It seems I start all updates for Baby Steps with an apology for taking too long to post a new one ... and this time is no different. One reason is I can't stop adding to a chapter when I'm writing it, which is why I decided to divide this one up. I'll be posting the second half as soon as I finish editing it. All familiar characters are Janet's. The inevitable mistakes are mine.
Chapter 54
"Happy Birffdays, Mama," I heard my little man say bright and early, infiltrating my dream of us being on vacation in Bali ... Ranger and I sipping ice-cold drinks on the beach as Matty, Julie, and Pup-Pup, chase each other up and down it. Proud parents that we are, we were smiling at how Julie enjoys every experience she has, and how comfortable our son seems in almost every space he's in now despite his age.
But my mind and body are fully back in Trenton, looking into a pair of blue eyes before moving much further up to catch the relaxed amusement in the brown ones belonging to the man holding what I'm guessing is a special breakfast for me. Matty has changed a lot of things about me, one being his high-pitched version of 'Happy Birthday' made me happier than the smell of the food Ranger kept hold of. And as strange as it is to think, it doesn't matter that it's still dark out, all I care about is that my men got up extra quiet and got together to arrange something just for me, likely made by just the two of them.
My baby climbed up onto the bed, squished my cheeks towards each other with both of his little hands, and he planted a baby kiss on me. "Mmmwwwa," was the playful sound accompanying it.
"This birthday is my favorite one already," I told them, hugging Matty to me.
"Because you get to stay in bed since we brought breakfast to you?" Ranger said, holding my tray to the side so he could lean down and kiss me, too, which had Matty once again trying to stick his fingers between our mouths to break any suction we could've possibly generated.
My before-bed mouthwash must really work, since neither guy hesitated in kissing me.
"Mama gets two kisses," Matty told his Daddy, sticking one finger of both hands up into the air.
"Aren't I lucky? Did you guys help Ella with breakfast this morning?" I asked him. "Or did you two go it alone?"
"Dada dans I's mades yous bweakfass for yous birffday."
"And what a great job you both did," I said, curling an arm around him to pull him closer so I could kiss his messy hair. "Thank you."
That prompted Ranger to place the breakfast tray across my lap.
"It smells really good. Who decided what to make?" I asked.
"Matty wanted chocolate involved."
"That makes sense. He likes chocolate cake, cookies, and candy, as much as I do. Don't you, Matty?"
"Chocwhich is ... yum-yum for mys tum-tum," he said, patting his little rounded tummy.
I caught the look Ranger shot me. "That one is all Marie," I quickly explained. "Your mom gets a kick out of him saying it. Oh, would you looky here ... someone hid their chocolate inside my French toast!"
Our baby showed his dimples. "I dids dat."
"He also called Ella to ask for suggestions on what he should make," Ranger informed me, sitting down beside us on the bed.
Matty's chest puffed up with importance. "I useded Dada's zells fone dans alled GrandMella."
"You did all of that just for me?" I asked him.
He nodded his head hard enough to make his dark hair move closer to his eyes.
"We wuvs Mama," I was told. "Much bweary big."
"And that's still not as much as I love you both ... and Pup-Pup, even though I'm guessing he chose eating his own breakfast over staring at me as I have mine."
"He has his priorities when a life or death situation isn't present."
"I admit, he's had his paws full there ... a zoo-shooting, a creepy sorta stalker who was physically able to, and legally allowed to, work yet his Dementia-mind made him unable to in my mind, a Halloween-bomb ..."
"Technically, Pup-Pup wasn't involved in any of those situations, there or here," he reminded me.
"I know. I'm just pointing out that he has his work cut out for him watching over this particular family."
I took a bite of my food and wanted to kiss them both again, so I did.
"Two kisses means Mama really likes what you've made, Matty," Ranger translated for our son.
Our baby jerked his hand towards his chest and the tip of his thumb disappeared into a wrinkle that had formed in his pajama top when he'd sat down.
"I's cans cooks."
To prove exactly that to him, I went in for another forkful. "You can. Clearly better than me. Since there was only one fork beside my plate, I'm guessing you two ate already?"
"Dada mades mes teddy bwear toast ..."
"With the banana-slice ears and muzzle?"
"Yup," he answered, his mouth making a popping sound as he said the word. "Nanner ewers dan nozes. I gots my egg ambles two."
"Dada does make the best scrambled eggs."
"I whapped them all opens," he said, demonstrating his particular egg-cracking technique with his two little hands as if my plate was the bowl they'd used.
I continued to demolish my birthday food as I prompted a play-by-play of their morning. "Did you get to whisk them all up, too?"
His head nodded emphatically again. "I gots to useded the big octdobus whisp."
I smiled at Ranger, more happy than I can say at how much he encourages our baby, how he shows his love for him, and his love for me through him.
"Dada let you use the big whisk?" I asked, mock surprise lacing my voice. "He must reeeally trust you to hand that over."
Matty had his legs fully stretched out in front of him on our bed and he tapped his bare feet together three times.
"I's a big boy."
"You are Mama's little man."
"Dada's da biggor man."
I took my last bite of French toast, purposely saving the piece with the most brownie batter filling for last so I could accurately remember the taste of it before I washed it down with my coffee.
"Dada's my big man," I answered. "And he probably thinks you're his, since you're his little doppelganger."
"Appleammer."
"Yup. It means you're just like him ... in looks, charm, smarts, sweetness, and warmth," I warned.
Ranger knew what I was about to do, so he took my tray away and put my coffee on the nightstand beside the bed.
I snaked an arm around Matty and snuggled my face into his cuddly little body. The happy laugh and giggly 'Mama!' exclamations called our puppy to the party.
"Sorry, Pup-Pup," I told our dog, who had paused in the doorway, "it's my birthday so I get Matty."
"Since it is your birthday, how do you feel about unwrapping a present now?" Ranger asked me.
"Isn't my breakfast my gift?"
"You know better than that, Babe. You have a day ahead of you that will be filled with them, but Julie sent you something and wanted me to give it to you 'first thing'."
"I told her not to get me anything. I actually meant it, too. I wasn't just saying it because you're supposed to."
"She chose not to listen. She loves you, Steph. And she knows you'll like whatever she gets you so this is fun for her and makes her as happy as it does you."
"Way to get me to give in. And of course I'll love what she picks. What she finds funny is even stranger than what I do."
"This will fall nicely into that category."
"Good. I'd be disappointed if she went the typical or 'normal' route, since I'm neither. Matty, do you wanna help Mama unwrap Julie's present? I know your sister ... she uses extra tape on everything she wraps. It's going to be tough."
He scooted up a bit further to where my back was against the pillows and sat the same way I was. His "I love Mommy, I love Daddy" pajamas, which had those six words written out in different shades of blue, were riding up his little legs. To me, that made his bare feet and tiny toes look even more adorable. The fact that I made this perfect little person still takes me by surprise on mornings like this one.
He called his puppy to the bed for present-unwrapping-backup. "Pup-Pup! Elbs me dans Mama."
As he's been trained to do, our dog came running but he glanced at Ranger first before hurling himself onto the bed. Poor Pup-Pup received 'the look' from Ranger when he tried to wiggle his furry butt onto our bed yesterday when Matty was napping. My hubby doesn't like any space between me and himself when we find ourselves with some unexpected adult-time, so a dog's entire body-length was going to be an issue. But today Ranger was feeling generous, so our puppy not only got to stay on the bed, he was allowed his own pillow.
Matty pulled on a corner of the wrapping paper covered in a confetti print, and Pup-Pup took over from there. He bit the paper Matty had made into a bigger flag, and with one jerk of his head Pup-Pup yanked it, magician-style, totally off the gift box.
"I don't have to lift another finger with these two experts around," I said to Ranger.
"You should know by now, if you ask for help around here, you will get it."
"And then some," I replied.
In seconds, I had the box - minus every piece of paper and tape - thanks to Pup-Pup's little nibble teeth - sitting on my lap. Three sets of eyes watched me open it and then read Julie's newest sign-find. I told myself superheroes don't cry, but the eye-water was close to the surface as I shared with Matty and Pup-Pup what my sign said. Ranger, of course, already knows.
"To my Steph-mom ..." I read out loud. "You're funnier than a YouTube video, more persuasive than Bat-Dad, able to blow up tall buildings in a single visit ... the girl of the Burg is now the woman we all love."
Only Julie would be able to find a personalized Superman-inspired saying for me.
"That girl continues to improve with age."
"She's not wine, Babe."
"Nope, she's waaaay better and much more mellowing. Right, Matty? We think your sister is the best, don't we?"
"Jubie hi's me."
"Yep. She always makes sure she says 'Hi' to you every time she calls, FaceTimes, or texts. You're lucky to have a sister like her, just as she is to have a little brother who looks up to her as much as you do."
"I wuvs Jubie. I gives her bigs many huwgs," he said, crossing his arms and giving himself a hug strong enough to have his body bumping into mine.
"No wonder she keeps coming back," I said, wrapping an arm back around my baby, "if you give out hugs like that. Can I have a big birthday hug before I get up?"
"Careful what you ask for, Babe," Ranger warned.
I knew what he meant, and I was already braced to absorb the impact of a twenty-six pound body launching itself into me. Not only was I prepared for it, I welcomed every inch of the kid-shaped package of love delivered to me.
"I huwgs you twos," Matty told me.
"Thank you. You and Dada do give the best ones."
I kept my hold on him and also hugged Pup-Pup, who wasn't going to be left out. Not to be outdone by the other guys in my life, Ranger gave me his gift right after. He probably felt he had to because he knows the birthstone necklace he gave me for a past birthday present is what I wear on every special day or for every family get-together. Not only did he originally give me a pretty amazing necklace with my birthstone on it, he also didn't mind when I wanted Matty's, Julie's, and his own, birthstone added to it.
Needless to say, I'd already been in love with it, but as I unwrapped another jewelry box, I saw that he added to it yet again and had also changed how the stones representing us were situated. Instead of there being round ones surrounded by teeny diamonds sitting on an equally sparkly chain, our birthstones now have short metal 'beams' dangling from the original piece of jewelry.
I cut my eyes to Ranger, who had been trying to teach Matty how to crumple wrapping paper up just right in order to make a clean shot from the bed into the small wastebasket tucked in the corner by the safe.
"You really know how to take a good thing and make it better, don't you?" I asked my husband.
"You inspire me to try. Did you read my message?"
"Yes, I read your card. I love that, too. Thank you."
He looked down at Matty. "Mama didn't find the letters. Would you like to show her where they are?"
"They's dawre," our son told me, pointing to the cylinder-like pieces of metal hanging off the center of the chain.
"Where?" I asked, running my eyes up and down them.
"Hold the necklace up in front of you and aim the ends of the metal towards you."
Usually Ranger doesn't like anything except his lips aimed at me, but I did what he said. Turns out, the little metal beams were specifically shaped so the ends of them would spell out "Love U".
"I love you right back," I told him, punctuating my words with a kiss. "I should've asked how I could add a stone for Pup-Pup's b-day so you would've had enough birthstones without needing a stoneless 'V'."
"The design works," he said against my mouth.
"It does. I'm not waiting for tonight to wear it. Can you tie it for me?"
"With pleasure."
I turned and shivered when he brushed my curls aside. My whole body went warm when he kissed the nape of my neck before his fingertips teased my skin as he fastened the chain's clasp. If Matty and Pup-Pup weren't right beside us, my front would be receiving some fingertip action close to where the necklace settled against my chest.
"Okay ... I have my guys, my necklace, and a full belly, I'm really ready to face the day now," I told them.
Pup-Pup was too and leapt off the bed, wanting to do something beyond sit in our bedroom all day. Matty was right behind him.
"I'll get him dressed in his 'uniform' while you shower. Take as long as you want," I was told.
I don't need a long time. I actually get excited about birthdays now, even my own, so I quickly did everything I needed to so all I'll have to do is change clothes to be ready to leave this afternoon. I rejoined my men and we headed downstairs, with Pup-Pup taking point. Matty was holding each of our hands as we rode the elevator down to the control room. We had a half-day of work planned before we take off for Newark for a small birthday party. Matty's planning on staying the night with his grandparents while Ranger takes me somewhere only he and God know about to end this year's birthday celebration.
I wanted to picture what the night may have in store for me, but I kept getting distracted by the white tooth-filled, and overall excited-looking, grin Matty was giving me.
"What're you smiling so big about?" I asked him, before glancing over at Ranger.
Ranger didn't answer, which wasn't a surprise. Matty didn't spill, either. Which only made me more suspicious. He's easy to read unless his Daddy puts a secret in his 'Little Bossman's' hands. Matty laughed and hugged my legs, so now I know something's up and I'm likely walking into an ambush. Since Ranger allowed Matty and I to step out onto the fifth floor before him, I knew it was a harmless one.
"Weady four takeoff!" Matty shouted, holding four kid-fingers up.
Clearly our counting games are paying off, but I stopped and again looked at him and Ranger, wondering what was up with that announcement. The last time I heard him say it was when we were reading his book about airports and all the planes that fly in and out of them.
I heard Bobby's voice next. "The Eagle has landed. Get her."
"Help, Matty!" I said, ducking down behind him as I felt the first paper plane point hit me. "I'm being attacked!"
Paper airplanes were dive-bombing me from every direction, and from every different Rangeguy-height.
"Theys arwe birffdays planes, Mama. Sees?" He bent his knees and scooped one of them up off the carpet.
He made engine noises as he 'flew' the plane to me. I took his offering and unfolded the paper, reading a message from Ram ... 'Pizza on Friday, my treat. Love, (platonically, of course, in case Ranger is standing beside or behind you) Ram'.
"I knew I hired intelligent men," Ranger replied, because he was standing right next to me.
"Happy Birthday, Steph," Woody said. "We thought this would be a fun way to get M.J. involved in the celebration. I hope we didn't freak you out."
"I used my Ranger-gauge. He wasn't acting concerned, which automatically makes me worry less. But you including our baby, clued me in. Matty can only keep a secret when his Daddy is the one whispering it. He isn't subtle otherwise."
Cal shrugged. "It don't matter. We got you. Didn't we, M.J.?"
Matty did his best to meet the high five closer to Cal's height, even backing up a little so he could make a running jump to see how high he could get this time. Yep, this birthday is definitely different, and it has me really looking forward to next year's already.
"Wight," Matty declared.
Hector and Vince were on aircraft cleanup and they presented me with a gift bag full of them when they were finished.
"Each plane has a message from one of us on it," Hal explained.
"And no, this isn't our way of being cheap and not getting you actual presents," Lester wanted me to know. "We got those, too."
"Ella has a cake set for you to have before we shoot over to Newark. This party is a precursor to the one there," Tank added, coming into the control room.
His presence immediately inspired another huge Matty-smile.
"Wes surpwized gots, Mama!" He told GodUncle Tank, when he was picked up for a hug. "Witt da birffdays pwanes."
"And who made his own special plane for Mama?" Ranger asked him.
Matty pressed both thumbs into his chest. "I's dids."
"You wrote me a message?" I asked, trying to stay smiling so they wouldn't see how much that affected me.
I know my baby loves me, but it still knocks me out sometimes just how much he does. It took me years to grasp the concept that Ranger could, so I shouldn't be surprised that it'd take me some time to figure out that I'm a good mom, and that my son seems to think so, too. Not getting a lot of love, before Ranger and Matty, that didn't come with strings or unpleasant expectations attached to it, still has my mind struggling to catch up to my heart.
"Dada elbed me writes it."
"He did, did he?"
"We sats at da desk! I useded Dada's pen!" He shared, full of pride and a fair amount of excitement.
"Wow ... you got to man the big whisk and Dada's pen? You're having a pretty big day yourself. Any chance my Matty-messages is easy to find in my plane hanger here?" I asked, shaking the full bag of paper airplanes.
"I'm afraid not, Babe. He put a helicopter sticker on the outside of his, but you'd still have to dig through the bag to find his decorated one."
"Can you tell me what it said then? You know I was born early and already impatient."
Tank was trying hard not to grin as Ranger looked at Matty who was enjoying being adult-height as his GodUncle held him.
"What do you think, Matty?" Ranger asked him. "Should we tell Mama?"
He nodded his head decisively. "Debinity."
"Do you remember what I helped you write?"
Another head nod. "I's wememberws."
"This is going to be good," I heard Junior say.
It took my baby a minute, and a few tries, to get all the words out and in the right place, but I got the gist of it.
"Happy Birffdays, Mama. I wuvs you more dan ookies, biggor dan huwgs, strownger dan Batman, and harwder dan bugs."
"You came up with that all by yourself, didn't you?" I asked him.
"I's mades wymes."
"You certainly did. I don't know if I should smile, kiss you, or start scratching at that bug-mention."
"Scwatch like Pup-Pup?" He said, pointing to where our puppy was trying to get his clipped toenails under his collar, likely just to see if he could.
Ella would freak if he had fleas, so his scratching is purely recreational.
"Well, maybe not exactly like that. I'm not that flexible," I answered.
The guys all laughed and I got Matty back for a hug and a kiss.
"I gots yous a pwesent two," he informed me.
"Really? And you didn't want to give it to me when I was opening Julie and Dada's gifts?"
"He thinks it's too interesting to keep to ourselves," Ranger told me. "He wanted to either give it to you down here or in Newark. I believe he has an audience in mind for its unveiling."
"I vote for here," Lester said. "I wanna see what a one-and-a-half-year-old picks out for a gift. M.J. got it you said?"
"Yes," Ranger answered, not giving us room to question it.
"Hmmm, he's a bit young to be on the payroll, was someone dipping into the helper jar to buy this thing?" Uncle Annoying teased.
Now my baby vehemently shook his head. "The Elber Jawers for peoples dat needs mys elb."
"You tell him, Matty," I said, proud beyond words. My son is going to grow up to be one of the good guys, thanks to all my guys here. "We don't use donations for presents for ourselves, do we?"
"We gives the monies so da peoples haves some."
"See what good influences you all have been?" I pointed out. "He didn't even have to stop and think about it."
"He's a pretty good kid," Tank added.
"The absolute best. And no doubt having a Daddy who knows his way around a birthday gift, ups his chances of giving a good one."
"I'm not kidding, Steph. Matthew spied it, kept tapping my shoulder until I turned to see what caught his eye, and he told me ... 'There's Mama's present.'"
"Uh-huh."
"Give or take a syllable or two."
I couldn't help but laugh, then I hugged and kissed him for being so freakin' great. Not only have I seen Ranger help Matty write numerous times now - his big hand wrapped around the little one as he guided our son through letter formations - he didn't talk Matty out of including bugs in his birthday message, despite knowing I'd immediately be picturing them crawling all over me. What makes this conversation even sweeter, is if Matty picked something out without me knowing, they had to have spent part of their 'guy day' getting me my present.
"Thank you," I whispered to Ranger, as Matty and Pup-Pup ran to the monitoring station and its countless screens with Tank and Bobby following close behind them.
They casually stood guard even inside our own building.
"I can't replace every bad birthday you've had," Ranger told me, "but I can make sure everyone I have with you is special."
"They have been. This isn't as cheesy as it sounds, but I honestly believe my life got a reboot when we finally got together. If I try really hard, I can sorta remember what life was like before you completely changed it, but I don't want to."
"You don't have to. We look forward, not back."
"Or only back as far as our first 'real couple'-kiss. I don't mind reliving that one at all."
"Look back or move forward," he told me. "The choice is always yours."
I took a step forward and found myself in his arms. Funny how that happened.
"I like moving forward," I admitted, "because I get another kiss."
"You do. Happy Birthday, Babe."
Our son being so engaging, kept the guys busy for a second so I could fully appreciate the feel, press, and taste, of Ranger's lips.
"Makeout on five," Lester announced in his exaggerated 'broadcaster voice'.
"I was making a wish," I tried out as an excuse.
"If The Boss was holding a candle between his teeth, I might buy that. Since he isn't, you're just trying to squeeze in a makeout session while M.J.'s busy."
I took a step back and sighed. Lester's a royal pain in the ass, but I still love him. Hell, I love everyone today. Or I thought I did, until my dad called. Yup, my mom made my dad call so it'd up the chances I'd pick up. I remember now why I haven't enjoyed today's date before Ranger.
I tried to look on the bright side, a phone call is better than a visit. I kept my eyes on my baby and my back against my permanent backup.
"This is a surprise," I told my dad, but he didn't have a chance to answer before my mother was taking over the call.
He could've kept possession of the phone and the conversation, but I knew he wouldn't. What my mother wants ... my mother gets, or everyone around her suffers.
"It's your birthday, Stephanie," she informed me. "Did you honestly think we would forget?"
Think she'd forget? No. Hope she would? Definitely.
"No, Mom. I didn't," I answered after a beat.
"I was afraid my ... our ... gift to you would be labeled 'suspicious' and conveniently thrown away if I had something delivered."
Her tone conveyed that she couldn't fathom 'a mother' needing to sink so low as to have to mail a gift across town to her own child. It'd break my heart if I was ever in the position with Matty, but I know 'heartbroken' isn't what Helen Plum is feeling.
"I understand why you wouldn't send something," I said to her.
Of course she chose to interpret my words differently than how I meant them.
"Good. So you agree that there's no reason why you can't come over with Matthew today," she stated, sensing a win in her immediate future.
It was a statement, not a question and I sighed again, but this time in total frustration. It feels like we have the same exact conversation every time we talk. I refuse to budge, and she refuses to see or hear what I'm feeling.
"I'm going to have to disagree with you here. There are plenty of reasons why Matty, I, and Ranger," I stressed, so she'd be aware I caught her exclusion of him, "won't be in the Burg today. We ..."
I stopped my explanation because Ranger did what my dad refuses to do. My hubby had been prepared to spare me another unpleasant conversation, and then redirect my mother's irritation towards him so I won't have to add another ten pounds to the baggage I'm still schlepping around. I don't want him subjected to her, but he wasn't giving me the option of protecting him at what he believes would be at the expense of myself.
Ranger took my phone away. "I'm sorry to interrupt," he said in a tone that we all know means he isn't sorry at all. "MY birthday girl has plans, and she has only a few minutes to open her presents here before our workday begins. I would pass along your best wishes, but I have yet to hear you offer any. I'd also say have a good day, but I'm too busy enjoying ours."
And he disconnected.
"Wow, someone's in a mood," I told him, totally in awe of how he can take control of every situation without having to think about it.
"I am. I'm in a good mood. Matty will want you to open his present first, and it's going to take a few minutes."
"He bought me a puzzle, didn't he? I wouldn't be shocked if he noticed that I started to sweat when the last time we were at a toy store, he stopped to look at a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle with a jungle animal/inside a jungle theme."
"It's not a puzzle. Come on," he said, dropping an arm around me and steering me towards the conference room Ella had taken over for part of my day.
One of the huge rectangle tables was buried under gifts. Considering the number of people who work in this building, the present-mountain shouldn't have made my jaw drop, but it did. For almost my whole life, I'd only received gifts from a handful of people, and only the ones from Mary Lou, Grandma, and occasionally Val, I would actually keep, so having everyone here want to acknowledge the day I entered the world and express that I've contributed something to theirs, is pretty amazing. But I know the Rangeguys do take care of their own, and I'm one of them now. As Julie so maturely pointed out ... I'm no longer a Burg girl, I've become a Rangewoman/RangeMama.
"Yous sits thewre, Mama," my son instructed me, pulling me by both hands to a chair at the head of another table.
It was festively set by Ella with a white tablecloth covering it, colorful circle-shaped banners hanging down from the ceiling above it, with complementary-colored wildflowers and plates on it. Balloons were attached to everything except the men pouring in. The cheerful red, orange, yellow, and purple, colors instantly created a happy mood wherever you looked.
"I guess I'm the guest of honor, huh?" I said to Ranger.
"Always," he told me.
In front of me, he placed a small square box covered in wrinkly wrapping paper, which suggested that Matty had helped wrap it. Also the paper has various animals holding balloons, not Ranger's typical paper-choice.
"Dat's mine gifzes," Matty told me, all but dancing in anticipation beside me, not attempting to keep still at all while I opened it.
But before I could get the last bit of paper off the gift box, he grabbed Ranger's hand and pulled him a few feet away from where I was. I was suspicious again as my Baby's Daddy took out his cell before kneeling down to our son's level for a quick consultation. Murmurs were circulating among the guys, too, all of us wondering what's up.
I was so wrapped up watching my two men plotting something, I stopped unwrapping my present. Ranger is so big, brave, quiet, and deadly when he has to be ... and Matty's so sweet, cuddly, trusting, and fairly loud when he's feeling especially happy. They're sort of personality opposites who complement each other perfectly ... distractingly.
"We're waiting on you, Babe," Ranger told me. "You need to actually open your gift to appreciate why Matty picked it."
"Yeah, hurry up, Steph. We're not gonna live forever," Bobby added. "Unlike you, these two won't tell us ahead of time what they bought."
"Jeez, there seems to be a lot of pressure when it comes to presents. Give me a sec. Will ya?"
I managed to get the paper completely off the fancy box and pulled out a solid wood box with a heart attached to the front of it. I glanced up to ask Ranger if that box opens ... but the heart started spinning before I could say a word.
"Take the top off the box, Steph," my hubby instructed.
Well, that answers the question of if the wood box opens. I did what I was told, and through watery eyes I saw and read a digital message from Matty on the small screen inside the heart box. I could almost hear his voice inside my own head as I read his words.
"Hi, Mama. I wuvs you much big and lots. Happy Birffday. Wuv, youwr Matty ... and Dada.
"I typed it exactly how he said it," Ranger explained, as he scooped up Matty and both came to stand by me.
"How...?"
"There's an app that syncs the box to my phone. When Matty wants to send you a special message, I or 'he' will type it out and send it. The heart on the box will then spin to alert you that you have something new from him."
By now I've learned I don't have to question what he says, only enjoy it. He sat our Range-son down on my lap and held his phone in front of the three of us so we could all see that opening the box and reading the message had sent a shower of hearts back to Ranger's cell to let him know I received Matty's message.
"That is so cool," I told them.
"Good gift, M.J.," the guys all told him, or a similar version of those words.
"I nowed yous likit my pwesent," Matty said to me, his mouth smiling as his blue eyes tracked the heart shower still raining down on his Daddy's cell-screen.
"I do. I love it ... and you even more," I said, hugging him hard but carefully so I wouldn't hurt him with the full extent of my feelings. "Thank you both. If my birthday ended right now, it'd still be the best one."
No surprise ... my day didn't stop there.
To Be Continued ...
A/N: All but Julie's sign-gift to Stephanie can be found online, though I did combine two separate necklace ideas for Steph's altered birthday gift from Ranger.
