Notes: Written for the kidficstory big bang in 2014. No spoilers, set post series and the timeline is 23rd to 28th December 2010. The characters Lucas and Evelyn are mine, they were first introduced in Twice Unjust. The title is from the song Feels Like Home by Chantal Kreviazuk. Thanks to sperrywink for doing beta.
23rd December
A partly played game of Bakers Dozen was on one side of the kitchen table while Jackie was at the opposite side helping Lucas with his cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast, he'd been feeling poorly and still wasn't eating the way he usually did when he was well.
Hearing the doorbell ringing, Jackie said, "Can you get that?" to Robbie. Getting up he went to the door, not paying too much attention to the one forkful of eggs and one square of toast deal that Jackie was making with Lucas over how much more of his food he had to eat.
Matt took in Robbie's dishevelled appearance and instantly recognised the signs of a rough night, he also knew that being a recovering addict was harder for the recently retired detective than he or Jackie would ever admit.
Entering the kitchen he noticed that Jackie's appearance matched Robbie's, rather than ask if it had been a difficult night, he said, "You're still here."
Jackie glanced at him. "Yeah. I probably shouldn't have sent that text."
Feeling like a spare part, Robbie queried, "What text?"
Nodding her approval for Matt to show Robbie the relapse had enough message she sent out of frustration the night before when he wasn't listening to reason.
He had been trying, without success, to find poker games and cage fights to bet on although he'd not actually done any gambling since he moved in with Jackie during their last case.
The doorbell chimed for a second time, Lucas ran to answer the door forgetting that he still couldn't reach the latch. Matt came to let the visitor in. "Morning," Karen said smiling when Lucas made a run and jump to her so that she could carry him back to the kitchen.
Realising that she'd interrupted something that she wasn't privy to, she took Lucas upstairs and helped him to get dressed and then brush his teeth while the others stayed downstairs discussing what had led to the events of the night before.
"Karen, where are we going? uncle Robbie and auntie Jackie won't tell me."
Karen chuckled. "Today we are going to Edinburgh Zoo."
"What animals will we see? Can I have my picture taken with one of the animals?"
"I don't know what animals will be out today, it could be too cold for them, and I'm sure we'll be able to take a few pictures of you and the animals."
Once Karen had helped Lucas finish tying his shoelaces they went back downstairs, ready to go and spend the day in the capital. Although she knew from the office gossip that it wasn't Matt's favourite city to spend time in, she was pleased that he was at least willing to put his opinions to one side for the sake of Lucas's enjoyment on his first visit.
"We're just waiting for you Matt," Karen said while waiting near to the front door.
Shuffling the deck of cards and starting another game of Bakers Dozen was the only way that Robbie would be able to concentrate on dealing with the events leading up to his minor relapse the night before.
One player card games were a distraction technique that had varying levels of success over the last couple of months, this particular game had become a favourite because it required logic as well as patience.
Jackie sat next to him and waited for him to start talking. She knew it'd be a while before he spoke, so she timed his new card game.
"Yesterday Lucas got a letter from Louise and seeing the return address, it made me angry. It set me off."
Jackie sighed. "You should have told me, Rob, we could have dealt with it. As for the prison visits, that's up to Lucas, not us."
Robbie nodded because she was right about all of it. "I know it's for him to decide but I'd rather not have him going to see his mum in prison."
"You're looking out for him and that's a good thing, Rob, but I think the best thing for us to do now is to talk to Ella and arrange a meeting for after the holidays, so that we can discuss this as a family. It's only fair that Lucas tells us what he wants."
"Yeah, you're right. That's the sensible thing to do."
Jackie suppressed a laugh. "Yeah it is. You having a relapse isn't."
Looking at the small fold-out map of the zoo, the group walked slowly up towards the birds and monkeys while they figured out the best way to navigate the 82 acre conservation site. Pointing to the animals that could be seen on the route that they were currently following, Karen said, "If we go from here to the hilltop observation point then come down the other side we can see those animals."
As they walked further and further up the hill, both Matt and Karen were getting out of breath while Lucas carried on ahead of them at a faster pace.
"At least the hills in Glasgow don't bloody cripple you," Matt remarked as he stopped to catch his breath.
"Keep up slow coaches," Lucas said in a demanding tone that only worked when it was used by a child.
Karen laughed. "Wait there, Lucas, we'll be with you in a minute."
Having caught their breath, Matt and Karen caught up to Lucas and took in the view of the snow covered mountains in the distance. "Wow!" Lucas exclaimed. "Picture."
Matt took the camera from Karen and got them to pose taking in the scenery around them. The tell-tale flash flickered as the picture saved to the camera's memory.
They stayed at the highest point of the zoo for several minutes before walking down the route that Karen had suggested earlier. Making it to the halfway point they went into the coffee shop to have a hot drink and sit down to give their aching legs a rest.
Once they'd seen all of the animals that were out in the open pens braving the typical Scottish weather, they went to the gift shop to buy some of the merchandise that was available.
Lucas wanted to buy everything that he saw, so Matt and Karen made a deal with him—he could buy one item with his own money and they'd buy him two as a treat for being well behaved.
Leaving the zoo, they went down the steps walking the short way to the bus stop to get back into the city centre.
"What time's the train?" Matt asked when they got off the bus on Princes Street.
"We can get on any train we want. Do you want to go home?"
"Aye, I do."
Karen looked at Lucas, who was still holding her hand and asked, "Do you want to go back to Glasgow or stay here for a little longer?"
"Glasgow," Lucas answered.
At the entrance of Waverley station they checked the departures board for the time of the next Glasgow train. Seeing that it was due to leave in ten minutes they made their way to the designated platform to start the journey home.
The smile on Lucas's face told his auntie and uncle that he'd enjoyed his day out in the capital. He showed them the various animal related soft toys and colouring books that he'd bought in the zoo's gift shop while they were on their way out.
Curious to find out what animals they had seen while they were there, Stuart asked, "Did you take any pictures?"
Karen opened her bag, rooting through for her digital camera which had fallen to the bottom, and was hidden underneath an assortment of items. Feeling the object, she said, "Found it."
Turning it on, she quickly called up the on-device picture menu and passed it to Stuart. "Press the arrow buttons."
After passing the camera around the group, Robbie and Jackie were in possession of it looking at all of the photos taken during the day. They were whispering "I like that one," to each other as they scrolled through the images. They decided to wait before asking Karen for prints of the few photos that they wanted to frame and hang on the wall.
Seeing a picture of his nephew holding a tarantula Robbie admitted, "You're braver than I am." Lucas laughed at his uncle's admission of fear. "Oh, last one," Jackie said disappointed the slide-show was over.
"I'll need to book a hotel," Evelyn said. "I can't cope with the steps here."
"You're going to be staying with Karen, mother-in-law. She's got more space than what we have at the moment."
Feeling disappointed that she wasn't staying with her son, Evelyn asked, "Is there steps there?"
"No, I live on the ground floor," Karen answered, noting the unspoken worry in Jackie's eyes.
Letting out a loud yawn, Stuart said, "It's been a long day."
Karen, Evelyn, and Matt knew what Stuart was hinting at, and they agreed to call it a night and go home.
24th December
Having to be at the airport before six to welcome Jamie on his return home wasn't Stuart's idea of a good way to start the short break he had from work, but when Jackie had told him and Matt about the surprise that she was planning for Robbie, he couldn't say no. If he were to admit to anything, it would be that he actually missed seeing Jamie on the weekends that he stayed with his dad before the tumultuous move to Canada.
Matt awoke with a start as a plane slowly started its take off procedure. He rubbed his face and asked, "How long have we been here?"
Stifling a yawn, Stuart answered, "A few minutes. I was going to shut my eyes because the flight isn't due to land for another half hour or so."
"What time is it landing?"
Swiping the screen of his smartphone to unlock it, Stuart checked the memo app before answering. "It lands just after half six. I've got all of the details that Jackie sent to me before I left the office on Wednesday evening. She bought the tickets for him."
Matt couldn't help the smile that started as it dawned on him that Jackie would do anything for her partner and step-son. "She really wants him here doesn't she?"
"Yeah, she does, but I think a lot of it has to do with Lucas and everything that's happened during the last few months."
Although Matt silently agreed with Stuart, he refrained from adding, "and of course there's no love lost between them and Gaby." Opening the car door, he grimaced as the pre-dawn chill bit into the exposed skin of his face and hands.
Every so often Stuart glanced up at the arrivals information boards to find out the status of Jamie's flight. He let out a quiet "Yes," when he spotted the now twenty year old casually strolling towards the customs area with his two bags. Although he was taller and had started to grow a beard he still had the same mannerisms as his dad.
They waited a few more minutes for him to clear all of the checks before approaching him, exchanging handshakes. He asked, "Where's my dad?"
Stuart had a sheepish grin on his face. "He's at home with your step-mum and cousin. He doesn't know that you're here for Christmas."
"It should feel weird hearing you call Jackie that, but it doesn't, because I always thought of her as my other mum. That's good, because it's been a long time, and I want him to be surprised when he sees me."
Looking back at the stragglers, Matt asked, "What else is it?"
Jamie hesitated before speaking. "This kid, Lucas, how am I related to him again? It was quite confusing when my dad was telling me about him."
"He is your cousin. When we were investigating your granddad's murder we found out that your dad had a half-sister, and Lucas is her son. Your dad was awarded custody because he is the only relative who isn't in prison or dead."
They put Jamie's bags in the boot, and exited the car park hoping that the traffic wouldn't be too heavy for the hour, and that the drive back to Jackie's would be fairly quick.
Parking in the communal spaces along the street, Stuart noticed that Jamie was looking nervous about the impeding reunion and waited for a few minutes before moving, and going to the property.
Jamie anxiously exhaled. "I'm really nervous about this now. What if my dad hates it that I'm here?"
Matt turned to him and said, "One of us will kick his arse. Don't worry because he'll love it, son, he misses you a lot more than he admits to."
Stuart remained silent for the exchange, waiting for Jamie to give the word that he was ready to go in, and be reunited with his father.
Letting out a shaky sigh, Jamie said, "I'm ready. I think."
The three of them got out of the car. Stuart went to the boot to get the bags and followed Jamie and Matt into the house.
"Jackie!" Matt shouted as he tried to work out which room she'd most likely be in. "Living room or kitchen?"
"In here," she answered as she came to the kitchen door, her smile widened when she saw Jamie trying to hide behind the boss. "Rob and Lucas are watching cartoons."
Stuart closed the door and sat next to Matt, neither man could stop the huge grins from appearing on their faces as Jackie and Jamie hugged, cried, and joked.
"You made it! How was the flight?"
"All right. Longer than I remembered but I'm glad I'm here."
Jackie pulled away a little to get a better look at him. She couldn't help but notice how much like his dad he was now that he was older. "You've gotten so big," she stated, the words were out of her mouth before she remembered that he wasn't nine anymore and this wasn't their first time meeting.
"You're still looking good, Jackie," he complimented. "You haven't changed much."
"I'm just older and fatter."
"Nah, that's the wisdom and contentment."
Jackie smirked, "Charmer, now I remember where your dad gets it from."
Stuart let out a stilted cough, essentially breaking up the first part of the reunion. "Aren't we forgetting someone," he said with his thumb pointing in the direction of the living room.
"Oh yeah," Jackie quietly answered. She walked towards the other room with Jamie following a couple of steps behind. Opening the door she said, "Robbie, can you give me a hand in the kitchen?"
Robbie got up to go to Jackie, and left Lucas to watch the rest of his cartoon. She moved behind him, placing her hands over his eyes. "I've got a surprise for you," she whispered, while they walked in sync towards the kitchen.
Jamie was standing in front of Robbie, who was still unaware of his only child's presence. He was becoming impatient at what he felt was a game of some sort that he wasn't certain he wanted to be a part of. "Let me look!" he demanded.
Slowly removing her hands from his face, Jackie kissed him on the cheek and watched as a multitude of emotions played across his features. "Oh my god."
Robbie pulled Jamie into a fierce hug, refusing to let him go until he was absolutely certain that his son really was in Glasgow and wasn't some illusion from a big budget sci-fi movie. Stifling the threatening sobs, he said, "Why didn't you say that you were coming home?"
"These three arranged it all, and swore me to absolute secrecy over it."
Jackie waited a moment, content that the homecoming had so far been a success. "Are you going to introduce Lucas?" she asked.
Robbie grabbed Jamie's hand and took him into the living room, they sat at either side of Lucas who was still sitting on the sofa where Robbie had left him a few minutes earlier. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," he said to the young boy.
Jamie casually waved at his newly acquired cousin. "Hi, I'm Jamie. You must be Lucas. Dad and Jackie have told me a lot about you."
Lucas shyly observed the young man for a few moments, weighing up his intentions before he spoke. "I thought you lived in Canada."
Jamie chuckled. "I do live there, but I wanted to spend Christmas here with you."
Turning the TV off, Lucas went to the small toy box that was kept in the corner of the room. "Do you want to play Lego?"
Robbie spent a few minutes watching Jamie and Lucas play with the connectible building blocks. When he felt Jackie's arm around his waist, they retreated to the kitchen to let the boys get to know each other without any interference from them.
Karen and Evelyn arrived a few moments after they'd settled in the kitchen. "Has your visitor arrived?" Karen asked, unaware that Evelyn didn't know about it.
Robbie couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Yeah, he's through there playing with Lucas."
Evelyn was curious about the identity of the mysterious visitor that the others had been referring to for the last twenty four hours. "Who's here?"
"Come on," Robbie said, holding his arm crooked at an angle so she could link up with him, and go next door at a steady pace.
A moment later Robbie opened the door, and had to put his hands over his ears as his mum shouted, "JAMIE!" He stepped back while they hugged.
"It's great to see you, gran, I've missed you," he said.
"I've missed you too, love." Turning to Robbie, Evelyn said, "Did you know about this?"
Robbie shook his head. "I only found out this morning. Jackie arranged it all with Stuart and Matt."
"She is too good to us," Evelyn said, while mulling over the ways that she could spoil both her grand kids, and also get a thank you gift that would express the gratitude she couldn't find the right words for.
Talking to Robbie and Jackie, Matt said, "We'll leave you in peace so you can have some quality time with the kids. Don't worry about the dinner, I'll buy it tonight and bring it over in the morning along with the rest of our presents."
Knowing what the two men were planning, Karen asked, "Do you want a hand with the food shop?"
Evelyn leant close to Karen, and said, "I was wondering if you'd mind helping me finish off my shopping."
Quickly figuring out what Matt and Evelyn were up to, Stuart said, "Why don't we take one car and go into town and then to the supermarket, I can easily drop you both off afterwards."
Having spent the last few hours catching up with his dad and getting to know his cousin better by playing and watching cartoons with him, Jamie said, "I'm going to lie down for a bit, if you don't mind."
"Night, Jamie," Jackie said as he kissed her on the cheek before going upstairs for a much needed rest.
For a while after Jamie had gone to bed, Lucas continued to play with his toys, while Robbie and Jackie curled up on the sofa watching one of their many Sky+ saves playing at a low volume. Robbie gave Jackie an appreciative kiss, his way of thanking her for bringing his son home. "Having Jamie home means more to me than I can ever say."
"Any time that he wants to come home, he can. All I need to know are the dates, so that I can book his flights."
"I love you," Robbie declared, kissing her again.
"I love you too."
Overhearing the exchange Lucas came over to them, and tapped their knees. "Don't you love me?"
They chuckled at his question, and said "We love you more than anything," in unison while sharing the you go first look, and started to tickle the boy until he was laughing loud enough to disturb half the street.
"Cute," Jamie remarked at the sight of Robbie and Lucas sleeping in the armchair.
Jackie looked in his direction. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, I just came down to get a drink." Picking his phone up off the table, he selected the camera to take a picture of his dad and cousin. "You're used to seeing them like that, aren't you?" He asked because Jackie hadn't said anything about his earlier comment or the photo he'd just taken.
"I've got loads of photos of them both on my phone. I'll find the cable later, and you can have some if you want."
Squinting at the seemingly brighter lights, Robbie sleepily asked, "Time is it?"
"Quarter to ten. We should put Lucas to bed."
They all made their way upstairs, Robbie went into their room, while Jackie helped Jamie put Lucas into his bed. "If you can cope on the air bed for tonight, I'll get the proper mattress out in the morning."
Once their door was closed, Robbie passionately kissed Jackie while guiding her to the bed, with neither wanting to break the contact. They stayed lip-locked for several minutes, until Robbie pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. "Thank you. This is the best Christmas that I've had for a long time."
Jackie tenderly smiled at him as she got into the bed, and patted the space next to her. Taking the hint, Robbie got in and let her take the lead.
25th December
A dull thud in the middle of the night woke Lucas up. He got out of bed and carefully tip-toed to the top of the stairs because he was curious as to what, or rather, who had made the noise. Spotting a shadow along the downstairs wall, he began to go down until Jamie emerged from the hallway holding a glass of Irn Bru, and went to him.
"I was just getting a drink. Did I wake you up, mate?"
Lucas shook his head at the question. "I thought that I heard Santa. Has he been yet?"
Jamie sat on the top step and patted the space next to him, Lucas sat down, and rested his head against his cousin's arm. "No, he hasn't been here yet, but he will be soon, and if we're awake when he gets here, he won't leave any presents for us."
"Really?" Lucas asked, clearly upset at the prospect of not receiving any gifts from Father Christmas.
Jamie put his arm around the boy. "Being awake after midnight is a naughty list offence because Santa works in mysterious ways and wants to spread cheer and happiness to all the boys and girls in the world."
Hearing the hushed conversation between the boys, Jackie attempted to move but Robbie's arms tightened around her, holding her closer. "Let Jamie handle it, darling. Go back to sleep," he mumbled in her ear.
"I thought that the wee man might have had another bad dream."
"He would have come in, and told us about it."
Kissing his hand, she sleepily said, "Yeah, you're right. Night, honey."
"We had better go to sleep then," Lucas declared "I don't want to be on Santa's naughty list." Jamie picked him up, and carried him to the room, tucking him in to his Spiderman themed bed. He then lied down on the rapidly deflating air bed that he was using for the night.
Once the other door had closed, Jackie went back to sleep as well, knowing that whatever Jamie had said to Lucas will have helped him in some way.
The loud, delighted squeals resonated throughout the house as Jamie and Lucas rummaged through the assortment of gift bags, envelopes and boxes of different shapes and sizes that had been placed underneath the six-foot, white, artificial tree during the night.
"Best go and stop them, we've got to wait for mother-in-law to arrive," Jackie quietly said.
"I'll go and tell them to wait." Robbie leant down for a quick morning kiss. "When are the others arriving?"
Jackie was trying, and failing to get Robbie back into bed. "The mother-in-law and Karen should be here within the hour, and I think it's about the same for Matt and Stuart. You could text them to find out how long they'll be. Just don't tell them that the kids are hyper."
Robbie had a conspiratorial smile on his lips. "Oh, I cannot wait to see the look on the wee man's face when he sees what we've got him."
Jackie rolled her eyes at him. "Sometimes I don't know who is worse, you or Lucas."
"I know you don't, and it's why you love me," he stated, while he stole another quick kiss.
Unable to think of a sharp-witted comeback to his answer, Jackie chuckled because she knew that he was right about that.
Hearing the ding-dong of the doorbell, Jamie went to answer the door knowing that it would be at least two of the four guests they were expecting. "Morning all," he said as Evelyn, Karen, Stuart and Matt went passed him, into the living room.
Robbie and Jackie finally made their appearance, neither bothering to apologise to their guests for still wearing their pyjamas.
Lucas and Jamie gave expectant looks to Robbie and Jackie. "Go on, then," Jackie said, chuckling as the gifts got handed around much quicker than expected and the boys made light work of opening their smaller gifts. They waited until the adults had finished taking photos, and opened some of their middle-sized presents, before starting on the two big boxes that were still unopened in the corner.
The joy on Lucas face at getting the custom built remote control car he had wanted since playing with the tester car in Model Zone made Jackie tear up a little because she knew that they'd made his day.
Robbie couldn't help but laugh when Lucas insisted that he had to go upstairs and change immediately into the Spiderman onesie that Karen had bought him.
Once the gifts had all been opened, a variety of toys, books, gift cards, computer games and DVD's were piled haphazardly near the tree.
Stuart looked at his watch for the third time in as many minutes. "Can we make a start on dinner? I'm getting hungry."
Everyone nodded their agreement with his suggestion. Matt got up, and said, "Yeah, I'll give you a hand." He followed Stuart into the kitchen to make a start on cooking the selection of pizzas and garlic bread that they'd bought the day before.
In the kitchen everyone took their usual places around the table, and waited while the last of the pizzas and garlic bread were removed from the oven, before Matt and Karen cut the last of the pizzas into eights and tore apart the pre-cut garlic bread.
"This is different," Evelyn commented as she selected the slices with her preferred toppings and took several pieces of the bread.
Robbie was about make a comment about the meal being a bit of a slap-dash affair, but refrained when Karen shot him a "be thankful" look before saying, "When we were in the supermarket yesterday afternoon, the only joints of meat that were left were small, and there wouldn't have been enough to go around for all of us." They remained relatively silent while they ate their food, the only time that anyone spoke was when they asked who was wanting a drink.
Jamie sighed contently. "This is the way that Christmas dinner should be done. Laid back with minimal effort."
"Oh it definitely is, love," Jackie said, seconding his statement.
Once the others had retreated back to the living room, Karen and Jackie did the washing up, and made drinks for those who had asked, except that Lucas and Jamie had taken their Irn Bru through with them when they'd finished eating.
"Thanks for doing this, Jackie," Karen said.
"You don't have thank me for anything. We've been getting together for Christmas for a few years, it's become a tradition of ours. Rob and I agreed that we'd keep it up because we didn't know that we'd end up having a kid living with us."
Karen smiled at the comment. "Speaking of Lucas, he's turning into a very happy, little boy, and he's changed so much since we first met him."
"He has, and everyday I'm thankful that we were awarded custody because I wanted him from the moment I saw him. I honestly don't know what I'd have done had that reporter placed him in care instead."
Karen gave Jackie a reassuring hug. "There really was no other option, you know that."
"I know there wasn't another option, but I didn't expect to be nearly fifty and raising a five year old with a recovering addict. Even though me and Rob have had our 'I want out of this' moments, I wouldn't swap any of what I have now for anything else the in world."
Releasing Jackie from the embrace Karen said, "Come on, they'll be thinking we've gone to India for their teas."
The presenter said, "That's it for this festive edition of Top Of The Pops." When the theme music started, Stuart changed the channel in time for the start of Muppets Christmas Carol.
"Yay!" Lucas squealed as Gonzo and Rizzo appeared on the screen. He scooted closer to the large screen, moving so that he was laying on his front looking up, ignoring the various, "You'll get square eyes," comments from the adults.
Jamie looked at his little cousin, before asking, "What about the queen?"
"There's three in this room, how many more do you want?" Evelyn remarked to everyone's amusement.
Waiting a moment for her own laughter to subside, Karen said, "I was about to say the same thing, Mrs Ross."
Jackie nudged Karen, whispering, "It's Evelyn, you can drop the formality."
"Sorry, I keep forgetting." Karen admitted while attempting to hide her embarrassment at the unexpected slip.
During one of the later advert breaks, a soft snoring sound coming from the direction of the TV alerted Robbie and Jackie, who were the only ones still awake, to the fact that Lucas had fallen asleep before the end of the movie.
"I'll take him up when this is over," Robbie said, as Jackie was about to get up and do just that. "Then I'll help you and Jamie tidy up. This place looks like a tornado ripped through it."
The others woke up as the "next on" announcement that played over the credits was louder than the movie had been. "We'll leave you in peace," Matt said.
"Thanks for having us over. I enjoyed it," Stuart said.
Karen rubbed her eyes as the early evening dusk set in. She gently woke Evelyn by tapping her on the shoulder. "Evelyn, it's getting late. Are you coming back with us?" She asked.
"Aye, hen. Give us a wee minute to say goodnight to the boys."
Robbie pointed to the spot where Lucas was still sleeping. "They're both asleep mum."
The four of them made their way to the door, with Jackie following closely behind them so that she could lock the door once they'd got in the car. "We'll see you tomorrow for the football. I don't know what game we're off to, because Robbie was buying the tickets."
"Night, hen," Evelyn said, "Make sure they stay awake tomorrow."
As soon as Stuart reversed out of the parking space, Jackie closed and locked the door, making her way back to the living room. Jamie had already woken up, and made a start on tidying up all of the mess that had been left since the morning.
"What goes where?" He asked while trying to remember what items went into the black bag, and what went into the recycling bucket.
Jackie placed several items that could be recycled on the sofa, and the ones that couldn't into the bin liner.
They got on with the task in silence for a few minutes until Jamie spoke. Rather than beating about the bush, he said, "I've applied to be a police officer and I need somewhere to live."
"You've applied to Strathclyde? Or one of the Canadian forces?"
Jamie chuckled, "Strathclyde. I don't have the right visas to work in Canada, and I've already sent my application in because I've been thinking about moving back home for a while now. The thing is that I'll have nowhere to live if I just pack up and catch a flight. Can I live here with you and dad?"
Jackie perched on the armrest of the sofa. She was saddened that he was unhappy with his life in Canada, and that he had found it difficult to tell her and Robbie sooner that he had been wanting to come back home. "Yes, of course you can move in with us, but you have to tell your dad too."
Robbie returned from putting Lucas to bed, and started putting more rubbish in the bag. "Tell your dad what?"
"I've applied to be a police officer, and Jackie said that I could live here with you until I can afford to rent my own place."
Jamie left the room to give them a few minutes alone. The weight of his announcement, decision, and what he would be doing stunned Robbie into silence as he processed the information. Realising that there was a lot more going on with his son than he had been told or was aware of. Jackie went over to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"
Robbie flashed a sad smile at her. "I knew he was unhappy, but why didn't he just tell me? I would have got him home sooner."
Trying not to sound cynical, Jackie said, "I think that Gaby might have stopped him from telling us, but it's better that we know, and can start making the arrangements for his move."
Squeezing her hand that was still resting on his shoulder, he asked, "Do you know when he's coming back?"
"He didn't say, I suppose he'll go back to Canada on Tuesday, and sort things out over there, and then he'll tell us the dates later on."
26th December
Having seats in the first two rows of the disabled area behind the goal certainly had several advantages: a good view of the game, quick access to the food kiosk, and an easy route to the car park afterwards.
"These are good seats, Robbie," Karen said as she occupied the seat behind Evelyn's wheelchair.
"I'd rather be at Ibrox," Evelyn griped as the home sections of Parkhead stadium started to fill up with people of all ages wearing the traditional green and white club colours. Karen and Jackie remained silent while Matt started laughing at her statement, because he would have preferred to be there too. Robbie, Lucas, and Jamie, the Celtic supporters of the group, just frowned at the expected outburst.
"Anyone want a burger before kick off?" Stuart asked.
"Yes," Lucas said, "I'm hungry."
Jackie turned in her seat. "You're always hungry! I don't know where you get your appetite from."
"It's the Ross genes darling," Robbie joked, quickly adding, "I'll give you a hand, Stuarty."
A few minutes later the two men returned with two steak pies and a cheeseburger, and took their seats as the teams walked on to the pitch to start the game.
During the uneventful first half there was a lot frustrated oohs and aahs from both sets of supporter as the teams missed several opportunities to score, knowing that they could have an advantage for the second half.
Just before half-time Jackie and Karen left their seats, and went to the kiosk for the pies and drinks because they knew that there wouldn't be a queue, and they could discuss what they felt were the main talking points of the game with the others.
While they were waiting for their food, Evelyn and Matt had their own talk about the quality on display so far, and laughed at the decisions that didn't go the way of the home side, knowing that the manager would be on SportScene making one of his typical post-match comments berating the referee rather than his own players.
The quality of the second half was a slight improvement from the first half. Still the only highlights were a missed penalty for the visitors, and a red card for the goalkeeper of the home side.
Every so often Jackie looked at her watch out of her own boredom rather than needing to be elsewhere, and hearing Stuart sounding just as bored quietly asking, "Is it over yet?"
The relief from the group was evident when the full-time whistle was finally blown. "Ach, that was total shit," Jamie moaned as they made their way to the car park, knowing that they'd have a few more minutes to wait before the stewards signalled that it was safe enough for them to leave the stadium and drive home.
Stuart and Karen helped Evelyn into the passenger seat, while Matt put her folded up wheelchair in the boot of the car. It was easier for them to leave together so that the family could have some peace and quiet for the remainder of the day.
Nobody was watching the TV, Robbie pressed the standby button on the remote, and asked the others, "What do you want to do tomorrow?"
"We'll do whatever you want," Jamie said, adding, "I'd like to go shopping and use some of my gift cards." Jackie and Lucas nodded their agreement with Jamie's answers.
"I thought that we could go to the carnival, this rain is supposed to last for another day at least. I've got some discount vouchers for it, so we can all get in for half price."
"They still run the Irn Bru Carnival?" Jamie asked, surprised that the annual event still went ahead. "At the exhibition centre?"
Jackie chuckled at Jamie's reactions to finding out that the indoor fun fair had never stopped. "Yeah, they still run it there. Do you want to go?"
"Yeah! Of course I want to go!"
Robbie and Jackie flashed appreciative smiles at each other, understanding that there was some things that the young man hadn't grown out of liking.
"What time are we leaving in the morning?" Jackie asked.
"Around half eleven, why?"
"The mother-in-law and Stuart are going back to Aberdeen tomorrow."
Getting his phone from the coffee table Robbie unlocked the keys and typed a quick text to his mum and friend, waiting a few minutes for a reply from one of them. He was about to put his phone down when it beeped with a new event, reading it, he said, "They're coming over at ten in the morning."
27th December
Robbie was standing near the window, watching out for Stuart's car turning onto the street. He hated saying goodbye to the people he cared about, but he knew that he'd be up in Aberdeen seeing his mum and Stuart again before too long.
Robbie's lookout ended when Stuart came up to the house, while Evelyn waited in the car for them to come out and see her.
"We told Matt and Karen that we'd be fine." Making their way out to the communal parking space that Stuart had procured, the four of them said their goodbyes to Stuart and Evelyn. "I think they wanted to be nosey."
"It's not nosey. They're just lonely and too stubborn to do anything about it," Evelyn said.
Jackie softly laughed. "Are you match-making again mother-in-law?"
"No hen, they're not suited."
"When are you away home?" Robbie asked.
"Now. We came to say goodbye to you, and the boys before we left."
Lucas and Jamie came out to the street to say their own goodbyes to their gran and surrogate uncle.
Waiting a moment while Stuart started the car, Robbie said, "Ring us when you get home."
"We always do!" Stuart and Evelyn replied in unison.
The four of them stood on the top step waving to their departing guests when they pulled away, the car disappearing into the distance.
Getting off the train at the Exhibition Centre station, they made their way up the steps, and along to the covered walkway that took them to their final destination.
As the Armadillo building came into view Jamie said, "I always forget how big that is." Getting his phone out of his pocket, he asked a couple of people if they'd take a photo for him. They refused. After asking another person, who agreed, and snapped a shot of the four of them in front of the imposing metallic structure. "Thanks," he said as he got his phone back.
Seeing the queue for the box office, a security guard directed them to quieter area further away from the main entrance where they could get their carnival tickets. Robbie got his half price vouchers out, and passed them to the cashier who handed him four sets of twelve tickets to use for the rides and stalls inside the arena.
Entering the arena, Jackie asked, "What ride do you want to go on first?"
Watching the Twist ride come to a halt Lucas pointed to it, and they went on it. Jackie and Jamie sat in one car and Robbie and Lucas in another.
They all tried shouting over the music as the ride sped up, twisting and turning in all directions. Jamie chuckled when Jackie's cheeks puffed out looking like she was going to throw up before the ride was finished.
Once the ride was over, they got off, wandering around for a bit while deciding the next ride that they'd go on.
Rather than holding the boys up, Robbie gave them one strip of tickets to use on the rides that they wanted to go on, while he and Jackie walked around, often stopping at the various game stalls attempting to win prizes.
Passing the Hook A Duck stall, Jackie said, "Rob, give us two tickets." handing the stubs over, Jackie took the pole and after a couple of attempts picked a rubber duck out of the water. She chose a sword as her prize. "For the wee man," she said to Robbie as they walked away from the stall.
After walking around some more, they found Jamie and Lucas at the Skittles stall trying, and so far not succeeding, in winning a large Spiderman soft toy. "Won anything?" Robbie asked.
"Nah," Jamie said as he made another attempt to knock all five skittles down, and win the prize that Lucas had wanted since he first saw it. Robbie took one of the baseballs from his son and attempted to knock the remaining skittle down for the prize.
When it tilted, they thought this is it, but it remained upright forcing them to finally admit defeat, and move on to the other stalls that were also offering prizes.
Robbie and Jackie sat down on one of the benches, while Lucas and Jamie queued to ride the Ghost Train.
Lucas was worried that the ride would be scary and didn't want to go on it alone. His worries were unfounded as he laughed at the various humorous headstones painted on the walls in luminous colours as the train slowly made its way to the top of the rickety haunted manor. He couldn't help the loud gasping laugh that Dracula's ghost jumping out of a grave caused, though.
A few minutes later the ride finished where it had started, and they got off and went back to Robbie and Jackie, who were looking tired and hadn't moved from the bench they occupied earlier.
"What's next?" Jackie asked.
They were all feeling hungry, and Jackie smiled when her boys said, "Food," in answer to her question. Getting up from the bench, they decided not to get something from the various burger vans set up within the arena, or the Clydebuilt café in the foyer next to the main entrance.
They exited the exhibition centre and made their way back to the train station. Jackie was carrying Lucas, who was almost asleep by the time they got on the train to the city centre.
At Central Station they come out under the arches, and Robbie said, "Which way, left or right?" Rather than answer him they went right, heading towards Hope Street before continuing up to Bothwell Street to an establishment that allowed children in during the day.
Their food and drinks were ordered, and they talked about the last few days and about Jamie's proposed cross country move in the new year, while they waited for their meals to be brought out to their table.
After they had all finished eating, they walked the short distance to the bus stop, timing it just right as the bus they had to catch was just pulling in.
Lucas had fallen asleep during dinner, and Jackie was finally able to put him to bed. She didn't mind it when he fell asleep when they were out, but he was a lot heavier and more difficult to carry now than he was just two months ago when they were initially granted temporary custody of him.
Jamie stayed upstairs and made every effort to be quiet while he packed his bags to get ready for his long flight back to Toronto the following morning. Once he filled his backpack, he started to fill his holdall but stopped for a moment because he thought that Lucas was stirring. When the little boy turned over he continued with his packing.
28th December
The mid-morning drive to the airport seemed to be taking a lot longer than it usually did. Even Jamie and Lucas singing along to the latest pop songs on the local radio station didn't ease the perceived dragging of time.
"Have you got everything?" Robbie asked, silently hoping that he'd left something, and they'd have to turn around and go back for it.
"Dad, I've got everything. I double checked my holdall and backpack."
"Right," Robbie said, letting the awkward silence once again return to the confined space.
Jackie gave Robbie a I know exactly what you're doing look, but decided not to call him out on it in front of the kids. "It's the next turning," she reminded him as he was about to go past the slip road that took them to the terminal building.
Pulling up in a space quite close to the entrance, Robbie got out and paid for the short stay parking, grimacing as the machine kept wanting more money. The few minutes respite that the task took gave him an opportunity to regain his composure, and to realise that it wouldn't be the last time he'd see his son.
Upon returning to the car, the others were waiting for him, so that they could go in and wait until it was time to leave. Robbie carried both bags as he and Jackie silently walked hand in hand through the building, the boys a few steps ahead of them laughing and joking as though they didn't have a care in the world.
Robbie, Jackie and Lucas waited with Jamie just outside the departures lounge area of the airport that was still quite busy for the post-Christmas travel period. He had some time to spare before he had to go through and catch his flight to Toronto, and he was pleased that his dad, step-mum and cousin decided to wait with him.
Noticing that Robbie was hesitating to say goodbye to his only son for the second time, Jackie took Lucas' hand, and said, "Let's go to the shop."
Waiting until they were out of sight, the father and son embraced for a few minutes. It felt as difficult as it had the first time Jamie left the country four years ago. "I'll miss you, dad," Jamie admitted while he revelled in the rare gesture from his absent parent.
"I'll miss you too."
Jamie pulled away from the hug first, nodding when Jackie and Lucas returned from their visit to the shop, of which he was certain it was Jackie's way of saying we'll leave you two alone for this.
Soft tears were rolling down Robbie's cheeks, "Bye son, take care of yourself," he said. Feeling Jackie give his hand a reassuring squeeze, he glanced at her, and asked, "Can I have the keys? I'll meet you two outside."
Handing the keys over, she watched helplessly as he walked away, wondering if he would drive off to find bookies and place a bet on the day's horse racing meetings. "It's hard for him to say goodbye to you, and letting you go again is just as difficult this time as it was the last time."
"Yeah I know it's hard for him, Jackie. It's hard for me too, and I would rather stay here with you and dad."
"And me! You can't forget about me!" Lucas said, interrupting his cousin's poignant moment.
Jamie crouched down, and gave Lucas a hug. "Of course!" he said, kissing him on the cheek before he got up again. "We could never forget about you."
For a short time Jackie and Jamie stood close together before hugging and having their own goodbye moment. Before she pulled back, Jackie said, "When you know the dates, email me, and I'll buy your tickets."
"Thanks for having me. I've had a blast with you all, and I can't wait to come back," Jamie said.
"When?" Lucas excitedly asked.
Jackie and Jamie chuckled at his questions. "Soon, matey," Jamie told him without giving him any specific details of his plans.
"Oh, okay," Lucas said while trying and failing to not sound too disappointed.
An announcement over the tannoy system began to give out the details of Jamie's flight. "I'd better let you go, or you'll miss your flight, love."
"I'll see you all in a few months," Jamie said, "Oh, and Jackie, I'm glad that you and my dad are finally together. It's taken you long enough, and you always did make him happy."
Staying a short distance away from the security area, Jackie and Lucas stood watching until Jamie disappeared through the final security check point.
Sniffling as the reality of saying goodbye to the man she'd watched grow up, and had for a long time considered to be like a son to her hit harder than she expected it to.
She held Lucas's hand as they walked out to the car park to reunite with Robbie, who to Jackie's relief, hadn't left. The other night had been a minor set-back in his recovery, but that was it, it seemed. Once they were outside they went to the car, waiting a few minutes to see if they could see the plane taking off.
Robbie and Jackie shared a brief, yet comforting, kiss when he realised that he wasn't the only one that was feeling heavy-hearted and was going to miss his son.
Looking up at his auntie and uncle, Lucas said, "Don't be sad, he'll come back." His words lightening the sombre mood in a way that only a child could.
"I still miss him," Robbie admitted.
Jackie leant in, whispering, "Just remember, he's moving back to Glasgow next year."
-end-