One Special Gift

It had been so long since Ben Warren had taken a stroll in the toy section, but here he was, in Target, strolling. The lights and sounds, colors and textures of everything was overwhelming even to him. How the kids dancing in and out of the aisles managed to stay without getting headaches was beyond his comprehension. It seemed weird, but he was actually observing what toys they gravitated to. It was Christmastime and that meant shopping for every child in his family. And there were plenty of them. Though it wasn't completely true, it felt like everyone had a kid except for him and it also felt like everyone had kids just so he had to buy them gifts. After fifteen minutes, which was enough time to be there without looking like a pervert, he'd filled his shopping cart and was heading toward the exit.

Once in his car, he pulled out his phone and began crossing names off the "Kids" list. "Got something for Nicki. And Sway. Jas and Joey. Dom, Kris, Amethyst. CeCe and Jax." The last name on his list sent his heart into a mild frenzy. "Tuck." His girlfriend's six-year-old. Though the other children were his family, this one was his favorite. And not just because Miranda Bailey was the greatest love he'd ever experienced, but because Tuck was just a really cool ass kid. Barely in first grade, he was way smarter than he was supposed to be—no doubt thanks to his mother's genes. And they had similar interests. That had freaked him out at first. He thought he was going to be the cool guy and introduce Tuck to this older TV show only to find out that he was a fan. Ben chuckled to himself. What Kindergartener was into Transformers and the ThunderCats?

"I told you," Miranda said after she'd put the five-year-old Tuck to bed. "We watched it on YouTube one time and he got hooked." It was only the second time that Ben was staying over with Tuck in the house.

Ben just couldn't stop shaking his head. "How old is he… really? He's gotta be like Benjamin Button."

His girlfriend had giggled and sipped some of her wine. The small act was so seductive, he leaned over and kissed her. It wasn't a long one because he knew what was coming. "He's still awake and I…"

"I know, babe. I know. I just wanted to kiss you." Ben picked up her left hand and imagined a ring on it. The thought seemed premature, but he knew what he wanted. Her.

"And my child is not aging in reverse or whatever that movie is about. He's just smart."

"Like his mom."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You're still not getting any tonight."

"I already got what I wanted," he told her kissing her once more.

Getting home, Ben piled the toys beneath the tree his sisters had forced him to put up. He'd also added lights for razzle dazzle. He turned them on and watched them brighten up the room. Checking his list again, he noted that he'd finished the adult portion. His sisters were getting gift cards to Morphe and Sephora. His best friend was getting concert tickets. Mom was getting a spa weekend for herself and a plus one. Dad was getting 18 holes on one of the best fairways on the east coast.

And for Miranda, since it was their first Christmas together, he was gifting her with a camera she'd had her eye on. He'd wanted to give her a vacation to someplace nice and warm, but thought he should scale back a bit. Especially since he was also planning to propose on Christmas Eve. The ring was all picked out and perfectly sized. It'd been ten months of slowly falling in love with the surgeon and he was ready. Nervous, yes, but ready all the same. The only person that he hadn't yet gotten a gift for was Tuck. It befuddled him how difficult the task was.

He'd wanted to get him a game system, but he could hear Miranda saying that it was too much. Plus, his father, her ex-husband, made sure that the boy had every console out—though Ben kind of figured that it was more for his enjoyment than for his son's. He'd also thought about giving him a random toy, perhaps one of the ones he'd gotten for Jax or Dom who were both about Tuck's age, but they didn't seem right. Miranda hadn't been any help while he searched. She just kept telling him that Tuck would love whatever he got him. And that Ben knew, but he still wanted to make it special. Time was ticking and he only had two and half weeks left. The next morning, he went for his usual run and saw a little girl driving an electric jeep in her front yard and he wondered… "You want to give my son a car?"

Rolling his eyes, he said: "It's a little kid thing."

She shook her head. "I don't know about that, Ben."

"He can drive around in the yard and driveway, down the sidewalk."

"Find something else?" She asked with wide eyes. "Please."

Ben sighed, "Sure."

"Thank you, honey." The term made him blush. He was hers.

"So… would you say you're in love with me or that you just love me?" Miranda asked as they drove through town from dinner.

"Who said either applied?" Ben countered slowing down as a light turned yellow. She took her hand from his. "Okay, okay, okay. I'm in love you."

Reaching for the radio, she increased the volume. Simultaneously, he used the button on the steering wheel to turn it down. He held in a laugh watching the confusion dart across her face. "Is that you?" Ben laughed loudly and Miranda shook her head. "You're a joke, you know that?"

"I'm your joke though."

"Who said that?"

"You don't love me?"

Miranda turned away from him, her dress rising a bit. At a red light, he stared at her exposed leg. "See something you like?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Yes," he answered honestly. In bed they watched a movie. "What do you think about marriage?" They were only six months into their relationship and marriage was the one subject that he often avoided. Miranda's first marriage had been—in her words—something she wasn't sure she wanted to do again. At first, it had caught him off-guard, but, eventually, he'd understood.

"I think it's too soon for you to propose," she replied after a while.

"Wait. I have to propose?"

Miranda turned to face him. "If you don't propose, we're not getting married."

"Will you marry me?" He asked smirking a little. Even though he was only messing around, but his heart was leaping in his chest.

She waved him off. "You play too damn much, Ben."

"Maybe in a few months, you'll be ready to say yes."

Miranda's shrug had been noncommittal. "Perhaps.

Ben's favorite part of his job was that he mostly worked at the beginning of a surgery and at the end. Usually, he spent the time in between listening or reading up on current procedures, but today, one week from Christmas, he was panicking. "What about a trip to Disney World?" His best friend, Jackson Avery suggested.

"Is a six-year-old gonna remember that?" The room was undecided. "What about a football game? With great seats and the works?"

Jackson switched tools and asked: "You don't think he'll remember The Mouse, but you want to take him to a Seahawks game?"

"Well, yeah, but it would be Ravens-focused since that's who he roots for."

"Baltimore?" Ben nodded. "Oh, dad is from the east, got it."

"Back to the drawing board."

Jackson's hazel eyes opened. "What about art… stuff? The easel, paints, the works."

Ben made a face. That was a great gift for someone not for Tuck. "Next."

In the OR, a nurse offered the idea of an instrument. Another thought a trip to the water park would be a lot of fun. He'd wrote all of the suggestions in his phone. "Twenty minutes in the toy store and he can get whatever he wants," his resident said as they walked down the hall. "That's what I always wanted."

"That's not bad, Cruz. Thanks."

Four days from Christmas and he was still at a lost. In the crowded mall, he walked past "Barnes & Nobles" and popped in for a second trying to get some inspiration. Books had been in the running and while he was a big fan of reading, it seemed underwhelming and Tuck was never starved for a book. He had a whole bookcase of them. One that Ben had put together a few months back.

"Hand me that odd-looking thingy," Ben told Miranda as she sat in Tuck's beanbag chair.

"Don't they have names?"

"So, if I said 'Hand me the Allen wrench,' you'd know what I'm talking about?" He asked turning to face her.

Miranda twisted her lips to the side. "I am a surgeon, Benjamin Warren."

"I know that."

She picked up a socket wrench. He smiled and shook his head. "Damn it. You tricked me."

"I didn't." He crawled over to her and placed his hands on her thighs.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a breathy voice.

In lieu of an answer, he pressed his lips to her neck. "It said to pound P into slot V. I'm just following the instructions."

Miranda laughed and held the side of his face. "Not here."

They stood up and hurried into her bedroom, leaving the door wide open. Ben pulled off his shirt and watched his woman yank off her tank top. Scooping her up into his arms, he ran his hands over her back releasing her breasts from her bra and letting them fall into his mouth like raindrops. The moment his lips touched her nipples, they were erect. And so was he. Pushing her onto the bed, he pulled down her leggings, inhaling her scent. Ben put his face between her legs and was just about to devour his goddess when she shoved his head out of the way and moved to the head of the bed. "W… what are you doing?"

"Pay attention." Staring at him with a devilish look in her eyes, she opened her legs and began massaging herself. Feeling slightly light-headed, he watched, taking note of how she pleasured herself, aching to be the one to do it. Ben couldn't hold back any longer and released himself from his sweatpants, stroking slowly. "Yes!" She cried.

"Miranda, please," he begged. He never thought he'd be a man who begged for it, but anything this woman did, he wanted to be a part of. "I need you." His motions were getting faster now and she'd forgotten that he was in the room and, by the way her body was arched, she was nearing a climax. Ben climbed on the bed and moved between her legs again. This time she didn't stop him and he lapped at her silky flesh.

Miranda held down his head. "Right there. Right there. Oooo. Right there. Please, Ben." Grabbing at his hair, she pulled him up with one hand, kissing him passionately and the other guided his organ to her center.

Ben collapsed into her body. "Damn. You feel so good."

"Tell me how good I feel."

He bit his bottom lip and put his mouth to her ear. "So good that I want to fuck you so hard that your eyes roll back and you can't even remember where you are until minutes after we're done." He grunted easing into her more feeling her cover every inch of him. "I want you to scream my name so loud that your neighbors come running wondering what… the fuck… happened."

"Yes, baby. Yes! Ben! Ben! That's it!"

"I want you to know that this pussy is mine."

"It's yours, baby," she whined, submitting and his hips took off, grinding into her aggressively. "Ben! I'm coming. I'm… God, I'm coming."

Her nails in his lower back made him let out a moan. "Damn, Miranda!" As he began orgasming, he started to pull out, but she wrapped her legs around him. "Fuck. I'm coming."

"I know," she said rocking her body. They made eye contact for the first time and he burst, reaching for her hair and tugging it gently. When they finished, he fell beside her and it shocked the hell out of him, when she grabbed his length and began sucking their juices off of him. His body spasmed with every touch. "You taste so damn good."

"Tell me," he told her, running his hand through her tresses. It excited him that he was the only one who knew how The Doctor Bailey was when having sex.

She rubbed his tip with her thumb before swallowing him and he let out a deep moan. "You taste like paradise." Ben nodded as Miranda looked up at him, her brown eyes fierce. "I want to drain you," she said between licks, "and leave you so weak that you can't even think about moving. You're so good that I want more…" Getting on top of him, she continued: "and I'm not even done yet."

"Fuck yeah," he said striking her breasts with his tongue.

"Yeah?" She asked in a high-pitched voice as they began making love again.

"Yes."

Christmas Eve Eve, Ben woke up to something ringing and looked at the clock, but it wasn't his usual time to get up. "Too early," he said scratching his head, searching for his phone. His older sister Angela was calling. "Hello?"

"Hey, Benji. It's me and Ros."

He sat up. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," his younger sister, Rosalind, told him. "We just thought of a great gift for Miranda's son."

"Tuck," he said wiping his face.

"Right. What if you gave him a baby sister?" Angela laughed.

Ben nodded slowly. Why had he answered the phone? He should have known. "It's too early for games. And too close to Christmas for non-serious suggestions."

"But we're serious. At least I am," Ros said. He paused. Now that would be a gift for everyone. A pregnant Miranda. Ben shuddered tossing the idea.

Angela laughed, adding: "Just tell him it'll take a while to actually see and hold her."

He heard his door opening and his alarm beeped once. Someone who had a key was coming in. "Are either of you at my door?"

They said they weren't. "Well, I think Miranda's here. I probably won't call you two back, so I'll see you at the house later." He went to his front door and was swept away at how beautiful his girlfriend looked. Hair pulled into a ponytail and a dark blue sweatsuit and sneakers; she was too cute. "Morning!" He said kissing her cheek.

"Good morning."

"What are you doing here?" Miranda raised a brow. "I mean… I'm glad you're here. Did we have plans?" Her hands went to her hips. "What I'm trying to say is that… I love you?"

She took his hand and they moved toward his kitchen. "I got breakfast from that place we went to that one time," she said opening a paper bag and pulling out containers. After eating, they sat on his sofa, kissing softly. "So, I came over because tomorrow you'll be with your family and then Christmas… and Tuck will be with his father and I will be working most of the day."

"The invitation for you to join us is still open, babe. You and Tuck."

Miranda looked up at him and he wanted to pop the question right then and there. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Ben exclaimed. "In fact, you guys can just come over here tonight, too." The more he talked the more excited he got. "Yeah, yeah, my sisters are coming over with their kids. We're gonna do the whole holiday gambit. It's gonna be fun. Then you two can stay the night and then I can give Tuck his gift early instead of later."

"That sounds amazing, but you know I work tonight."

"Then drop Tuck off and… you know, when you finish, come by we'll still be here." He knew she would hesitate. Knew she would try to slide out of the get together.

So, he was surprised when she said: "Okay, we'll come."

He hooked her legs and dropped her to her back and moved on top of her as she giggled. "What if you come now?" Ben asked kissing her chin.

"You are such a…"

"Freak."

"Yeah, that's it," she said as she rubbed his head, captivating him. "What are you getting me for Christmas?"

Ben rubbed his eyes. "I already told you what I was getting you."

"I don't believe you."

"Then don't." He bit her neck slightly. "What'd you get me?"

She shrugged. "Nothing." Ben hated that he couldn't tell if she was telling the truth or not. Not that he needed her to get anything, of course, but it was the thought, right? She broke out into a smile and he relaxed. "Of course, I got you something, Ben. You better like it."

"I'll love it."

They were quiet as they kissed. "What did you get Tuck? Can you tell me that?" He started to speak and she cut him off. "Wait, don't tell me! Okay, tell me."

He laughed into her mouth. "I don't have anything yet."

Miranda closed her eyes tight. "I told you that you didn't have to get him anything."

"Miranda…"

"Honestly, he has enough, so don't even worry about it."

This time his voice was firm. "Miranda." They'd had this conversation before. "But he's your son and, hopefully, you know, one day, in the future, eventually, he'll be… you know," Ben exhaled through his sputtering, "he'll be my stepson. So, for our first Christmas, I have to get Tuck something and it has to be perfect."

She touched his cheek sympathetically. "Alright, hon. Then let's… let's brainstorm."

An hour later, they'd crossed off or she'd vetoed 20 gifts. "You cannot get my 6-year-old a puppy," she told him taking a sip of her lukewarm coffee. "Because I'll end up doing most of the work and they stink and just no… what else you got?"

Ben put his head in his hands. "I'm tapped." At this point, he was going to just give the boy his credit and let him go wild. He said this to Miranda and they fell out laughing.

"Something will come to you," she said. "But I have to go."

He found himself holding onto her so that she couldn't get up. "I thought you were leaving," he told her softly licking her lips before kissing her once more. At work, just as he finished signing a chart, his dad, Anthony, called. "Hey, dad," he said. Ben adored his father. When his friends were spending years fighting with their fathers, Ben never bragged that even when the older man got on his nerves, he was still one of Ben's favorite people.

"I think I want to ask Miranda to marry me," Ben told his father while back at home one weekend.

"She's too good for you," Anthony said with a laugh. Ben had joined in. That was almost true. "I'm kidding, but if you feel the love so strongly in your heart that you can't see yourself without her, then do it."

"You don't think it's too soon?"

Anthony sipped from son's beer. "I asked your mother to marry me after three weeks." The son smiled. His parents' love story was his blueprint for a successful friendship and marriage. "I said to myself…"

"Why wait?" The two of them said at the same time.

"Exactly," his father said giving Ben back his bottle. "Why wait?" The men sat for a long time on the back porch. Ben had been waiting years to enjoy the back porch with his father. He never thought he'd be living on the other side of the country and wouldn't be able to do it as often. "Is that how Miranda makes you feel?" Ben tried to hide his grin, but Anthony just smiled. "I thought so."

"She's in all of my good days. And her son is amazing. And I'm in love with them both."

Anthony gestured for the beer again. Ben almost didn't want to give it to him. His mother would be pissed. But he did anyway. "Then, go for it, son."

"Your mother and I are moving," Anthony told him.

Ben pulled his lips in. "Uh, where to?" His parents had been living in their two-story home for the last 35 years. He tried to sound excited about the news, but a piece of him had always hoped that between him, Ange and Ros, one of them would get the house. It had so many memories. Maybe he could buy it.

"Seattle."

"Here?"

His father laughed boisterously. "Because that's where our kids. And where, I presume, our grandchildren will be raised."

"Wow. Well, I can't wait to help you guys pack and to welcome you to the city."

"You can start by picking us up from the airport. We're spending the holidays here since you lot couldn't make it home."

Ben checked his watch. "Uh, alright, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Anthony thanked him. "And I have something for you."

"For me?"

"Yep, you're gonna love it." He left the hospital and headed right to the airport, calling Miranda.

"Where did you take off to?" She asked bypassing a greeting.

"My parents just landed so I'm going to pick them up."

"Oh?" She'd only met them once, but the two of them loved his girlfriend. Just like he knew they would. And she adored the older couple who probably reminded her of her own parents. "So, the whole Warren crew will be together for the holidays after all."

Nodding, he said: "Yep. And you're still coming tonight, right?"

"Still?"

"Yes, Miranda. I want you there. And Tuck." She got silent and it was so unlike her that he had to make sure that the call hadn't dropped. "If you don't want to come, the three of us can do something else." He parked the car and jumped out looking for Julia and Anthony. "I just want to be with you," he said.

"We'll be there."

"Promise?"

"Yes. I promise."

Ben would have loved for his parents to stay with him, but Angela begged for them to come to her house, probably because their mother would be cooking from dawn to dusk. But that was just as well because he wanted to time in the morning to make his grand gesture. That night, Angela and Rosalind dropped off their kids before running to the stores. Ben begged his sisters to pick something up for Tuck. "Anything. Something cool, please." Before they'd come over, he'd kid-proofed the apartment and he was glad that none of them were actual babies. The doorbell rang and Miranda was there with Tuck who was hiding behind her a little. She looked past him to see the four kids jumping around to music he'd put on. "Hey, Tuck. Merry Christmas," he said holding out his hand for the boy to slap. Ben ushered them in. "Merry Christmas, baby." He pointed upward at the mistletoe before pulling her into his arms kissing her.

The kids stopped and watched: "Oooo!"

His nephew, Jax, walked over and stared at Tuck. "Wanna play?" Tuck looked up at Ben who nodded.

"Yes! Let's go!"

Miranda smiled. "He'll be fine."

"I know."

"Make sure you come back."

"I will," she told him handing him a bag. "I got some stuff."

"You didn't have to do that."

Miranda grabbed his hand. "I know, but…"

"But you're a saint, I know."

"I am," she laughed. Marry me, he thought. They kissed a second time. "By the way, one of your nieces looks like she's about to open a gift."

Ben turned to see his niece, CeCe, reaching for a present with her name on it. "Don't you dare," he said sternly winking at her. The girl giggled and ran away. When he looked at the door, Miranda was gone.

Once the movie had started and the snacks had been handed out, Ben dipped into his bedroom. With only one day left, he still had no clue about what to give Tuck. There was a knock on his door and before he could answer, it was opening. Anthony walked in with a binder that Ben recognized immediately. "My trading cards?"

Anthony began nodding. "I was thinking that you'd like to have them before stuff gets lost in the shuffle."

"Wow," he said taking the big book from his father. "I haven't seen these in years. Jesus."

"Right? You loved these things." The men laughed as Ben flipped through the carefully organized cards. He'd started collecting them when he was seven and had stopped just before high school ended. "Remember us driving through the boondocks and we stopped at that yard sale and—"

"I found Earl the Pearl," Ben said. The rare card had been stuck inside of a book that Ben wouldn't have picked up otherwise, but Angela had been reading the "Babysitters Club" serious and it'd just caught his eye. "That was a damn good find." He looked over at his dad. "Thank you, Pops. This is really great."

Anthony didn't say anything else about it. He just rose from the bed and walked out. "Oh, and Miranda is here."

Ben's heart jumped and he took a deep breath. Following his father, he saw that another movie had begun, but the youngest ones were asleep. Angela and her husband and Rosalind and her boyfriend were sitting around the room, talking. Miranda was sitting on the sofa alone, shoeless and comfortable. She smiled and waved him over. "Hi," he said kneeling. "I'm glad you're here."

"You knew I was coming."

"But still…" He kissed her hand.

"How was he?"

"He was fine. He had a good time." Ros held out an empty bowl to him and he rolled his eyes. "I'll be back." In the kitchen, he kissed him mom as he popped some popcorn.

Julia chuckled. "Aren't you a happy one?"

"I am. You guys are here, Miranda is here. Tuck is here. Ros, Ange, the kids. I'm just happy."

"Aww." She held out a fresh piece of chicken for him. "And have you found something for Tuck?"

Ben sighed. "I think I have."

"And Miranda?"

"And… how is she going to keep a home? Raise children? Does she cook? Can she cook?" Julia asked him as the two of them went to the grocery store because his father had forgotten the eggs the first time around.

But Ben really wished Anthony hadn't because his mother was irking his nerves. "Ma, please."

"I'm just asking questions, Benjamin."

"I'm not saying you can't, but…" He stopped talking afraid he'd say something he'd regret.

In the store, he went as far away from her as he could, only meeting in the checkout line. "I'm sorry." He shrugged and bagged the groceries. Back in the car, she turned to him. "I do apologize, Benji, but you need a wife and..."

While his mother talked, Ben tried to listen, but he couldn't. And it was one of the first time he could remember not wanting to hear a daggone thing the woman had to say. That's how much he loved Miranda. He wasn't going to let anyone talk bad about her—not even his own mother. When Julia paused, he said: Let me tell you something. When I look at Miranda, I just know that she's the perfect for me. She makes me better. And she is a wonderful woman and a great mother. I don't care about her 'keeping a house' or if she can cook. We can hire help and we can order food." He took a deep breath trying to calm himself. "I care that she's happy and that her kid is happy and that, if we should have any, our kids are happy. That's it." He watched his mother watch him.

"Okay."

"Okay." He squinted at the woman while adjusting his posture.

"So, when are you going to ask her to marry you?"

"Ma, please," Ben chuckled. "And Christmas Eve."

"Why not Christmas?"

"Because…" He shook his head at the corny romanticism of it all. "Both of our birthdays are on the 24th."

"That's sweet."

Ben steered them back to the house. "I thought so."

Christmas Eve, Ben's chest felt tight the moment he woke up. He knew it wasn't anything too harmful, just nerves, but… it was enough to make him take something. Tuck was still in his guest bedroom, knocked out. Everyone else had long been gone. Miranda was rolled up in his covers and he ran a hand over his face. He grabbed the ring box, pulled out the ring and climbed back into bed. His girlfriend moved against him. "Morning, sweetie, where were you?" She asked.

"Good morning, babe. And, uh, the bathroom."

She looked up at him. "I gotta go, too." Leaning over to kiss him suddenly, the ring flew from his hand and it bounced elsewhere.

Trying not to panic, he waited until the bathroom door closed before he began to search for it. He pulled the comforters back, shaking them about. Nothing. Then he scoured the carpet and beneath his bed looking for the shiny piece of jewelry, but he couldn't find it anywhere. The toilet flushed and the water started running. "Shit, shit, shit. C'mon, ring. Where are you?"

The door opened and Miranda walked back into the room. "What are you doing down—Ow! Shoot!"

"What?"

"I stepped on something," she said rubbing her foot on the carpet and bending down to pick something up. "Oh!" Ben's heart sounded like church bells in his ears. She started smiling. "Is this for me?"

He closed his eyes and stood up, walking over to her. "Yes. I dropped it and I was just looking for it." He put his hand out.

"Wait a minute, I might want to hold on to it."

The tightness in his chest mellowed a bit. "Okay." He took her hand and led her to the bed. He stared at her, taking in her face. She was already near tears and he hadn't asked her yet. "You and I belong together, Miranda. I don't see my next 60 years without you being by my side. Your smile, your drive, your passion, your…" Ben's voice trailed off as he searched for his next words, "your strength, your heart. Baby, there is no one else for me. And I want for you, Tuck and I to be a family." His hands were sweating and shaking a little and it was a good thing that he didn't have the ring in his hand or it would have slipped through his grasp again. "Will you marry me? Please." Ben smiled.

Miranda licked her lips and he stayed still while she looked from the ring to him and back again. She held out the ring for him. "You're just hellbent on attaching your life to mine."

"Yes."

"Well, Tuck, he just adores you, hon."

"I love him, too." Ben smiled inside thinking of the gift that he was going to give Tuck.

"And you know I love you so much." She put a hand to his face rubbing his beard with her fingers. "So much that it hurts sometimes. I didn't see myself getting married again, but with you, there is no hesitation. I want to wake up to your face and… I want to grow with you." Miranda swallowed hard. Tears were streaming down her face and he used his thumb to brush the ones he could catch. "If you want to marry me—"

"I do."

"Then I'm saying yes."

He moved in for a soft kiss and didn't even notice that he was crying himself. He eased the ring onto her finger. "You, Miranda Bailey, are making me the happiest man in the world."

"You, Ben Warren, are making me the happiest woman in the world." The two of them shared a long, slow embrace.

The door opened and Tuck walked in. "Hey, baby," Miranda said still holding onto Ben.

"Hey, bud," Ben said looking at the boy.

Miranda waved her son in. "Come here for a second. I… we want to tell you something."

Once Tuck was on the bed between them, they told him that they were getting married. "Are you happy, mommy?" Tuck asked.

Ben didn't know he was holding his breath until he looked over the boy's head to his fiancée's face to see that Miranda was grinning which was such a difference from her usually reserved demeanor. "Yes, baby. I am really happy."

Tuck turned to Ben. "Are you my daddy now?"

Ben put a hand to his chest. "Whew," he chuckled nervously. "Uh…

"We'll talk about that later, baby, okay?" Miranda told him laughing.

"Are you ready to open gifts?" Ben asked. Tuck's face lit up.

She rolled her eyes. "After breakfast."

Ben winked at the six-year-old, "Right. After breakfast."

As Miranda made breakfast, Ben and Tuck sat in the living room playing a video game. The older one leaned toward the younger one. "Want to open one of your gifts?" Tuck nodded vigorously. Ben made a big show of sneaking to the tree and found the one he'd wrapped last night. "Now, this is not new, but it's one of my favorite things in the whole world. I hope you like it. Merry Christmas, Tuck."

"Merry Christmas, Ben." He handed it to the boy and watched him open it, observing his face. And Tuck was confused. Maybe he should have waited until he was older. "What is it?"

"It's a binder and it has my trading cards in it."

"What's that?"

"They're cards of athletes or singers or, um, characters from my favorite shows," Ben said with a shrug trying to appear cool, but inside he was going crazy.

Tuck flipped through the pages and they crackled a bit. "Who's this?" he asked pointing to a card.

Ben puffed with pride. "That's Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe. He was a great basketball player. Me and my dad found that one 25 years ago." Tuck traced the rectangle with his finger. "And I got it signed by him when I was in college." The boy looked up at him. "And I was thinking if you like collecting, we could take drives and, you know, see what we can find. Would you like that?"

Tuck nodded and kept scanning the thick book. "ThunderCats! Can I take it out?" Ben nodded and helped him pull it out. "Lion-O!"

"He's my favorite," they said simultaneously.

"This is so cool, Ben!"

"Really?" Ben asked.

Miranda came out of the kitchen with her hands on her hips saying, "Really, Benjamin?!"

"Baby, I'm sorry," he said going over to kiss her. "Don't be mad."

Tuck came over to him. "Don't be mad, mommy."

"I'm not mad. Do you like your gift?" She asked rubbing Tuck's head. He nodded. "Did you say thank you to Ben?"

The boy looked up at him, beaming. "Thank you, Ben," Tuck responded. He hugged Ben. And Ben knew that Tuck had a hold on his heart that couldn't ever be broken.

"Let's eat," Miranda said. "Go wash your hands." Tuck ran to the bathroom.

When he was gone from the room, Ben backed Miranda up to the wall, kissing her deeply. They moved apart as Tuck went into the kitchen. "This is our first breakfast as an engaged couple," he said squeezing her hips.

"Oh, my God! We're getting married," she squealed holding up her left hand.

He nodded. It was really going to happen. "We are betrothed."

"So, like, what other firsts do we get?" She asked against his chin.

Ben kissed her palm, moving his lips across the band of the ring. "So many. First surgery as an engaged couple, first fight… first orgasms," he whispered slithering his hand into her shirt searching for her breasts.

"Stooop," she whined.

He wiggled his brow. "Aww, our first 'stooop'," he mimicked.

Miranda moved away. "See, that's why I'm not giving you your gift now."

Ben growled. "Give it to me later then."

"It's not sex, Benjamin." Ben poked out his bottom lip. "But Tuck and I have opened one, you should, too."

"Are you coming?" Tuck asked.

"After breakfast," they said simultaneously. The three of them enjoyed a nice meal and Ben looked at Miranda and Tuck, amazed that his life was shaping up this way.

Tucker, Miranda's ex-husband, called as they washed the dishes and Tuck told him about the binder, sounding excited and talking a mile a minute. He'd even let it slip that Ben had asked Miranda to marry him. "Here she is," Tuck announced handing the phone to his mother.

Miranda pursed her lips and walked out of the kitchen. "Did your dad sound upset, bud?" Ben asked the first grader who shook his head.

"He said 'good luck'."

Ben raised a brow. At best, the two men were cordial, especially around Tuck, but, otherwise, Ben liked to pretend that Tucker didn't exist.

Miranda's doorbell sounded and Ben had looked around to see if Miranda was on her way to get it. "I'm still with Tuck in the bathroom, can you get that, hon?"

"Yep!" He got up from the sofa and went to the door, looking through the peephole. He knew this face. Ben had never met him before, but the unmistakableness of her ex-husband had him opening the door. "Hey."

Tucker walked in. "Hey. Is Miranda here?"

"Yeah. She's just helping Tuck with something." The two of them stood by the door and Ben sized the man up. Tall. Like, freakishly so, especially since Miranda was so short. What an odd pair they must have made. "I'm Ben. Miranda's boyfriend." He loved that title, but it felt weird to say it now in front of the man who used to be her boyfriend and then husband. He held out his hand.

"Tucker. The ex. The father." They shook hands and stood in their awkwardness. Ben was glad when Miranda came toward the door, breathing life into the room.

"Hey, Tucker. Um, I gave him some Tylenol earlier, so he might be a little tired."

Tuck dragged his feet behind her. "Ready to go, my boy?" The youngest one nodded.

Ben turned to him. "Feel better, buddy, okay?" The boy nodded again. "See you later." He gave a head nod to Tucker and walked back into the living room, leaving the three of them. When Tuck and Tucker were gone, Miranda flopped down next to him.

"Oh, my goodness, I didn't even introduce you two," she said dropping her head in her hands. "I'm a terrible girlfriend. And a terrible ex-wife."

They laughed. "You're not. You were being a good mother and that's just another reason why I love you," he told her kissing the top of her head.

"How was it?"

"Um, awkward. It only lasted for a minute or two, but, uh, I don't think he likes me."

"He doesn't like anyone," Miranda chuckled. "But it doesn't matter because I love you."

"So, what do you want to do today?"

"You're on-call tonight, right?" Ben nodded as she pushed him down on the couch. "I think we can figure something out."

Finished with the call, Miranda pulled Ben out of the kitchen while Tuck finished playing in the dishwater. "Don't be mad, Benjamin."

"It's one of the best days of my life. I can't be mad. What's up?"

"Okay, well, Tucker is coming to pick up Tuck." Gritting his teeth, he asked why. Maybe he wasn't mad, but he was certainly pissed off until she said: "So, that you and I can have a moment alone."

"Really?" She nodded and the tension left his body. "Well, alright. Just for a little bit because I really want Tuck to be a part of this day, too, Miranda."

"I love that you love him like that."

"Of course I do."

When Tucker arrived, the two men shook hands. The weirdness between them lessening a bit more. "Thanks, bruh."

Several minutes later, with her body plastered to the wall, Miranda was holding the back of his head and screaming in his ear: "I... love you!"

"I love you, too, baby," Ben said pushing himself into her. They moved to the floor and on the sturdy hardwood, they continued to make love. Their first time as soon-to-be husband and wife.

He loved how she looked in his robe, her curves peeking beneath the fabric. "Should I give you one of your gifts now?" He shrugged. "Unless you don't want it now," she teased.

"I do. I just… love that Tuck liked his gift. I'd been really worried about that, but he loves it and now him and I have a thing—just us boys."

"And?"

"And I get to marry my best friend. She said yes and that blows me away." He leaned down to kiss Miranda, but she slipped away from him and into his bedroom.

He waited patiently and soon she returned with a small square box in her hand. "Merry Christmas."

"Is this a ring?"

Miranda nodded. "Your sisters let it slip that you were probably going to propose."

"Ugh, those… so were you surprised?"

"Yes, but… I mean, I know you wanted to get married—"

Ben lifted his eyebrows. "Married to you."

She blushed. "Right. To me. So, I wanted to get you a ring as well just in case you actually did pop the question."

He ran his tongue along his lips. "What if I hadn't?"

"Then you wouldn't be getting this ring," she countered.

He took it out of its casing. Silver, smooth and simple—it was just his style. "I love this."

"You do?" Ben gave the ring back to her and she slid it on her finger. "It looks good on you," she told him with a smile that made his heart flitter.

"So, you want other women to know that I'm taken," he said as she touched his face.

She looked him dead in the eye. "Yes, because you are mine. And you are off-limits."

"I am?" Miranda nodded and lifted her chin so that he had access to her supple neck. "You're mine, too." It had taken quite a bit of time for her to get comfortable enough to admit that she loved him and wanted to be with him and needed, but this part was easy. They were in love and there was no turning back. To be honest, he still couldn't believe that Miranda had agreed to marry him. It all seemed so surreal. But he was ready to start the next phase of his life with her. To become a stepfather. To starting their own family.

"Merry Christmas, my handsome fiancé."

Ben sighed and kissed her lips tenderly. "Merry Christmas, my beautiful fiancée."