50 prompts: #36, Holiday (Megan Marple) Title: A Christmas Gift Characters: Elijah & Megan Griggs Setting: Their home, Christmas evening 2022 Word Count: 472 Summary: It's Christmas evening, and Megs has one last gift to give Eli. Rating: G for Gooey. Author's Note: For Prompt #36: Holiday
Christmas was almost over. Presents had been exchanged that morning. They had visited Eli's mom and Megan's parents. And now, they were back home, just the two of them. And Lyla. The two of them sat together on the couch in front of the crackling, warm fireplace, looking out the windows at the gently-falling snow outside. It was quiet, but a peaceful quiet.
Megan tipped her head up to look at Eli. He leaned down and kissed her, softly. When they broke the kiss, Megan smiled. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Eli said, kissing her again.
After a couple more minutes, Megan pulled back a bit. "Lyla and I have one more present for you," she said. She got up and retrieved something from underneath the tree skirt, then quietly whistled for Lyla. The dog came over, and Megan attached something to her collar, then sat back down next to Eli. Lyla came over, too, and rested her head on Eli's lap, so he could see what was clipped to her collar.
It was a little cape, with the words "Best Big Sister" stitched onto it. Megan took one of Eli's hands in both of hers, and before he could say anything, she rushed to talk first.
"I know that you're worried. You don't want to be like your father. And you won't be… I promise." She looked up at him, releasing his hand to bring one of hers up to his cheek, turning his face to hers. "You are nothing like your father. You are a better man, and you always have been. I know that you will never leave me… us. You are going to love our baby, and you will be his or her real superhero, not just an imagined one. And… he's not here anymore, he can't screw everything up anymore."
She stopped and took a deep breath, then waited for Eli to say something. Wordlessly, he looked back down at the cape, reaching over to trace over the letters with his fingers. It had been four years since his dad had died; their relationship had never been easy, and he hadn't been sure how to feel about his death, especially given everything that had come to light in the weeks prior to it. But his greatest fear for most of his life was that he would end up like the man. And he had been afraid to start his own family with Megan.
He brought his hand up to cover hers. The other slowly, tentatively, reached out for her stomach. Even though he knew it was impossible, he could almost swear he could feel that little life growing inside there. Megan covered his hand with her free one.
"I'll never leave you," Eli whispered.
"We know you won't." Megan leaned forward and kissed him again.