"Nononono," Norma takes the wrapped box from Dylan's hands.
"But it has my name on it!" Dylan declares, grinning. "It's mine, mom."
"It is but it's not your turn yet," Norma pinches his cheek and walks back to the tree to place the gift back where it was.
"That's not fair," Dylan says, looking back at Emma, who at the moment was too busy drinking her hot chocolate and enjoying Norma's freshly made brownies.
"Don't look at me," she says. "Go by her rules."
Alex, who is sitting down, legs crossed adjacent to Norma, smiles from his spot. "We're all safe if we do, Dylan."
"Well, how about you open your present, mom?" Dylan walks closer to the tree, perching down and grabbing the one he brought with him. "This one is for you."
Norma omits that it was Emma's turn to open her gift, overlooking her own rule. "Oh, thank you, honey."
They all stare at her, enjoying the full grin cemented on her face. She squealed like a child the moment she ripped the paper with the same enthusiasm.
Norma got to her feet and sprinted to Dylan and Emma as soon as she recognized the fuzzy material inside the box. After squeezing the life out of them, she obliged and handed Dylan the gift he was so eager to open a while ago.
The living room presented the ideal scene Norma had in her head when thinking of her perfect Christmas morning. The only person missing was Norman. But his presents are secluded upstairs, waiting to be delivered sometime this week.
"All right!" Norma exclaims, getting everyone's attention. "I have one more present for you, honey. Well, more like two."
Alex had his hands encircled around his knees, and his big caramel eyes lit up the moment Norma spoke. "Another one? I thought we agreed on two each."
"We did," Norma says gleefully. "But you know, I like to break the rules sometimes."
Alex chuckled as she disappeared somewhere in the corridor. Alex sees when she opens the door that leads to the basement, bringing with her a gigantic box with a bow on top.
"Whoa!" he exclaims as she walks in holding the box proudly, depositing it right in front of him. Alex raised himself up and rested his full weight on his knees, holding his present excitedly, looking back at Norma. "You didn't have to."
"Trust me, I did," Norma sits next to him, being watched by Dylan and Emma from the other side of the room. Alex leans in, trying for a kiss. The moment their lips met, Dylan groans in disgust.
"None of that! Please!"
Emma nudges his arm. "Party pooper."
Norma snickers and it only causes Alex to kiss her again, rubbing it in Dylan's face.
"Seriously?" he grunts.
"Like you've never seen your mom kiss anyone before," Emma says.
"I've never seen her in love, so it's kind of gross," he says with a slight smirk.
"Shut up," Norma chuckles, grabbing a remaining piece of wrapping paper and turning it into a small ball, throwing it at his head.
"Okay, I'm sorry," he gives up, throwing his hands in surrender with a grin.
Norma looks back at Alex, that same smile he loves adhered to her face. "Open it," she instructs him with a warm tone.
Alex obeys her, ripping off the thin wrapper, exposing a traditional box underneath. He reached for the pair of scissors he had next to him, cutting through the middle of it and creasing the flap that folds in on the top.
"How exciting!" Emma chants from her spot on the couch.
Alex tries to hide his excitement but fails miserably. "What is it?"
Norma sits comfortably and stays in her spot, not daring to tell him what it was. When Alex opens his mouth, as if to speak, he finds another box inside it. He looks back at her, a slight grin forming on his lips. Norma laughs as soon as she sees the look on his face.
"What is it?" Dylan asks intrigued.
"Another box," Alex says as he takes it out, revealing the much smaller box that was inside.
"Nice!" Emma giggles, loving Norma's technique.
"You're silly," Alex states merely, leaning forward to meet her lips again. Norma's hand finds the spot behind his head, seizing his neck securely.
"Open it," Norma says upon his lips.
"Please open it, anything to stop this torture," Dylan pitches in.
They look back at him, smiling broadly. "Are you going to quit being a pain in the ass?"
"Just let them be," Emma tells him. "It's the cutest thing."
Dylan rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest, resting his back on the couch.
Alex opens the box only to find another one inside of it.
"Seriously!?" Alex chuckles, staring warmly back at her.
Norma shrugs indifferently but smiles.
"Let me guess," Dylan chirps in. "There's another box inside of that one? Pretty clever, mom."
Alex opens the next box with the same emotion as he opened the first one. He finds another box and another one after that. Norma was having the time of her life, congratulating herself for the suspicious perspective of the whole thing.
"Honey, what's in this?"
"I can't tell you," she says sweetly.
As he reaches the last box, Norma assures him that it is the last one. He opens it, finding a velvet pouch in it. He smiles and grabs it tenaciously, looking back at her.
"Norma Bates," he singsongs, clueless to it all. "What are you up to?"
"Open it," she indicates warily, setting her opened palms on the floor, tipping forward a bit.
As soon as he does, his heart stops. He looks blankly inside the pouch, locating the item fondly inside of it. His eyes find her blue ones, detecting tears immediately.
"Baby..." his voice quivers as he lunges forward, cradling her adorable face.
"Do you like it?" she whispers, staring intensely into his eyes.
"What is it!? What's in it?" Emma shouts from the couch, clasping her hands together as if in prayer.
Alex rests his forehead against Norma's, taking in her scent, drowning in her eyes and blocking out the rest of the world.
"It's perfect. It's beautiful, I love it," Alex mumbles almost inaudible. "It's perfect."
Norma cups his face, keeping it compressed in her hands. She looks back, gazing profoundly into his dark orbs.
"I hope it fits," she smiles.
Alex kisses her lips before letting her go. He flips the pouch, unveiling the silver wedding band.
"Oh my God!" Emma squeals, covering her mouth with both hands.
"Better late than sorry, right?" Norma says.
"Put it on! Put it on!" Emma chants.
Norma smiles at her excitement, taking the ring from his hands. Alex stretches his arm, dispersing his fingers steadily as he waits prudently for Norma to do her task. His heart was pounding sumptuously, unable to contain his emotion. Who knew that something so small, something he never thought of ever earning, means the world to him right this second.
It fits faultlessly as if it was made just for him. Norma smiles without showing teeth, a smile that reminds him of the first time he told her he loved her. The same pure, angelic smile.
"Do you like it?" Norma asks again, waiting for him to repeat it as many times as possible, that this ring was everything he's ever wanted.
"I never thought I'd see myself wearing a wedding ring," he announces. "But I also never thought about marriage, and yet, here we are."
"I'm happy to hear that," Norma says in a low voice. The tears wanting to make an appearance again.
"I love it, and I love you, very, very much."
Alex grasps her chin and draws her close, attaching their lips. This time, Dylan kept his mouth shut; it may have been the tight grip Emma had on his arm or perhaps observing how happy his mom was, that he didn't dare to make another smart remark. He is happy for his mom, and he loves how much Alex cares for her. A blind could see the love between those two.
Norma breaks the kiss, staring back at him. "I love you."
"You said they were two?" Alex remembers, looking back inside the box.
"Um, yes, look at the bottom of the box," Norma directs.
It takes him a minute to seize whatever was taped to the bottom flap of the medium box. When he did, he took out a white, shallow envelope. Norma bit her bottom lip discreetly, trying not to let her nerves get the best of her.
Her heart pounds aggressively against her chest, her breathing picking up just a tad. Alex opens the envelope, taking the folded piece of paper out of it. He looks back at her one last time. Norma glances down and observes his left hand, loving the sight of him with a wedding band. He sure looks more handsome now than he ever did.
She licks her lips as she scrutinizes the features of his face as he read the content of the letter. Norma stares and stares, not daring to move her gaze from his stoic face. As soon as his features soften, she knew she had made the Big Daddy of White Pine Bay the happiest man alive.
"Really!?" he shouts over the blaring Christmas music, kicking the box away from them and pulling her to him by her legs. Norma giggles gracefully and binds her arms around his shoulders.
"All your nagging finally paid off, sir," Norma says in a low voice.
"I love you, I love you, I love you," he kisses every inch of her face, stopping solely when he reached her mouth. "I'm the happiest man that ever walked the planet."
"That's all I've ever wanted," Norma mumbles. "To make you happy, Alex Romero."
Dylan, being as curious as he'll ever be, inclined over to grab the letter Alex had left unattentively on top of the opened box. Emma is quick to scoot over, eager to know what had made Alex overjoyed. They read silently as those two relished their love inside their perfect little bubble.
The state of Oregon
Docket NO. 2015-0119
I, Carol J. Lovejoy, Register of Probate for said County of Bayside,
hereby certify, that at a Probate Court held at White Pine Bay, in and for said County, on the fifteenth, day of December, 2015 the name of Norma Louise Bates in said County was changed to Norma Louise Romero which shall hereafter be her legal name.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of said Court, this Fifteenth, day of December, 2015.
Dylan peers back at Emma, a bewildered expression on his face. Norma took Sam's name a little bit more than twenty years ago.
"I can't take it!" Emma whimpers, covering her mouth. "She changed her name!"
Dylan looks back at them, his face softening almost instantly.
"Yeah," he smiles. "It's still gross but... I have to admit that my mom is in love."