That evening, they took their spot again on the couch by the fire once Bill and Charlotte were in bed. They had two cups of hot cocoa and a blanket covering their laps. Elizabeth turned and leaned against the arm of the couch.
She nudged him with her toe. "Hey, you've been quiet since this morning. Are you angry?"
"No, just thinking, I guess."
"About what?"
"Us."
She moved closer and leaned against his arm, slipping her fingers into his hand. "I have been too."
"You mentioned something at the food bank that day that I just remembered. Maybe if I had remembered it before, we wouldn't be needing to slow down."
"What did I say?"
"That being in love was scary. I hope I didn't make you feel that way."
"No, Jack. I'm absolutely not scared of you. I just meant because it was something I had never experienced before."
"Oh, ok."
"And I don't see taking things slower as something bad. I see it as a chance to learn a lot more about each other. It will help us to have a stronger relationship. A stronger foundation for when we do get married."
"That makes sense. What scares you about getting married?"
"Well, mostly, the unknown. In my heart, divorce is never an option as long as we are faithful to each other. Do you feel the same?"
"Yes, of course. And I would never be unfaithful to you, Beth. I hope you know that."
"Yes, I think I do I just wasn't sure how you felt about divorce. I mean, what if two months into it, we aren't getting along and we never spend time together because our jobs are taking over?"
"Then we take time to talk and make changes and fix it. My vows would be forever, Beth."
"Mine too." She stared at their intertwined fingers.
"What did you want to ask? You can ask anything."
"There is something else that scares me about marriage."
"What's that?"
"I've never…I mean Charlie and I never….I've never been with a man."
He noticed her cheeks reddening and she stopped looking at him. "That's a wonderful thing, Beth." He tipped her chin up so she would look at him. "I love you so much. You don't need to be scared. We are in this together." That was exactly the type of thing she expected him to say. What a wonderful man that she loved.
"Have you ever been with someone, Jack?"
"My fiancé."
"What was her name?"
"Lena Myers. It was over ten years ago and there hasn't been anyone else since then that I would even consider until you."
She sat up slightly and gave him a sweet kiss. "I know that saving yourself for your husband isn't something that very many people would do but it is important to me."
"I'm glad and I respect that, completely. I guess the next logical thing to talk about is when we want to have children," he suggested.
"Well, I'm thirty. By the time we get married, I'll be at least thirty one. Its safest to have babies before a woman turns thirty five."
"So immediately."
"Yeah. What do you think?"
"I'm good with that. I want to play with my kids before I get too old."
"Stop," she laughed. "You're not very old."
"Thirty two. Won't be able to play football with our son until he's like five and that puts me near forty."
"I like that thought. Our son. Chase."
"That's a good name, but I like Lucas."
"Well, we have plenty of time to decide."
"True. Do you think you'll want to work once we have a baby?"
"Definitely not full time, if at all. I want to raise our children myself. Rock them on the porch swing, teach them how to talk and walk and spell their name. It sounds like perfection to me."
"Do you have a porch swing?"
"No. I don't even have a porch," she said with a laugh.
"So your house isn't where you see yourself raising a family?"
"No. It's only a two bedroom. Tiny really. It was just my first home, kind of to show my parents I'm capable of being independent."
"What about Cambridge? It's a beautiful area."
"I would love to live there."
"I plan on buying a home there. Closer to the Bistro and all. Maybe we should look together. Something with a porch swing?"
….
The next morning, the baggage claim office called Elizabeth and informed her they had her suitcase so Jack drove her to the airport and then they went out to lunch.
"I come here every year around this time for lunch," Jack told her. "You are going to love it."
It was a brick building with a "Pauly's Feed Store" on the side of the building.
"Are you sure this is where you come?"
"Yeah. It's great!"
"A feed store?"
"No, that's just what the sign says. It's a bar and grill. It even has a patio out back in the summer where we can eat." He opened her door and offered his hand and smiled when she slipped her fingers into his grasp. "This will be fun."
"I'm sure it will."
They stepped inside and she smiled. Definitely not a feed store. The atmosphere was great. It was comfortable and the booths had high backs which gave a level of privacy she wanted. Even though they agreed to put a hold on the engagement, she still loved him and enjoyed being with him.
They were seated in a booth a moment later. Jack sat next to Elizabeth and slipped his arm around her.
"Heard anything from your family?" he wondered.
"Julie texted me last night."
"How's she doing?"
"Pretty good. She and the baby have had a cold this past week but other than that…" She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Is it crazy that I miss my parents? After everything?"
"Of course not. They are still your family and you love them, even when you're not getting along."
"Maybe I'll call them on Christmas."
"I think that is a good idea."
After lunch, they went ice skating. Jack was, of course, a natural even after never having skated before. After skating, they went and got hot cocoa and then picked up a few more gifts for under the tree.
"What do you think of this for your parents?" Elizabeth wondered, holding up a super soft afghan.
"Mom loves blankets. This is perfect for sitting by the fire."
"So another essential for the new house besides the porch swing. Fireplace and lots of blankets."
"Deal," Jack agreed.
As they walked around the mall, Jack suggested going in to the book store.
"Dad loves mysteries so I thought I'd see if I could find him one." Jack had thought of Bill as his father for quite awhile. He was a good one that was for sure. Only lost his temper one time and Jack totally deserved his anger that time. He was kind to his mom and good to Tom. They really were lucky to have him.
….
On Christmas Eve night, Jack, Elizabeth, Bill, Charlotte, and Tom, who had arrived the day before, sat on the back deck by the fire pit, sipping hot cocoa and making s'mores.
Bill brought out a guitar and started playing songs they all new.
Elizabeth watched as the family sang into the air. No drama there. Just good, old fashioned fun and love. Why couldn't her family be like that?
Jack reached for her hand and pulled her over to join him on the Adirondack chaise, covering them both with a blanket. "What's wrong, sweets?"
"You're lucky." She said as she snuggled into his arms.
"I agree. I get to have you here with me and my family. Nothing could be better."
"I wish my family was like yours."
He stroked her hair with his fingertips as Charlotte and Bill sang "Oh Holy Night."
"One day, my family will be yours. In the meantime, try to make amends with your parents. I think it will be worth it in the long run."
"Will you be there with me when I call?"
"Of course I will."
…..
The next morning, after breakfast, Jack sat next to Elizabeth on her bed as she dialed her parent's number.
She put the phone on speaker and gripped Jack's hand, soaking up his courage.
"Beth?"
"Merry Christmas, Mom."
"Merry Christmas, dear. Are you having a good time in Seattle?"
"Yes, I am. It's a beautiful place to visit." After a moment of silence, Elizabeth spoke again. "Is Dad there?"
"Of course he is. He is chasing Simon around the parlor right now. That boy is pretty fast on his feet."
"Mom, I'm sorry I left the night of Dad's dinner. I should have stayed and spoken to Dad."
"Maybe so but your father may not have backed down either way. He only wants what is best for you, Beth, even if the two of you don't agree on what that is."
"Jack said he's trying to protect me from the unknown."
"I agree with that. It's a parent's job to protect their child for such a long time that it's hard to eventually let them go and fend for themselves."
"I can imagine it would be." Elizabeth squeezed Jack's hand and smiled. "May I speak with Dad?"
"Sure, Beth. I love you."
"I love you too, Mom."
Jack kissed her forehead and then her lips as they waited. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered with a smile.
"Hello?"
"Dad?" Elizabeth said tearfully. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, love. I wish you were here at home."
"I know but I'm where I need to be right now."
"Are you enjoying your visit?"
"Yes, very much. Jack's parents are just as wonderful as he is." William didn't speak. So Elizabeth gathered her courage. "I wanted to apologize for leaving on your birthday. I should have stayed and talked to you."
"Yes, well, the past is in the past."
"I need to ask you to give Jack another chance, Dad. I need you to trust me to make my own decisions and that I know what is best for me."
"Is he sitting right next to you?"
"Yes he is."
"Hello, sir," Jack greeted.
"Jack."
"Dad? What do you say?"
"Maybe we can try another dinner."
"At my house. You haven't seen it and that way Jack can cook for us."
"Very well. Travel safely, Beth. We will make plans when you return."
"Okay. I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, dear."
Jack smiled when Elizabeth hung up. "You alright?"
She nodded and dried her cheeks. "Yes. Thank you for being with me. That helped a lot."
"Glad to do it. Now let's go open presents."
….
Jack watched as Elizabeth opened her gift from him. "Oh! Jack, this is so amazing!" She lifted the new stethoscope out of the box. The end piece was rose gold. She had never seen anything like it. "You engraved it?"
"Yeah. I know its corny but it's how I feel." She saw him blush.
"What does it say?" Charlotte asked.
"My heart beats for you," Elizabeth told them with a smile. "Sweet man," she said, looking at Jack. "Thank you, babe."
"You're welcome, sweets."
She handed him a flat box. "For you."
He opened it and smiled. "Cool. A leather book?"
"Actually it's a journal. I thought you could use it to write your recipes in for the Bistro."
"Great idea. Thank you!" He leaned over and kissed her soundly.
As the presents were opened, Elizabeth felt grateful once again for the family that would one day soon be hers and for the family that already was. What a blessing she had.
Jack felt the same as he went to write in his journal that night and discovered the first page was already taken.
"Jack,
I want you to know and always remember that my heart is completely yours.
As we go along in this life together, I promise I will support your decisions and stand by you so that you will never feel alone.
I know that life will not always be easy but knowing you'll be by my side too, makes it something I look forward to instead of fearing.
I love you.
Forever yours,
Beth