Jared shrugged, the blanket folded tightly under his arm. “I thought we could hang out in the sunshine for a few hours.”

I fingered the blanket with sentiment. “I haven’t used that blanket, yet. I’ve been sort of saving it as a keepsake.”

Jared’s mouth turned up into a half smile. “Why?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Gabe bought it for me.”

“Is that what he told you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. Why?”
“I had my mother make it for you when you were accepted into

Brown. It makes sense, I suppose. He couldn’t tell you it was from me.”

“This blanket was a gift from you?” I said, my eyes wide with disbelief. “Lillian made this?” I touched the blanket as if it were gold.

“Yes. So you don’t have to keep it preserved. We can use it for the first time together,” he smiled.

I knew the touched look on my face was pathetic, but I couldn’t help it. His first present to me had been sitting in my closet and I had no idea. “Aw!”

Jared flinched. “Don’t say ‘aw’.”

I couldn’t change my ridiculous expression. “It’s sweet, though.”

“You say ‘aw’ when your boyfriends give you junk,” he said, his face twisting into disgust.

The wheels of my mind thrust into high gear, and I scanned over everything Stacy had ever given me, trying to remember if I was ever insincerely appreciative. I came up with nothing.

“I’ve only had two boyfriends, and neither of them gave me junk.”

Jared’s face scrunched into a doubtful grimace. “You said ‘aw’ when Chuck Nagel gave you that crappy mixed tape.”

My mouth fell open. “It was sweet! Do you know what lengths he must have gone to? Where would you get a cassette tape these days? And he wasn’t my boyfriend,” I argued, shuddering at the thought. “And I can’t believe you remember that!”

Jared rolled his eyes. “I had to watch that simpleton pine for you for months. You may not have noticed him, but I did.”

I pressed my lips together in an amused smile. “I love the blanket. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he beamed, kissing me.

What I thought would be a peck turned into a longer kiss, and with his free arm Jared pulled me to him, pressing his fingers into my back. I found myself hoping he would pull me back into the room.

He leaned back with a jerk, keeping his eyes closed. “We’d better go.”

“Laying on a blanket with me in public isn’t so tempting?”

“Right,” he said, nodding once.

We walked to the Main Green hand in hand, weaving through the sea of students. On the few warm days during the school year, the campus lawn went from being desolate to bustling with movement in every direction.