Lily had handed out all the gifts but two. The two from me. She looked at them and smiled, "You didn't have to get us anything Dani."
"Of course I did. You guys have done so much for me."
She smiled.
"Oh! I forgot to put names on them. The small box is yours, and the bag is Kat's."
She gave Kat's to her.
"Open yours first Kat," Lily said.
"Okay," and her face lit up when she saw the gift from Lily. "It's wonderful!" It was a set of matching accessories; purse, shoes, and scarf. She had a couple other little things in the bag too, "Thanks so much Aunt Lily!"
"No problem, Kat, Merry Christmas."
Kat opened up the bag from me and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"You can return it if you want, I wasn't sure if you'd like them."
She ran over to me and hugged me so tightly I couldn't breath. My bruised spine was throbbing.
"Sorry, Kat, you're hurting her," said a very concerned Kane.
"Oh! I'm sorry! Thank you so much Dani!"
She put the bracelet on and put the frame on the end table.
"Those are beautiful Dani!" Said Lily.
"I thought so too. Open yours, Lily."
She unwrapped the one from Kat first and them mine.
"You guys shouldn't have, these are lovely." She put the necklace on that she got from me, and the ring on that was apparently her and her late husbands birth stone, swirled around each other on a gold ring. "These are truly beautiful, girls!"
"Glad you like them," Kat said and they hugged again, as Kane squeezed my hand, 'You're turn," he said.
"You guys have already done so much."
I opened the first one, from Kat. Before I could stop it, there were three tears rolling down my face.
"I'm going to take that as a good thing...?"
"Yes. A very good thing. Thank you so much Kat!" I looked down to the most beautiful dream catcher I had ever seen, with a net in the middle like a spider web.
"I hope it helps you sleep, Aunt Lily gave me one and a week later I was sleeping soundly throughout the night."
Hers was still hanging in her room, and I planned on putting mine up right away.
"Thank you Kat, this means a lot."
"Okay, mine now!"
"You really didn't have to Lily, you've done more for me than anyone." But I slowly peeled back the wrapper from the large square. There was a cardboard frame around big metallic cursive letters that read: Use your smile to change the world, but don't let the world change your smile.
Another tear rolled down my cheek.
"It's meant to be hung on a wall, and the cardboard comes off, I just did that to wrap it. When I saw it, I knew it was made for you."
"Thank you Lily. Both of you. I wouldn't be smiling without you. Or you," I added as I turned to Kane, who squeezed my hand and smiled as he turned a light pink.
Two hours later we had eaten, me less than any of them, some pancakes with fruit and coffee. I had done the dishes, with a lot of people telling me not to, as Kane dried them.
"The routine keeps up."
"So it does." And he smiled at me with a smile that made his eyes shine.
I dried my hands and put the dishes away.
"You two look like you've done this before."
"Yeah, Kane helped me dry the dishes a couple times in the restaurant."
"That's nice." Lily replied sarcastically, "Didn't know I had another pay cheque to make out." We all laughed.
"Do you have a screw driver? I was going to go decorate my room today, with all this spare time I have, not working the holidays." I looked at Kat, who put her hands up in surrender, nodding her head at Lily. "Holiday was her idea."
Lily rolled her eyes, "Actually I don't. Kat broke mine in the Fall, but I can go grab one from the hardware store."
"She can use mine, I even have some screws she can use." Kane said this with a red face as he nervously looked at Lily. 'How can he stand up to Charlie completely calm and authoritative, but be nervous around Lily?'
"Thanks Kane, sounds great."
"No problem." And he dried the last of the silverware as I put everything away.
"When do you want to hang up your gifts? I can go grab my tools? They're just at the house in town."
"We can go now, if you don't mind me tagging along. Lily and Kat are opening the store for dinner anyways."
"Sure. I'd like that."
"Okay, let me grab a coat." I half-jogged to my room and when I got back he was ready to go.
"Ready?" he asked and I nodded, slipping my boots on. 'Forget the pain, it will go away. You've had worse. Block it out.'
"Dani? How bad?"
"What?"
He gave me a you-know-what-I-mean face.
"Not as bad. The swelling has gone down a bit. I don't really notice it, just when I move before bracing for it." I said referring to my wrist.
He looked at me stunned. "Bracing for it?"
'Wow, I'm really sick of these pain talks.'
"Yeah. If your neck hurts and you go to move it, you brace before moving, preparing for it. I just forgot to." 'Please drop it,' but of course, he didn't.
"You washed dishes with it?"
"Yeah, I was braced for it."
"Dani, why don't you just avoiding using it?"
"So I shouldn't use my hip, knee, spine, wrist, rib, ankle or hands?"
"I always lose these arguments."
"Don't start them then." I smirked and walked down the stairs.
"Ah!" I gasped as he picked me up, carrying me down the stairs.
"I hope that didn't hurt too bad, but watching you 'brace' for the pain every time you do a stair kills me."
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize, beautiful. I just hate seeing you in pain. You try to hide it, I know, but I still know you're in pain, and I wish I could stop it."
"It's really not that bad Kane." I looked down, trying not to show how red my face was.
"Liar." We started walking toward his truck.
When we reached the house, Kane looked really nervous.
"What's wrong?"
"Me? Oh nothing. I don't usually show people my work."
"I'm just here for the screwdriver Kane," hoping that would calm him down, but not helping any.
He climbed out and I wasn't sure if he didn't want me to go in incase he really didn't want me to see it, but I really wanted to see the kitchen he had talked about, with the intricate cabinet doors.
He hesitated by the hood of the truck and finally walked around to my side opening my door.
"I can wait here if you want, I understand."
"No," he paused but went on, "You can come." He took my hand, but I froze. I hadn't froze from his touch in a while, but this wasn't just him comforting me, this was different.
"Sorry!" He jerked his hand back, "I didn't think about it. I'm sorry."
"No," I grabbed his hand shakily and climbed out,"I shouldn't jump, I really do trust you Kane." And his eyes sparkled with joy.
"I'm so happy you do." We walked to the house holding hands, and I actually enjoyed it.
He helped me up to the door, with was up off the ground, but too big a step with my hip.
"I think I left it in the garage, but it's pretty rough there. I'll be right back one sec."
"Okay." I started wandering through the house. The frame was done, minus the front porch, and I could tell it would be open. It had some half walls, dividing it but leaving it open enough to let light all through the house from the front windows. I got to what I assumed was the kitchen and gasped. The walls had been put up, except the door and piece around what looked like a window. It had a window seat, counter in the middle, and cupboard along two walls. The doors weren't up, just leaning against the bottom but they were gorgeous. They had a frame about an inch in from the outside of each door, with a diamond pattern grooved within the frame. they were remarkable. You could tell just from seeing them that they each took a lot of time.
I heard the floor creek behind me and I turned, letting out a breath of air as I noticed it was Kane.
"These are gorgeous, Kane. They really are."
"You like them?" He asked nervously.
"I love them! They're so detailed but simple. You're very skilled."
"Thanks. That was one design my uncle taught me and the family moving in said it would look great. I altered them a little for their liking but it was pretty much the same."
"You're Uncle must have been really skilled."
"He was."
It got quiet for a minute before Kane spoke up, "I got a couple screws and a screwdriver. It should be enough to hang both."
"Thanks Kane."
We walked back to the truck and drove to the diner.
"Do you want some help? I could've done it."
"Not with that wrist, or shoulder. I got this. Are you sure this is where you want it?"
"Yup. Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, it might turn out horribly."
"I doubt it."
I had chosen to hang the quote above my dresser by the door. Then I would see it everyday when I got changed, and since I didn't have a mirror there, it was previously empty.
"And where do you want this one?"
"In the corner above my bed, if you don't mind."
"Of course I don't."
"Thank you."
He looked down at me as he fastened the first screws in the catcher.
"What?"
"You've thanked me three times in the last two minutes, and even more in the last five."
"Just say 'you're welcome' and be quiet," I said before he chuckled, said it and continued working.
"So what are we doing tomorrow?"
"We?" I was kidding, but he couldn't see my face and didn't pick up on it.
"Oh."
"Kane I was kidding." He let out a sigh of relief before I continued, "Its up to you though."
"What do you feel up to doing?"
"Running."
"Dani."
"What? I didn't say I was going to."
"Good, because that's not happening. Walk at most."
"Just walking? So no swimming, skating, or bowling?"
"It's your sore hip. Do you want to swim, skate or bowl?"
"One would be fun."
"Which?"
"All, but realistically I'll settle for just one."
"Thank goodness. There. Good?"
"Perfect." Kane's eyes shone again. I smiled widely but looked down.
"What?" He had a confused face now.
"I love when you're eyes light up." He blushed and I smiled bigger, "And blush." Which only made him redder, making me laugh. He stared at me and I quit laughing, "What?"
"No, don't stop, I love your laugh." My face got hotter, "And when you blush."
And we both laughed.