It Started with a Snap by Piper James

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ethan

As soon as I got dressed, I continued my reassessment of Ember’s apartment. I’d already inspected it when I came here the first time, but Ember had insisted at the time that I only do the barest necessity. She needed all the things I’d mentioned, but I also planned to replace the hot water heater—I’d fixed the leak, but the damn thing was on its last leg.

I’d only had to pull up a few boards when I was repairing the termite damage to see the little pests hadn’t gotten that far, so the floor was mostly intact. In addition to replacing the loose floorboards in the antique flooring, I made a note to sand and refinish it, bringing it back to its original glory.

When I finished my assessment, I took a moment to really look around. I’d been in here several times, but I’d always either been in work-mode or pleasuring-Ember-mode. I never really took the time to see how she lived. As I surveyed the place, I notice them.

Dolphins. At least a dozen of them. There were small statuettes everywhere—on her T.V. stand, on the table, on her nightstand, and lining the top of her fridge. There were blue ones and pink ones, crystal ones and ones made of porcelain. Each of them were unique, and all were less than three inches tall.

An idea started to form as I took them all in. I could easily make her a display case for them. Something made of dark wood with small, lighted cubbies to showcase each one, individually. I did a quick count. There were fourteen in total. I started making notes for the project, deciding to make it a full curio cabinet, with drawers underneath and thirty-six cubbies so she could continue to add to her collection.

I could give her the piece for Christmas, which gave me several weeks to make it perfect.

I froze, playing that last thought over and over in my head. Christmas was over two months away. Would Ember and I still be together then? Things were going well now, but how would they look in a month’s time? Was it crazy to be planning that far in advance?

Honestly, I didn’t care if it was crazy. I was crazy about her, and I wasn’t planning on going anywhere. And if she decided to end things with me, well, I’d give her the present, anyway. Because I knew that in spite of what might happen, I would always care about her.

And I’d always want to make her happy.