far I’d come since I first stepped off that plane and set foot in Alaska, and they each took one of my hands in their own. “You embraced me when I needed it the most, and I’ve been truly blessed to have you both in my life as mother figures. I’ve considered you family for a long time now, and I’m happy to have you here with me today, helping me prepare for my upcoming mating.”
Angela and Li Min were crying now, and we all laughed as we took turns wiping our eyes and composing ourselves before Li Min pressed the box she held into my hands.
“You didn’t have to do… whatever this is,” I told them while my fingers traced the lines of the pretty gift box. It looked like something jewelry came in, and I was curious what was inside.
“Hush, of course we did,” Angela replied with a wave of her hand before motioning to Rini to chime in.
“Our moms wanted to do something special for you, Nix, and together we decided to gift you with something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. The something borrowed is the wedding dress,” Rini explained, and then her mother tapped the box in her hand.
“Open it, sweetheart.” Li Min beamed as I pulled back the lid and gasped.
“I can’t take this. Isn’t this a family heirloom?” Inside the box was the intricate hair comb Rini had worn on her mating day. Small, white pearls were cradled in an elaborate setting that glittered in the warm light.
“Of course you can. It’s a gift, and it’s now your something old.” Li Min closed my hand around the box, thwarting my plan to shove it back into her arms and tell her it was too precious a gift. “Besides, Rini is my only child, and she’s mated now. You’re next. My very own honorary daughter.”
“We want you to have it,” Rini insisted, and I bit my lip, nodding as I accepted the gift. I ran my finger over the pretty embellishments, promising I’d treasure it.
Li Min tucked the comb away and set it on the coffee table so Angela could give me her gift as well. I was almost afraid to open the square package, wondering what I’d find inside. How was I supposed to accept two gifts today? I was fairly sure that comb was the nicest thing I owned.
“Open it,” Angela pressed with a mirthful laugh behind her words that told me she knew exactly what I was thinking.
Slowly, I popped the hinged top open and stared at the beautiful ring nestled in a bed of satin.
“Angela,” I gasped, utterly speechless beyond murmuring her name.
The topaz stone was set in the center of a metal wave, the total embodiment of the ocean in a piece of jewelry. The band had a woven pattern carved into the shiny silver, and I was nearly afraid to touch it for fear I’d somehow break such a priceless trinket.
“Theo’s father gave me that ring on our first anniversary, a homage to the first day we ever swam together.” Angela’s tone was quiet and peaceful, and I lifted my gaze to her face.
“This is too much, Angela.”
She held up a finger and pressed it to my lips. “Shh. There’s no such thing, and I hope you’ll soon feel comfortable enough to call me Mom, as Theo and Molly do. You’ll be my daughter-in-law in a matter of days, sweetheart, and it would be an honor to gain the title, if you’re okay with it.”
I didn’t even have to think about it.
“Of course I am.” I meant it too. Angela had been nothing but a mother to me, and having such a strong woman in my life who I could call Mom filled a small piece of that hole left by my own mother’s absence.
Angela pulled me into her arms and gave me a long hug which I willingly returned, and when she pulled back, she cupped my cheek. “Now you have your something blue.”
Molly ticked off the items on her fingers. “Something borrowed, the dress, something old, the hair comb, and something blue, the ring. What about something new?”
Rini grinned like she held a secret. “Let’s just say that Nix’s men are working on a little something behind the scenes. Don’t worry, Molly, all the bases will be covered.”
“More surprises?” I questioned, but I couldn’t hide the rosy heat that found its way into my cheeks as I reminisced about the guys’ last surprise.
And as