“Retreat! The infidels are watching. You’ll be discovered! You must use our usual method of movement.”
Her gaze strayed to the window. Was he serious? “Tommy. It’s thirty degrees outside.”
There was a moment of silence, then, “Live a little, Lady J.”
The walkie-talkie went dead. A soft scoff escaped her mouth as it hit her why Tommy was always telling her to relax. While he was trying to recreate their childhood, she was worried about the cold. Wow, she really had forgotten how to relax and just go with it. Maybe she needed to listen to him more.
After she pulled on some thick socks and her Uggs, she yanked on her white fur-lined winter jacket, wrapped a scarf around her neck, and pulled on a plaid knit hat. At the last second, she snatched up the present and zipped it inside her jacket.
When she lifted the window, an icy breeze smacked her in the face and she shivered, but she climbed through the opening. Once she dropped to the ground, she paused. As kids, these emergency calls had meant meeting at the tree house in her backyard to play video games because Tommy had needed to get out of his house and away from his mom. There wasn’t a tree house here, but she still had a backyard.
As she made her way down the side of the house, an orangey glow appeared, growing larger the closer she got to the backyard. When she rounded the corner, her unused fire pit had a roaring flame and the temperature went up about ten degrees. As she spotted Tommy standing beside a blanket he’d spread on the ground and the TV from his room sitting atop it, a bubble of laughter shot past her lips. He was wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and dark brown slacks with a black belt low around his hips—with a wooden sword hanging at his side. An almost exact replica of the outfit he’d changed into daily after school to become the Green Knight when they were kids.
Happiness filled her chest as she walked toward him. He hasn’t forgotten. And this was the best gift he’d ever given her—memories.
When she reached his side, he kissed her cheek. The touch of his lips on her skin burned, but she didn’t have it in her to be upset by the reaction. All of this was just so sweet.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Lady J.” As he placed a crown made of aluminum foil on top of her head, love filled her chest to overflowing, just as it had the night he’d done this so long ago. Hours after they’d met, a ten-year-old Tommy had tapped on her window with a set of walkie-talkies and a crown exactly like this one. After giving her one of the walkie-talkies, he’d set the crown on her head and said, “From this day forth, I dedicate my life to protecting you, Lady J.”
And he had never broken that promise.
“I don’t think you’ve called me that since right after we turned twelve, Tommy.”
He held up a finger and gave her a stern look. “It’s Green Knight tonight.”
He had given her a lot over the years. The more money he earned, the more extravagant the gift—but this one beat them all. Because it was from his heart.
“This is fantastic.”
“I have more.” He motioned for her to sit and she saw the Super Nintendo set up in front of the TV.
“Are you serious!” She turned an excited smile to Tommy, who was grinning ear to ear. “What game?”
“Which do you think?” Before she could answer, he said, “We’re going to get it on like Donkey Kong tonight.”
Even the double entendre didn’t faze her. All she could do was laugh at the length he’d gone to recreate this. She sat down on the blanket and took a controller in her hand. After he dropped down beside her on the blanket, he dug around in a backpack that was set off to the side and pulled out two Yoo-hoos.
At the sight of their favorite childhood drink, she threw her head back and laughed again. “Oh my God. You pulled out all the stops, didn’t you? How many of these did we guzzle growing up?”
“Between the two of us, I think we kept them in business.” He turned the bag upside down, pouring out all kinds of snacks from when they were kids. Airheads, oatmeal cookies, Doritos, Sugar Babies.
He’d done so much. Remembered so much. And the happiness filling her became overwhelming. Tears pricked her eyes as she gazed at him.
His expression turned from smug to horrified in a second. “Shit. I won’t ever do anything like this again if you cry.”
She gave a wobbly smile. “This is just so wonderful, and you did it even after everything that happened last night. Tommy, I just feel horrible about what I said. It’s your life. It’s not my place to judge it.”