Page 70 of Bluebird

“Thanks Marni, they’re great,” he lied and Marni clapped her hands in excitement.

“What are those?” Amelie asked, innocently.

“You’re too young to understand,” Marni responded, brushing her off.

I explained what they were to Amelie, as Nate reached under the tree and pulled out another present.

“This one’s for…Blue,” he said, grinning. “From Luke.”

I smiled in surprise, and glanced up at Luke. “Thank you,” I said, taking the awkwardly shaped present from Nate’s hands and placing it in Amelie’s lap.

Amelie squealed and clapped her hands.

Marni’s eyes darted to my gift instantly, demanding to know what he had given me. I deliberately left Amelie to unwrap my gift on her own, knowing how much it would frustrate Marni to wait for her little fingers to navigate the paper and tape. On quick review of my gift, Marni lost interest instantly, but Amelie and I were fascinated.

I pulled out a pair of gumboots. Not just the standard black ones, they were the patterned sort. I thought they were blue, but on closer inspection the pattern consisted of tiny birds intertwined in a way that formed a repeating pattern. It reminded me of an Escher illustration. My mouth fell open in amazement and my heart picked up its pace when I recalled the last time I’d needed gumboots.

“You’ll need those if you intend to keep going down to the river every day,” he said, and I wondered how he knew.

“Wow, thank you, Luke,” I expressed sincerely, running my fingers over the hypnotising pattern that no one except Amelie and I could see.

I had something for him also. “And this is for you,” I said, passing Luke his gift from under the tree.

“You didn’t have to,” he uttered, quietly. “But thank you.”

Luke opened the gift to reveal a timeworn jazz record I uncovered in the States a few years ago, not long after Dawn passed away. I could have posted it, but I didn’t want to risk it being damaged. Plus, I really wanted to give it to him in person.

He seemed confused, but intrigued, as he studied the cover. He turned it over and I intently watched his eyes scan over it. Luke stilled and covered his mouth, breathing in deeply to conceal his emotion.

“Where did you find this?” he asked, dumbfounded, but his eyes didn’t leave the record.

“I stumbled across it in an antique store in New Orleans. I thought you would want it for your collection.”

I examined Luke as he sat there motionless, staring at his gift. I ignored the others as they went back to opening their presents and tried to read his reaction to seeing his nan’s long lost record.

“I need some air,” he stated, and proceeded to walk out the front door.

I shifted Amelie off my lap and stood to follow him out onto the front porch.

“Damn it, Blue!” he snapped once we were out of earshot.

I gasped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you…”

He paced up and down the small porch. “You can’t be giving me gifts like this!”

I drew my eyebrows together. “Why not? When I saw Dawn’s name on there, I knew you had to have it,” I said softly. “I knew how much it would mean to you.”

Luke sighed in frustration. I couldn’t believe he was so angry about my gift. I had been searching for that record for years. Every single time I visited New Orleans, I would scour every antique and record store in the French Quarter, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dawn’s lost work. I thought he would share my joy.

“That’s exactly why you can’t give me gifts like this!” he yelled.

I threw my hands in the air. “Like what? Something thoughtful? What was I supposed to get you? Cufflinks?” I raised my brows. It was a cheap shot at Marni, but I didn’t care.

“Yes! I mean no! You don’t need to get me anything. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

“Harder for who, Luke? You’re the one who’s moved on!” I barked, “Right?”

“Right,” he growled back.

“Then move on!” I marched back into the house, not even remembering what the argument was about.