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I can't help but grin. "I have a feeling Jacob has something up his sleeve for Christmas Eve."
Lexi's eyes widen before she clears her throat. Turning back to her notebook, she now seems to be scribbling furiously.
"I just hope it doesn't involve me embarrassing myself in front of a room of overgrown athletes," I add, remembering our Halloween party where Jacob convinced me to do a dramatic reading of The Raven in front of all our friends.
Lexi laughs. "Oh, come on. You were a hit!"
I chuckle, remembering how red my face had been the entire time. "Don't get me started on what he did for Thanksgiving. Let's just say, I never want to see another turkey again. I'm terrified that if he ever proposes, he'll do it dressed as a giant turkey."
I glance over at Lexi, expecting her to laugh along, but instead, I notice her growing increasingly shifty, her gaze glued to her notebook as if it holds the key to world peace.
"Lex?"
She doesn't look up. "Hm?"
"Hey, you okay?"
She looks over at me, finally, just as a shadow begins to loom.
I glance upwards.
It's Jacob. Showered and dressed in clean clothes, he looks like a completely different person from the sweaty mess he was earlier.
Either way, he's so gorgeous it's almost unfair.
"Hey, ladies," he greets us with a smile. "What are we talking about?"
I look over at Lexi, who still seems tense, before turning back to Jacob and replying with a smirk. "Just discussing your Christmas Eve plans."
Jacob's eyes widen for a moment before he laughs and shakes his head. "I hope nothing too embarrassing." His eyes flicker over to my mug. "Is that the dark chocolate cocoa?"
I stand to my feet. "Uh, yeah. I've been...craving it a lot lately. I don't know why."
Jacob grins. "Well, I was actually thinking of going out to buy some for tomorrow's dinner with Nonna. Want to join me?"
I glance at Lexi, who seems relieved that the attention is off of her now. "Actually, I have some work to finish up here," she says.
I hug my best friend goodbye and follow Jacob out of the arena and towards the car. We walk in comfortable silence until he opens the passenger door for me.
The second I'm settled, he peeks over at me, blue eyes curious in the darkened space of the car. "So, about our Christmas Eve plans...what did you have in mind?"
I shrug, trying to keep my leg from shaking with nervous energy. "Oh. Nothing. Just decorating the tree with the family and having a nice dinner together."
"That sounds...lovely, babe."
"And you?" I squint, examining his face. "What do you want to do for Christmas Eve?"
Jacob's lips tug into a small smile. "Oh. Nothing too exciting. Spending time with the most gorgeous baby to ever exist and her equally gorgeous mother. Professing my undying love for them both, and maybe, I don't know, sacrificing an innocent animal to the gods to thank them for bringing you both into my life."
"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to sacrificing any animals. But spending time with you and our little miracle sounds perfect to me." My heart swells at his words, and I throw my arms around his neck, peppering his face with kisses. “I love you too, Jacob. You're amazing."
He chuckles and presses a kiss to my forehead before pulling away slightly. "Sacrifice-a-goat amazing?"
"More like 'go to the grocery store for more dark chocolate cocoa before going home to Chiara and the baby nurse' amazing."
"That sounds perfect." Jacob's smile grows, and he intertwines our fingers together as we drive toward home. "I can't wait for Christmas with you."
I smile, content and utterly in love with this man beside me. "Me too, baby. Me too…"
