Page 28 of Split Decision

"Keep going."

"Boxing gloves! The gym—and you, of course!"

As she turns the bracelet, she smiles warmly at the last charm. "Our home."

"I have one more to add to it, when the time is right," I confess.

"What is it?" she asks excitedly.

"It says 'Just Married.' I know it'll be a few months before I can add that one, but I went ahead and got it, so I'll be ready."

"Oh, Luke." She wipes a tear away. "I love it, and I love you."

I take the bracelet from her hand and secure it on her wrist before placing a kiss on her palm. "My treasure is wherever you are, because you are my heart, baby."

The second box she gives me is a Beats by Dre Beatbox portable speaker. "I've already loaded your phone with several songs, so you can listen to our songs while we're apart."

"It's awesome. You're awesome. I'd rather hear you sing them to me live, though."

"I will take you up on that." She smiles.

We finish opening the other boxes—a vast array of clothes, shoes, and lingerie. Most of which I specifically told Andi she's not allowed to wear outside of my presence.

She laughed at my demand and said, "No one else will ever see these, Luke. You paid for fabric scraps—they won't cover any of the important parts."

"That's the point, Andi. I don't want any of the important parts covered when you're wearing them."

I try to convince her it's time to retreat upstairs so she can try them on and practice taking them off. But Andi has one more present for me, well-hidden way back underneath the tree. The hardcover book has a picture of Andi on the front. Her smile is seductive, and most of her body is covered with an elegant white sheet. When I open it to the first picture, my eyes bulge out of my head, and my jaw dropsto my lap.

I jerk my head up to look at her, and she is nervously chewing the corner of her bottom lip as she waits for my reply. I flip through a few more pages, each one more stunning than the next.

"H-How? What?" I can't even form a coherent sentence.

"Tania's photography hobby has turned into a full-time business for her. She took these pictures for me and had them made into a photo book. I wanted you to have these to remind you of me while we're apart," she says, her voice unsure.

"First of all, I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear that Tania took these pictures. More importantly, these are incredible. I'm not sure how you expect me to sleep at night knowing that these pictures need to be leered at. Or knowing that I'd much rather have the 'real Andi' rather than the 'picture Andi.'"

This has been the best Christmas I've ever had by far. I don’t say it out loud, but something in me settles in a way it never has before.

Like I finally have something worth losing.

After we clean up the mess from the presents, we spend the rest of the day simply enjoying our downtime. I'm shocked Mack gave me time off just before I leave, but then I guess he wants me as fresh and recovered as I can possibly be. I only have these few days to spend with her.

I dread leaving in one week. Not because of the distance. Because distance changes things. People say it doesn’t if it’s real.

I’ve never believed that.

The day after New Year's Day, I will be on a plane to Las Vegas, marking the start of our six-month separation. The following day, I'll start my rigorous training schedule, and she'll be here, preparing for her rigorous touring schedule.

"You're quiet," she says.

"Just enjoying having you here with me," I say. We're stretched out on the couch, she's lying back on my chest, and the movie neither of us is really watching plays on in the background. These are some of my favorite times with her—the ones where nothing is required of either of us.

"You have that look on your face."

"How do you know what look I have? You're not even looking at me," I chuckle.

"I know you, Luke Woods. You have that somewhere-else look. What's on your mind?"