Author's Note; Hi all, just got inspired after reading the wonderful 'BonesBird's' newest fic 'Our Memories' (she's amazing!) so just thought I'd do a canonical piece on how Hotch and lil J would have spent Mother's Day weekend... Really hope y'all enjoy :-D xxx
Mommy's Day
"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new" ~ Rajneesh
~xxx~
Scanning the crowd for his honey-haired son, Aaron Hotchner couldn't but notice the big bright displays of art work decorating the playspace. Some had colourful flowers splashed across the paper, others had disproportionate stick figures with big paint-brush smiles, but all had 'Happy Mother's Day' written across them.
He'd suspected the kindergarten would do something like this as the annual celebration was this weekend. He had considered keeping Jack home today, but then decided that might have given the child the wrong message. After all, Jack did have a mother, just like all his little classmates - except she wouldn't be there to submit her brownies for the party. Hotch then debated whether to pick up his son and subject himself to the probable celebrations also, but again, he figured it was little short of a cop-out. Jack needed him as much as he ever would this weekend... and after some of David Rossi's additional reassurance, he left work as soon as he could to go pick up his son.
"Agent Hotchner, hi...," Mrs. Bowden grinned with bright red lips.
"Hey Aaron...," a second mother cooed as he moved through the crowd.
"Mr. Hotchner, I simply must drop around some of my cherry pie to you later...," smiled another.
Though he was aware he was the only father there, he barely noticed the fluttering eyelashes and eager swoons as he shyly nodded to them in reply. Many of the women in the neighbourhood had been incredibly helpful since Haley's death, with some insisting on calling over with their children for a play date - or in Mrs. McAstor's case, randomly calling around to see if he and Jack wanted to accompany them to the park. Though he declined his own invitations, Hotch found it all very considerate.
Amongst the sea of ladies, he did manage to find Jack's teacher, the more mature Mrs. Steinway. "Agent Hotchner, I am so glad you could make it...," she greeted with obvious sympathy in her voice. "Jack has been just wonderful today considering."
"I'm glad to hear it," he replied lowly, curling his thin lips into an almost smile. It was a relief to say the least. "Thank you."
"Not at all Agent Hotchner, you're doing a wonderful job...," she praised, giving his arm a compassionate pat before signalling to a far corner. "He's been waiting for you since class ended."
Taking a deep breath, he made his way over to the small familiar figure sitting by the alphabet table. "Hey buddy...," he grinned as he approached, "I'm sorry I'm a little late. Did you get something to eat?" he asked, looking back at the table of homemade foods submitted by the children's mothers'.
"Yeah...," Jack answered solemnly, keeping his huge brown eyes fixed on the ground.
"Did you have some of the jelly scones you like so much, huh?"
"Yeah," the child replied again, though uncharacteristically unexcited.
Hotch cleared his throat as he quickly profiled his son. Most telling wasn't the small pout on his rosebud lips but the large red card he was clutching tightly with his paint-stained fingers. Hunching down infront of him, Hotch caught his eyes. "You sure you're okay? You have anything you wanna talk about?"
Jack thought for a moment as he looked the the artwork in his hands. "We all made cards for our Mommies today," he began, putting it as best he could. "And then everyone gave their cards to their Mommies when they arrived...," he continued, looking back to his father's gaze. "I don't have anyone to give mine to."
With a broken heart, Hotch reached out a strong hand. "Hey," he whispered, "Of course you do. You have a Mommy too..."
"I know," Jack agreed, remembering the talk they'd had at breakfast. "But I miss her today..."
Swallowing hard, Hotch answered with a soft nod. In truth, Jack missed her every day. They both did. "Why don't you and I go visit Mommy?" he suggested, raising his dark brows.
Jack's face suddenly lightened as he understood. He could give it to her after all!
"Lets go," Hotch grinned, throwing the 'Captain America' schoolbag over his shoulder and taking the boy's small hand in his.
~xxx~
"Okay...," Hotch smiled again, giving his son's shoulder an encouraging squeeze before sitting on the bench behind him.
"Hi Mommy," Jack began his usual address when visiting her. "Today I made you a pres'nt in kin'ergar'en."
Hotch's eyes began to well as he watched Jack open out the big red card.
"To. Mommy. Happy. Mothers. Day. I. love. you. love. from. Jack. kiss. kiss. kiss."
Hotch smiled amid his tears at the simple message. He'd read it himself as they sat into the car and Jack had practised 3 times on their way to the cemetery. Of course, the letters were a pick and mix of capitals and small case, and there were big black scribbles courtesy of the paint brush, blotting out the most obvious spelling mistakes, but it was perfect - and he knew Haley would love it. Just like she loved anything Jack had made for her - or anything Aaron had given her for that matter.
Jack then climbed up beside him and Hotch hugged him tight as he recounted this day last year. It was shortly before the team got called up to the God-forsaken pig-farm in Canada. Things had begun to somewhat settle on an even keel with Haley at the time, and she'd had him over for dinner on Mother's Day. It was to be the last family occasion they'd had in their home - just the three of them. She'd loved the card he'd given her too - and like Jack, his message was simple, drafted in his left-handed script.
Haley,
Happy Mother's Day,
Thank you for Jack,
Love Aaron x
He'd already put the kiss at the end before he'd time to consider it - thankfully, however, Haley replied with an actual kiss. She gave him another kiss once she opened the gold bracelet he'd gotten her "from Jack". It was a deliberate match for the necklace he'd given her on her first Mother's Day after Jack was born, and she wasted no time in having him tie it around her dainty wrist. Of course, just like old times, things were going perfectly until his cell rang. They'd settled on the couch and Jack was just put to bed before JJ summoned him to the office for another case. He left with a promise he'd return later.
As it turned out, he was gone for 3 days straight working on a potential Anthrax epidemic. He didn't have a moment to speak with Haley again until the night the case broke and he called them. She was a little frosty to say the least. As usual, he didn't bother with them until work was out of the way, or so she thought. He spoke with Jack before apologising to her, though he couldn't breach security and explain as to why he was out of reach and why he missed Jack's first trip to check out his new kindergarten.
The next time he saw her, he was sitting in a hospital bed apologising yet again before she and Jack were ushered away into protective custody.
Neither of them guessed it was to be their last meeting.
The sudden all-too-proverbial sound of his phone ringing interrupted his thoughts and he answered to JJ. In typical fashion, it seemed the duties of the BAU didn't even allow for mothers' to take today off. "I'll be right there...," he promised before clicking it closed. At least something remained the same as last year, he mused dryly. "Okay buddy...," he then said, lifting Jack into his arms and carrying him over to the grave.
Leaving down the card, Jack looked at the floral wreaths "Do you think she likes it Daddy?" he asked.
Hotch looked to the drawing of three stick figures, one with considerably big black eyebrows, another small and blue and the third, placed in the centre holding both of their hands, was a pink figure with what appeared to be big white wings.
"She'll love it...," he assured, his lips pressed together in a bid to remain composed. "Blow Mommy a kiss..."
Jack pressed his jammy palm against his puckered mouth and then spread his fingers as blew as hard as he could.
Hotch placed a tight hand on the white marble tombstone before turning to leave. "We'll see you Sunday..."
He kept his promise.
~xxx~
"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother" ~ Abraham Lincoln
Thanks a mil for stopping by and reading, and any comments or suggestions are so welcome... xxx