Christy Miller Collection, Volume 2 by Robin Jones Gunn

Author:Robin Jones Gunn [Gunn, Robin Jones]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-56287-6
Publisher: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group
Published: 2011-08-16T16:00:00+00:00

“Open my present first,” Paula urged, sitting, of course, right next to Todd. “It was actually my mom’s idea. I hope you like it.”

Even in the dim light on the lanai, Paula looked horribly sunburned.

“Did you use anything for your sunburn yet?” Marti asked. “You really got too much sun today, Paula. You can get sick from sunburn, you know. Your lips will swell and blister, and your skin will peel. You did use sunscreen today, didn’t you?”

Paula avoided answering by focusing on Christy, who had opened the small box from Paula and lifted out a picture in a heart-shaped silver frame. Christy held it closer in the dim light to see better.

“It’s us,” Paula said. “My mom took it on our first day of kindergarten.”

Christy held it up to the light and smiled at the two little faces, pressed cheek to cheek. Both had a front tooth missing.

Christy couldn’t explain it, but all of a sudden she felt like crying. The picture delighted her. It warmed her from the inside out. It brought an ocean full of childhood memories and dreams. It made her feel closer to Paula than she had felt their whole trip. She couldn’t be angry with that little cherub beside her in the picture.

“I love it, Paula. Thank you.” Christy reached over to give her a cheek-to-cheek hug.

“Owww!” Paula responded the instant Christy touched her.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s your sunburn, huh?”

Instantly, the surge of closeness receded. An invisible shield went up between them again.

Mom and Marti admired the picture and handed it to Todd for his examination.

A smile spread across his face, and he teased, “Which is which?”

“Can’t you tell?” Christy asked. “I’m the one on the right.”

Todd kept looking at the picture and smiling.

Mom handed Christy her gift in a shopping bag and apologized for not being organized enough to have brought along a box and wrapping paper. It was a big, multicolored beach bag.

Christy really liked it, which was good since she and Mom usually didn’t have similar tastes.

“Here,” Todd pulled a cardboard tube out from under his chair. “I’m not one for wrapping paper either.”

Popping the plastic end off the tube, Christy pulled out a rolled-up picture of a gorgeous waterfall surrounded by tropical foliage. An old bridge stretched across the top of the waterfall.

“This is pretty. Thanks.” It was a pretty picture, but it wasn’t exactly a personal, romantic kind of gift like the gold ID bracelet Todd had given her for Christmas. He had had the word Forever engraved on it. Christy had grown familiar with its light touch on her wrist and all the hope and promise for their relationship it carried.

“You said to send you a postcard of a waterfall,” Todd said in his teasing way. “And that’s a waterfall that, well …” He looked like he wanted to explain something about the waterfall, but it was too deeply personal. “Well, I like it a lot.”

Christy smiled her thanks, unsure of his unspoken message, and rolled the picture back up.

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