Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho or anything involved with the show.
A Year Later-2009
Emily carried Jacob over to his high chair. "Are you having fun?" Donovan asked the little boy. He and Emily were happy together, and he was planning on proposing soon.
"He's probably exhausted," Darcy said. Grace sat in Rob's lap, eager to explore the house. The Hawkins' third child was now sixteen months old and exhausted her parents.
Four month old Andrea Jacqueline Hawkins let out a small cry in her baby carrier. She had been born three days after Grace's first birthday. Darcy and Rob adored their four children, but agreed that they were enough. Rob had willingly gone in for a vasectomy after learning of his wife's fourth pregnancy.
"He's had a big day," Mimi pointed out as she rocked Isabelle. Stanley had a sleeping Rowan.
"Wait until the girls have their first birthday," Gail told her. She was happy with so many grandchildren to spoil.
"They're only six months old," Stanley reminded her. It was hard to believe that Isabelle and Rowan would be a year old in six months.
"Longest six months of my life," Mimi muttered. The girls had finally started to sleep through the night, so she and Stanley were finally sleeping through the night. The Richmonds took turns with their daughters. Mimi kept the girls on a schedule that they followed really well.
"Da," Jacob squealed when he saw Jake. Jake smiled at his son.
"How's Daddy's little boy?" Jake questioned. His answer came in the form of babbling and the occasional "Ma".
"He really loves you," Heather told her husband. She and Jake had married a month earlier.
"That's because Daddy spoils him," Eric pointed out to his sister-in-law. Four year old Matthew was hanging onto his father. Tristan was having fun walking around the house. Luckily, Gail had baby gates up.
Heather laughed because it was true. Jake was such a good father and he loved Jacob. She handed three month old Abigail over to her husband.
"Is she getting too heavy for you?" Jake asked his wife. Heather nodded. She loved her daughter, but couldn't hold Abigail for too long.
"What are you doing, Princess Abigail?" Jake asked his little girl. The baby smiled.
"There are too many babies in one room," Darcy observed. She had counted. There were a total of seven babies. The baby boom in America still hadn't died down.
"There can never been too many," Gail told her. She loved watching her assorted grandchildren.
"I'm not a baby," Matthew cried. He didn't like to be grouped with the many babies that spread out over Jericho.
"Of course you're not a baby," Mary assured him. She loved the role of motherhood. This past year had been good for her and Eric.
"Are we going to sing happy birthday to him now?" Emily asked. The various conversations going on in the room stopped completely.
Jacob laughed for no apparent reason. His grandmother and parents (all four of them) smiled at the one year old.
His guests begin to sing happy birthday to him. A few minutes later, Emily and Jake began helping Jacob open up presents.
The one year old was so exhausted that he fell asleep in his high chair at 5:00PM. The guests returned to their houses.
It had been a good first birthday for Jacob, and he would have many more happy ones.
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Mimi and Stanley returned to their house and went into the nursery. Isabelle was wide awake, but Rowan was in a deep sleep.
"Are we going to have another one someday?" Mimi asked. It was hard raising twins, but she wouldn't mind having another baby in a few years.
Stanley nearly choked. "Are you pregnant?" he asked. He didn't think he could handle three babies.
Mimi laughed. "I'm not pregnant. I wanted to know if you just wanted another baby in a few years," she explained. Isabelle babbled at her father, but it was obvious that she was going to go to sleep soon.
"Let's talk about it after the twins are in pre-school," Stanley told her. It would probably be better to have another baby when Isabelle and Rowan were already in school.
Mimi thought it over. "I'll agree to that," she replied. She kissed her husband and sat down in the rocking chair to sing Isabelle to sleep.
A lot had changed in the past year for the citizens of Jericho, but not as much as it had after the war. There were still things that needed to be improved, but everyone was generally happy.
That's all they could ask for. Jericho was going to see some changes in the next few years, some good and some bad. No one knew how much everything would change.
TBC
Were you surprised I skipped ahead a year? I'm going to go several years past the war. The epilogue is already planned, I just have to write it.
I'll update as fast as I can.
