Tale The 60

Posted by Adminh, Released on March 4, 2025

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60: The Thought Behind the Gift

Luci

I wake up alone confused the next morning. “Easton?” I say softly but hear nothing back. I’m in

his blue t–shirt and his pillow is barely warm. I look for a note and check my phone worried

something happened with Cole. Nothing. But then I see his bag sitting on the floor and get up

grabbing my underwear off the floor. I slip it on and walk out toward the living room. “Ouch.” I

hear him hiss and step into the kitchen. He’s at the stove wearing his boxers and flipping

eggs. He hears me and turns his head my

direction.

“Why are you out of bed?” He asks, smiling at me.

“I was looking for you.” I confess.

He turns the stove off and comes to lift me off my feet. He sets me on the counter. “I would

wake you if I had to leave, sweetness.”

“I know. I was worried something happened with Cole and you had to go, but then I saw your

bag.” I trust him completely.

His face relaxes. “Didn’t think about that. I wanted to make you breakfast.”

“It’s your birthday. I had planned to make it for you.” I protest.

“We can declare it a tie for thoughtful breakfast idea.”

I shiver and he kisses me softly. “Go get back under the covers, Luci. It’s cold.” He sets me

back on my feet. “And lose those panties. I have plans for you this morning after I feed you.”

I press my lips together at the heated look in his eyes. He is insatiable. He smirks slowly as

he walks back to the stove.

“No, I haven’t had enough of you. Go get warm, sweetness. I’ll be there in five minutes with your food.”

I grab his gifts on my way back. After setting them on the nightstand, I dive back into the warmth of the bed. He walks in with two plates and sits facing me. “You found the donuts I

bought for your birthday.” I laugh.

“Guys can sniff out donuts anywhere.” He assures me.

After he eats, I hand him the two boxes. He narrows his eyes at me and looks it over. “It won’t

explode in a confetti bomb or anything.” I tease. He opens the lighter one first and pulls out

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60: The Thought Behind the Gift

the white hoodie. It has a picture of Darth Vader and the storm troopers on an ice rink wearing

skates. Darth Vader is holding a hockey stick while reading over a storm troopers shoulder as

he thumbs through a book. The speech bubble above reads “No Lord Vader, you cannot use

the Force to choke out the goalie in order to score. Physical choking is allowed in this game

though.”

He laughs. “Perfect.”

I swallow nervously as he opens the second one. He pulls out the leather book, flipping it over

to read the cover.

The Wisdom and Words of Coconut

by Cole Reed

He turns to the first page and begins reading. “Luci…..how?” He breathes out as he keeps

going.

“I’ve been writing down anything funny he says since I met him. And Becker has a memory like nothing else. He keeps a list of the funniest things Cole has said to him. I asked your brothers and Baker for more. They gave me everything they could remember and I had it printed up. It has lots of lined pages after the first twenty, so you can keep adding to it. That way, one day you can look back and remember he called Becker, Bleeker for a while.”

“I absolutely love this.” His voice is thick with emotion. He closes the book and comes to lift me into his lap. “Thank you Luci. You have no idea what you do.”

“You’re welcome.” I whisper to him. He moves us to lay down and I lean against him, understanding he needs a minute. I turn my head, so I can observe his face.

“You know Luci, when I found out I had a kid, I almost lost it. I truly almost ran out of the house screaming. I was terrified. I don’t exactly look like dad material now but when he showed up, I was even more of a mess. I told you the minute I held him, I fell in love and I did. But I was still scared shitless. Especially when I figured out I was going to be doing it alone basically. A three month old and a lost barely adult guy who only knew how to play hockey. I made so many mistakes. I would forget his bag or dress him wrong for the weather. Took me so long to figure out this cry meant hungry vs wet or just comfort. I thought he’d be better off with someone else for a little while. They could take better care of him than me. He got sick when he was five months old while Lorelei was in treatment. Dad was gone on a trip. Mother was off with her friends. Baker was sick with the flu along with all my brothers. He wouldn’t stop crying.” A tear slips out of his eye as he talks and I reach up to brush it away. “He wouldn’t eat, he wouldn’t settle. I tried everything. I walked him nonstop, rocked him, sang,

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48 Points

60: The Thought Behind the Gift

begged, pleaded. At one point, I had to set him down and let him cry while I collapsed on the floor for five minutes praying for help. I picked myself up and started walking him again. He was so hot Luci. Suddenly he started seizing. I lost it. Called 911 and was on my knees holding him ready to lose my mind. They said it was a febrile seizure when they got there. He was dehydrated, so they admitted him to the hospital for IV fluids. All I could do was stand there and not lose my s**t to hold my baby boy while they poked him with the needles and attached him to monitors. I knew then and there, I could never let him go. I could never lose him. I promised him I would do better. And I try but some days Luci….I feel like he could do so

much better.”

“No he couldn’t. Easton, you got thrown in at the deep end. But you love him with all your heart and you try more than a lot of parents. I’ve seen….I’ve seen some awful people who should never have kids Easton. People who would have left him there and let the hospital take care of

him until he was better. He loves you so much. He worries about you and tries to take care of

you. You honestly are his hero. He has a sweet loving nature. That kind of love from a child

happens when they feel loved in return. You will never do things perfectly which is to be

expected. You stepped up in a way a lot of men and women don’t. Give yourself a little grace.”

He stares at me for a long time. “I want to know about those people one day. The parents who

were awful to you.”

“They don’t matter Easton. I learned what I needed to from them and moved on.” I tell him

honestly.

“They shaped the great Luci and I want to know. When you’re ready.” He emphasizes.

I say nothing more about it.

He has to leave for the game around lunchtime and I get ready to head over to see Cole.

Banning invited me for lunch. When I get there, the boys are racing around playing some kind

of alien tag game. “Luci, I can’t wait to give Daddy his birthday present.”

Cole got him a new hockey stick which Jackson helped him with thankfully and then his

teacher had them make a list of all the things they knew about their parents. His was

hilarious and I placed it in a hinged frame adding a photo I took of the two of them at the tree

lighting where he was on Easton’s shoulders. “I can’t wait to hear all about it next week.”

At the game, we meet Stormi and Sydney. “Hey can we move girls‘ night to be girls‘ brunch

and a pedicure tomorrow morning? My parents have something planned for us all tomorrow

night.” Stormi asks.

“I have no issue with that.” I tell her.

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The Thought Behind the Gift

“I just need to be done by two to meet with my partner for our final group project.” Syd

answers.

We focus on watching the game after that watching the guys win again.

Easton

“Daddy, could we go to the movies tomorrow afternoon? We could take Luci. She’s going to be

home.” Cole asks me as I put him to bed.

“I’ll ask her. Maybe we can get her to follow us home and make cookies.” I don’t fight him. I’ve

already texted her twice since the game ended. Once was to thank her for my gift from Cole.

We all laughed until we couldn’t breathe at his answers about me. My favorite was “how tall is

your dad?” Cole’s answer was “eighty feet tall. He can reach anything.”

“We’ll go shop in the morning.” I tell him before he can ask again. He nods and I read to him

until he falls asleep.

I call Luci after that and she’s busy sewing but won’t show me what it is. “I should use my key

and come snoop.” I tell her dryly.

“Don’t you dare. You’ll break his heart. He is so excited to surprise you.”

“Want to go to the movies with us tomorrow at three? And then Cole wants you to come home

with us and make cookies.” I don’t mention the cookies were my idea.

“Sure. I’m going to brunch and for a pedicure in the morning with Syd and Stormi.”

“Enjoy. I’m shopping with Cole and my brothers. Feel sorry for me.”

“Oh please. You’ll all find fun stuff to buy.”

I hear Cole stirring on the monitor and have to tell her goodbye quickly. He ends up sleeping

with me and I wonder what he’ll think when Luci lives with us. Would he crawl in the middle of

us and sleep? Or would I have him on one side and her on the other? I roll my eyes at myself,

muttering before I close them to sleep.

The next morning, we stop at the coffee shop by all the shops to grab caffeine and a hot chocolate for Cole. He tugs us along to a toy shop in the middle of the square. “Are we looking for something for Barrett?” Jackson asks him.

“No.” He is very determined as he walks up and down the stuffed animal aisles searching for

something. He seems disappointed but then he perks up pointing excitedly at something.

“What is it buddy?”

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60: The Thought Behind the Gift

* Points

“Daddy, I need that penguin.” I reach to the back of the display and grab the penguin which is two–thirds of his size.

“He’s perfect. Now I need a polar bear.” We all shrug and start searching. Jackson comes back with one but he’s small, maybe four inches tall.

He shakes his head. “No, it needs to be as big as this penguin.”

“This was all they had. Let me go ask the shopkeeper.” Jackson goes over and talks with her.

He comes back shaking his head. “She said they sold all their big ones. This is it.”

“No, I need a big one. I has to have it!” He looks ready to cry. The kind lady Jackson talked to

hears him.

“There’s another toy shop on the other side of Kenton. They might have a few left. They’ve

been popular due to the polar bear movie out.” She offers.

I crouch down. “Cole, is the penguin not enough?”

“No Daddy, Luci needs both. She has to have two big ones.” His big eyes stare back at me.

“These are for Luci?” Becker asks curiously.

“Yes. And they have to be big and I need both.” He does shed a few tears now. “She needs to

know she’s real.”

“Cole, what does that mean?” I ask worriedly.

“I heard Luci and Sydney talking. I was asleep and I woke up for a minute. She said she picked a big polar bear and a big penguin, almost as big as her. She said she never had a stuffie.” He pauses and my heart is already sinking. “The lady took them from her and said…..” Another loud sniffle. f**k no…..please no is all I can think as I dread his next words.” She said they were only for real kids. She gave her a tiny kitty cat. Luci is real, Daddy, and she needs to have these so she knows she is.” He rushes into my arms and my heart shatters as I try to soothe

him.

“People suck….” Becker says angrily.

Jackson growls and Kingston lifts his phone to his ear, muttering curses. “Yes, do you have a large stuffed polar bear? It needs to be bigger than a foot tall.” He listens quietly. “You have two in different sizes. I want both of them. Can I pay over the phone and drive over or will you

hold them for me?”

“Let me walk outside and I’ll give you my card number. My name is Kingston Reed and I am on

my way.” He nods to me and leaves.

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60: The Thought Behind the Gift

“Cole, did you hear anything else?”

*8 Points

He shakes his head. “No they were too quiet and then I fell asleep again. It made her very sad Daddy. That’s why I have to get Luci these. She said the love behind the present is the most important. These will show her I love her very much.” I hug him to me.