thank you so much for making this the best christmas ever mummy and daddy!" He hugged our legs and went over to Dan who had started to organise them out for everyone. I looked at Gary with a huge smile.

"Daddy!" I whispered to him, his face still in shock.

"Eve, that has made me the happiest man in the world. I love you." He kissed me on the lips quickly before taking my hand and sitting me down.

2 hours later we had finally finished opening all of our presents and Gary had headed to the kitchen to make us all pancakes. The boys had headed upstairs to get dressed while I sat with Gary in the kicthen.

"I have another present for you sweetie," he went to the cuboard under the stairs and pulled out a small package, handing it to me when he came back into the kicthen.

"What is it?" I laughed, taking the present from him.

"Well why don't you look..." he winked, staring at the present in anticipation for me to open it. I began to unwrap it and I began to giggle as I realised what it was.

"Underwear!" I laughed and he grinned at me.

"So now you have some smart ones to wear.. well you know," he winked and wrapped his hands around my hips.

"Barlow you are a cheeky one," I pecked his lips before something fell from inside the underwear. I bent down to pick it up from the floor, confused as to what it was. I turned it over and read...

2 tickets for your dream destination... Paris! Just you, me, champagne and a hell of a good time.

"No way Gary!" I was amazed by the present, I couldn't get over how amazing it was.

"Yes way!" He laughed as I grabbed him around the neck and he lifted me up around his waist.

"Yeeee I'm so excited, the best present I could wish for." I kissed his forhead with my hands either side of his face. "But how did you know Paris?"

"Henry had said that it was the one place you had always wished about going to, to get away from Josh." He put me down and took my hands, putting the present on the side. "So I decided that us, the boys could go away, and Dawn said she would come and look after the boys for the whole time so we can be together."

"Oh Gary I love you I really do!" Once again I kissed him, this time on the lips before the boys came back in the kicthen.

"I love you too," he whispered. "Now go get dressed and then breakfast will be ready. Dawn's arriving at 12, mum and dad later at 1 and partying all afternoon..." he winked and slapped my bum, sending me upstairs to get ready.