The cool ocean breeze gently blew against the quaint little house overlooking the ocean, licking at the windows and doors. The surf crashed into the shore, sending water crawling across the sand, always trying in vain to reach the beautiful little house that was filled with the warmth of love. The strength of the love that filled the little house was especially powerful today and the wind and waves tried even harder to find their way inside to feel its warm embrace. All who entered the house could feel the love that resided in its walls, none more so than those who called it home. Love's warmth had wrapped around them and had become part of their very beings. They were the love.
The abundance of love in the house on this day directly resulted in the explosion of disorder in the kitchen. Bowls of every size, flour, egg shells, pots, pans, silverware and more littered the counter tops. In the midst of the chaotic mess stood Chuck, looking no more orderly than his surroundings. His hair showed the fresh rumples of sleep, a streak of white powder covered his brow, his clothes were wrinkled from sleep and lightly splattered with various food substances and his socked feet had recently stood in a puddle of water which had splashed to the floor.
Joining Chuck in the disarray of the kitchen was a young boy of ten with hazel eyes and slightly unruly hair that was dusted red. After glancing over his back to see who had entered the kitchen, Chuck warmly greeted his companion. "Good morning Shawn!"
"Good morning, Dad," the boy returned in greeting.
Shortly thereafter the occupancy of the kitchen grew by one. However, unlike the boys who were still clad in their sleepwear, she was dressed in a powder blue top with ruffled sleeves and a flowing white skirt. Her long, silky, fiery red hair, which fell halfway down her back, was newly brushed and shone with the brilliance of diamonds under the kitchen lights. The shine of her lustrous, fiery hair, matched the sparkle in her beautiful green eyes.
Before he even noticed she had come into the room, she wished him a good morning. The sweet sound of her voice prompted Chuck to turn to her with a smile, "Good morning sweetheart."
So engrossed in his preparation of a breakfast banquet, Chuck didn't detect the presence of a third individual steeping into the cozy kitchen. He remained unaware of the new addition until she snaked her arms around his waist and softly pressed a kiss into his neck. The unexpected romantic gesture caused Chuck to jump in surprise and nearly splash the contents of the pan he was tending to all over the room. His startled reaction caused the two children to giggle.
After greeting her husband, the newest addition to the room turned her attention to her darling son and her precious eleven-year-old daughter, Jessa. Their bright, happy faces brought a smile to her own face and she reflected on just how amazing the past year had been and how much she loved being a mother.
Six years ago a single event caused a chain reaction, which resulted in the amazingness of the last year. She got married. Even though she had been married for six years, there were still days that she couldn't believe Chuck Bartowski was her husband. She often thought about how she didn't deserve him and how someone like her should have never ended up with someone as wonderful as Chuck. She also thought about how easily she could have lost him to another girl he had loved. Though she did understand why that relationship ultimately didn't work out.
After getting married they immediately tried to start a family, with no luck. That's when they got the devastating news that they were unable to have children. They had been completely crushed. They really wanted a family. It was their dream. Then exactly one year ago today, their lives were transformed forever when Jessa and Shawn officially came into their home and became part of their family, making the dreams of all four come true.
Jessa and Shawn had always wanted a family too and never thought they would have one. Jessa was only two and Shawn was just a baby when they were abandoned, at which point they were taken into the care of an orphanage. There, the siblings refused to ever be separated because all they had was each other. But that made it harder for them to find the family they so badly wanted. No one wanted two children, and as they grew, their chances of finding a family greatly diminished. They were growing up and everyone always wanted a new little baby.
But then one day many years later, a man and a woman came into their lives, a man and woman who didn't wanted a little baby, but instead wanted them, both of them. Jessa was ten and Shawn was nine when they were officially adopted and got the home and family they had always wished for.
The family built out of love had filled the holes each had in their hearts, and so, today, which marked their first anniversary together was going to be a very special day.
It all started with the colossal breakfast Chuck was preparing. Not only was the breakfast seemingly boundless, it was also no ordinary breakfast. The crown jewel of the morning's epic meal were the chocolate chip pancakes, complete with chocolate syrup for the topping, a treat Shawn and Jessa both loved, but rarely got to have. The pancakes alone would have been enough to make their anniversary as a family special, but that was only the beginning.
While the children were finishing up their delicious breakfasts, Chuck turned to his wife to ask her a question, "Sarah, where are the...?"
Picking up on Chuck's hint, Sarah got up from the table and set her empty plate on the counter with the rest of the dirty dishes before continuing on into the living room. When the rest of the family joined her later, there were two small wrapped packages resting on the coffee table. Shawn and Jessa didn't take the time to appreciate the decorative wrapping or the carefully placed bows hugging the packages, once they saw their names on them.
Hidden beneath the bows and the wrapping paper were beautiful, sleek, silver picture frames. Carved into the frame of one, in a decorative script font, were the words, Jessa's Family and carved into the other were the words, Shawn's Family. Displayed beautifully inside both frames was a picture of the Bartowski family, taken on the day that Shawn and Jessa moved into their new home, their first real home.
The gifts were small, but the sentimentality they held to the children made them feel as though they had just been given gold. With smiles bright enough to light the darkest night, Jessa and Shawn bounced up from the floor, raced to their parents and threw their arms around them in tight hugs.
After giving their hugs, the two kids took their personalized picture frames, complete with pictures to their rooms. They remained there for a period of time long enough that Chuck was able to get cleaned up and changed out of his sleep clothes. When they returned to the living room and their parents, they weren't empty handed. Each child held in their hands a piece of paper on which they had written about what their mother and father meant to them.
As Chuck and Sarah read the notes from their children they became filled with emotion. Whether they worked together, and how much, was unknown to Chuck and Sarah, but both notes had distinct similarities. Both talked about their time in the orphanage and how they felt every time they were passed up for other children. No one ever looked at them. It made them feel unloved and unwanted.
The story tore at Chuck and Sarah's hearts and made them cry. But their tears transformed from tears of heartache to tears of happiness when Shawn and Jessa told of the transformation in their lives and the joy they felt when they experienced all the other children being passed up in favor of them. And how for the first time in their lives they knew what it meant to be loved. In their notes, Shawn and Jessa also talked about how while at the orphanage they used to dream about what it would be like to have a family. Though their dreams could never compare to what being part of a loving family was really like. They never knew anything could be so amazing.
The touching notes from their children made Chuck and Sarah feel much the same as Shawn and Jessa had when they got their picture frames displaying a photo of their family, so filled with the warmth of love. And again the family wrapped their arms around one another in tight hugs.
Chuck and Sarah had one more surprise for their children today. They could choose any one activity for the family to do for their anniversary. After lunch, which consisted of some of their favorite foods, Jessa and Shawn announced their decision. They wanted to go for a ride on a boat. They loved going out on boats and it had been a while since their last trip out on one. So the decision had come easily to them. The siblings didn't even have to make a compromise, going out on a boat ride had been the first thing that had popped into both of their minds.
Once the Bartowski family acquired a boat they took it out on the water, with Sarah at the helm. Shawn, Jessa and Chuck all sat nearby, enjoying the company of family. As their boat sliced through the water, roaring waves crashed and splashed against the side of the boat. The mist sprayed itself in the faces of those on-board. The wind whipped their hair wildly about and the sounds of laughter, fun and happiness floated from the boat out to sea, spreading its joy.
The family spent the day out on the boat, talking, telling stories and just simply enjoying being together, until the signs of evening approaching began to fill the sky, at which point they returned to shore and home, where they had a nice dinner, followed by dessert, a beautiful, delectable, chocolate sheet cake with vanilla frosting. The top of the cake was decorated with a pink strawberry frosting border and the words, Happy Anniversary Bartowski Family, also done in the same pink frosting. The final touch was a single burning candle, signifying their first year together. And as one, the family of four blew out the candle, then proceeded to cut the cake into pieces and divide it among themselves.
When the flame of the candle went out, a family tradition was born. A tradition that would continue on for many, many years, because their bond as a family was unbreakable, and their love for one another was undying. Chuck, Sarah, Shawn and Jessa were a family, now and forever.