Chapter 11
Things have a funny way of working out.
Lucy pushed herself and a suitcase in through the door of her apartment, desperate to escape the polar air of the cold, winter night. Wind whipped and chunks of frosty white snow blew through the air. It was a wonder that Julie's flight had gotten into New York on time.
"Oh, I hope she's not asleep yet," Julie said in her thick southern accent, resting her second suitcase against the closet doors in the porch.
Lucy glanced at her watch. "It's already nine, I'd say she's asleep by now."
Lucy took the opportunity to hug her mother. They had been in a rush at the airport to make it home before the storm. Ian had stayed home to take care of Ayva for the night, giving Lucy a chance to get a some shopping done before her mother got in from Tennessee.
Julie had never been in accord with keeping Ian out of Ayva's life. Julie had always been really fond of Ian, and had always thought that he would have made a great father. But, like Ian's parents, she hadn't known anything about Lucy and Ian's breakup, and even though she had been the one to pull her hysterical daughter through both the loneliness and pregnancy, she hadn't really known why they had separated and why Ian had left a pregnant Lucy alone.
"Ian?" Lucy called out into the apartment, pulling off her boots. There was no response.
"Where are they?" Julie hung up her coat and scurried past Lucy excitedly, anticipating seeing her granddaughter. She hurried down the hallway that lead into the living room, before stopping, an adoring look on her face.
Lucy trotted after her mother before stopping in place as well, just about melting at the sight before her. Ian lay out cold on the couch with a sleeping Ayva atop his chest, the pair snuggled up together in the light of the tree.
"There's daddy," Lucy mumbled, smiling. She walked over to take her baby daughter to bed, but didn't have the heart to wake her. The little girl's pacifier bobbed in her mouth as she clutched her father's shirt, and Ian's hand held protectively onto her back.
Julie walked over to the couch, but like Lucy had no heart to wake them.
"You can get settled, I'm going to make coffee." Lucy yawned. "I've got wrapping to do, now that the peanut gallery finally fell asleep."
The night passed quickly, Julie and Lucy retiring to Lucy's room to wrap a few scattered gifts and to catch up on their mother-daughter time. Lucy had missed her mother, and ever since Ian had rejoined her life, she had been so busy that keeping up with her mother had become more difficult.
"He seems to be excellent with Ayva," Julie remarked as Lucy brushed her teeth.
Lucy nodded. "I couldn't have asked for a better person. She loves him."
"And you?"
"What do you mean?" Lucy spit toothpaste into the sink, joining her mother one again on her bed. She crawled under the covers.
"I mean, you two are together again, how are things going?"
Lucy couldn't help the grin that formed on her face. "It's going- well. Really well. I think this is something that's going to last."
She smiled at her mother, picking at her fingernail polish.
"I think it was meant to all along," said Julie, before the pair finally said goodnight.
Ian opened his eyes to a warm lump on his chest and a bad stiffness in his neck. It phased him that they had fallen asleep on the couch; they being he and Ayva. For a moment or two he panicked, wondering where Lucy was and if she had gotten back home alright last night.
Ayva was still fast asleep on his chest, noisily sucking on her fingers. He smiled, lightly kissing the top of her head. Ian cradled her tiny body into his arms, cracking his neck as he stood to carry her upstairs. He relaxed once he noticed the extra shoes in the porch, relieved to know they had gotten home from the storm safely.
Just as he reached the stairs, Ayva stirred in his arms, big blue eyes fluttering open. A big dimpled grin spread across her face.
"Inan we falled asleep on the couch," she giggled amicably, snuggling into his chest. Ian kissed her head again.
"Someone's here to see you," he whispered as they climbed the stairs.
"Who?"
Lucy appeared in the hallway, making her way out of her bedroom. She smiled at her daughter and the at Ian, pecking him on the lips before she took Ayva into her arms. "Good morning baby."
"Who is here?" Ayva asked, impatient with curiosity.
"Let's go see," Lucy pushed open her bedroom door, to where Julie was sitting up in bed. Ayva squealed excitedly, wiggling around Lucy's arms.
"Grandma!" Ayva piloted towards the bed and climbed into Julie's lap. The little girl hugged her grandmother with all the force she could muster.
Julie smiled at her granddaughter. "How are you, pumpkin?"
Julie looked up then and smiled brightly at Ian, which relieved him a great deal. Her approval meant everything to him.
"You and Nana are going to spend the day together, pumpkin," Lucy said, cheerfully, to which Ayva squealed in delight. Lucy and Ian had planned on buying the very last few items on their lists, and were secretly both short on gifts for each other.
They all got ready for the day. Julie had rented a car, as well as a hotel room in the city to stay for the next few nights before Christmas. It would also give Lucy and Ian a chance to have some time together before Christmas.
They walked together in the mall, both dressed in beanies and sunglasses, heads down to be conspicuous. They had narrowly dodged a few photographers around The entrance, but this mall had good security. They doubted they'd run into any trouble.
Lucy bought a beautiful necklace for Julie, as well as a fancy shirt and a new pair of shoes. She bought Ayva a cute little pair of polar bear earmuffs, a new black tutu, a baby doll stroller, and finally, a crocheted unicorn hat. They were the last few items of her list for Ayva, but now she concerned about Ian's gift.
"I'm going to go this way," Lucy pointed in the direction she was heading for, implying that they should split up. "Just text me if you need me."
In the sport store, Lucy bought Ian a nike hoodie, as well as a pair of new track pants. She found a nice yoga mat, and a few other miscellaneous gifts for him. Pleased with her purchases, Lucy headed out of the store.
As he walked down the corridor, something caught her eye in a shop window. The novelty shop beside the sporting store was displaying last-minute personalized ornaments.
Lucy got an idea.
For Lucy, Ian had found an abundance of appliances that she, much to his surprise, did not already have. He found a milk foamer, so she could add foam to her coffees at home, a Vitamix cookbook, a watch, a new shirt that he was praying she would like, and a very expensive bracelet he had bought at a fancy kiosk. The last thing he planned on buying however, he couldn't pick up now. He couldn't risk her seeing it and spoiling the surprise. Ian smiled to himself, more than excited for Christmas.
When they finished at the mall, Lucy and Ian went home to start wrapping. They were both tired, having taken the expression "shop till you drop" quite literally. The pair settled on her bed, cutting paper, taping ribbon and sticking bows to every box that they came across. It was a nice, relaxing activity, and the pair were enjoying the quiet of the house.
Lucy smirked and climbed across the bed to Ian, crawling into his lap. She stuck a present bow to the top of his head.
"I'm done," she fell backwards, timber-style, onto the bed, sighing with exhaustion. "I need a nap."
Ian chuckled, leaning down and sticking a different bow to her head. He leaned down and kissed her chastely. "I love you,"
"I love you too." Her eyes shone with admiration. "You're my favourite present ever."
Ian kissed her again, then buried his face into her neck. He gently sucked the skin there. "Well you know what that means," his lips were an inch from her ear. His fingers slid underneath the material of her sweater. "You'd better come unwrap me."
On Christmas Eve, Ayva twirled around in her glittery red tutu, hands still covered in glitter from her arts and crafts earlier. She was holding three pacifiers, savouring the last little while she had with them.
Lucy came down the stairs into the room, dressed in a clingy red dress and black heels. Gold accessories completed the look, along with her perfectly curled hair.
Ian was dressed in a festive burgundy plaid shirt and jeans, still standing over the stove. Julie and Ian had spent the day cooking dinner, while Lucy and Ayva finished last-minute Christmas activities. This Christmas Eve had felt oddly different, presumably because both Lucy and Ian weren't home with their entire families, but in a way, it felt really good. Spending Christmas together as a family seemed like a good way to spend it.
Ayva bounced around back and forth between Ian and Julie, grinning widely, before she hugged into the side of Ian's leg. He bent down and scooped her up, showing her all of the delicious Christmas dinner.
"How does it look?" Ian asked her, kissing her cheek.
"I'm hungry," Ayva replied. "Can we eat soon?"
"Of course."
They sat down to eat, serving up plates full of the delicious food.
Thanksgiving compared nothing to Ian's Christmas feast, and everyone enjoyed it.
"Can I just say how nice this has been," Lucy confessed. She ruffled Ayva's dark hair and smiled at Ian and her mother. "Us together, just on our own for a quiet day in."
"I couldn't agree more," Ian smiled at her, taking in the appearance of her in that red dress. She looked beautiful.
At eight o'clock, Lucy brought Ayva upstairs to get her ready for bed while Ian got out the cookies. The two-year-old ran downstairs, dressed in her fuzzy green onesie. By the time she realized the cookies on the table, Ayva was bouncing.
"Which ones do you want to leave for Santa?" Ian asked, and Ayva climbed up on the chair. She picked a fudge covered Oreo and a chocolate chip.
"Are these cookies for Santa?" Ayva asked, eyeing the Oreos.
"They sure are," Ian handed her the plate, and she carried it over to the window still.
"Can I eat them?" She looked up innocently, and Ian giggled. Lucy joined them in the living room chuckling too about Ayva's request.
"You can't eat them silly, they're for Santa!" Lucy grinned at her daughter, snapping a picture of her next to the plate. "Alright, Ayva and Ian by the tree for a picture," they did as she asked, smiling for the picture. Then Julie took one of the three. It was their first family Christmas photo.
Ayva yawned, resting her head against Ian's shoulder. "Is Santa coming in here?"
"Only when you're asleep." Lucy said, taking her daughter and kissing her head. "So that's why I think we should go to bed,"
"No," Ayva whined, "I don't want to." She yawned again.
"We forgot something for Santa, remember?" Lucy said, walking across the room with Ayva in her arms. Ayva spied her soother on the end table and reached for it tiredly. "Do you remember what he said?"
Ayva sighed dramatically, pouting. "But I like binky," she murmured, trying not to cry. "I don't want Santa to take binky."
"But maybe Santa will bring you something even more special." Ian said. Ayva looked at him trustingly.
"Weally?"
He nodded. Ayva wiggled to get down then, scampered over to the windows to where her cookies and milk for Santa sat. She looked at it once more, then put the pacifier down onto the plate. "Okay Santa."
Lucy smiled widely, never more thankful for Ian than she was right now.
When Ayva was tucked away in bed and Julie was gone back to the hotel for the night, Lucy and Ian went to work arranging the gifts downstairs. They got everything ready, then retired to bed themselves.
Ian climbed under the warm sheets as she snuggled against him, the couple sighing in unison at the busyness of the day.
"I can't believe she hasn't woken up yet," Lucy retorted sleepily. "She has not spent a day of her life away from that stupid soother."
"She's a good girl," Ian buried his face into his girlfriends hair. "I bet she's going to be so excited tomorrow."
"She's about to find out the best news in the world," Lucy murmured, eyes fluttering shut.
Ian closed his eyes too. "That is true."
Like any other morning, Lucy and Ian woke up to the sound of excited footprints on the hardwood. Ayva bounded into the bedroom and jumped up onto the bed, placing her little hands on Ian's face. "Inan wake up! Wake up!"
Ian and Lucy sat up excitedly, realizing it was Christmas morning. Lucy grabbed her phone and dialled Julie.
"I'm on my way over," Julie said as soon as she answered. "I figured she'd be up by now."
"Grandma is coming now," Lucy promised, giggling at her bouncing toddler. "And then we can go downstairs.
Ayva stood up on the bed, giggling excitedly. "Was Santa here?"
"He sure was," Lucy said, grabbing Ayva and covering her face in kisses, "and he thinks you're going to be a very happy girl."
As soon as Julie walked into the apartment, the trio headed downstairs with Ayva in Lucy's arms. She was all but squealing, and as soon as she saw the gift under the tree she wiggled to get down and started hopping.
They sat down, and Lucy first pulled their stockings off of the mantle. Ayva went first, the excited little girl pulling everything out of the stocking and getting excited over every object. Next came Lucy, who was more than pleased with the stuff Ian had stuffed her stocking with. He did his, and then Julie followed, everyone filled with excitement.
Next came the gifts. They let Ayva go first, seeing as how a child waiting on Christmas morning was pure torture. She pulled the wrapping paper off of the unicorn hat and shoved it onto her head. Next, she opened the unicorn rocking horse, the new stuffed monkey, the doll stroller and a bunch of other toys and things for her to play with. She was overwhelmed by the time she had finished, and diverted her attention to a marshmallow Santa that had come from her stocking.
Lucy opened her bracelet, her shirt (which she enthusiastically pretended to love just for the look on Ian's face), her milk foamer and her other gifts, loving and appreciating them all. Ian loved his hoodie and his yoga mat, his track pants and his other few items, before Lucy handed him his last present. "It's from Ayva and me."
Ian's eyes filled with tears as soon as he pulled off the wrapping paper. It was a "world's best daddy" Christmas tree ornament, with an engraving on the back that said "love always, Lucy and Ayva." He didn't verbally respond- he just pulled Lucy in to the tightest hug could manage without hurting her. It was the best gift he'd ever received. This was the best Christmas of his life.
"Hey Ayva," Lucy said after a few minutes, once everything had been opened. "There's one last thing Santa brought you."
Ayva took another bite of her marshmallow Santa, looking up at Lucy from her rocking horse. "We already opened all the presents."
"Nope," Lucy bit her lip and reached out for Ayva. The two-year-old bounced over to her mother and climbed into her lap. "There's one more thing.
"Remember what you wanted Santa to bring you the most?" Lucy asked, voice growing thick. Julie was smiling widely.
Ayva looked around at all of her new things. There was only one thing that didn't end up under the tree. "A daddy?"
A tear ran languidly down Lucy's cheek. "Did you know that Santa really brought him for you?"
Ayva furrowed her little eyebrows. "No he not,"
Lucy nodded, and Ian felt his own grip on emotional control failing him miserably.
"Ayva, your real daddy is right here." Lucy grasped Ian's hand in her own, then said the words Ian had been waiting to hear since day one. "Ian is your daddy."
Ayva suddenly grew very still, scrutinizing Ian for a moment. She didn't say anything, or look anywhere else but his face. Lucy and Ian made eye contact, praying that this hadn't backfired.
And then, a loud wail was all to be heard and Ayva was climbing into Ian's lap, sobbing.
Ian buried his face into Ayva's hair as he squeezed her in a tight hug. He little face was a mix of shock and pure happiness, and she was crying harder than he had ever heard her cry.
He felt, for the first time in his life, complete. He had a family- a beautiful daughter and the woman he knew he wanted to spend his whole life with. He didn't need anything else but this moment. Nothing could compare to how he felt right now.
Ayva pulled away and looked into his eyes, bottom lip still trembling. "So you are my daddy and not my Inan?"
"Yeah, Ayva bean, I'm your daddy." Ian hugged his sniffling little girl again, before releasing her and leaning into Lucy's arms. "I love you." He murmured into her neck, pressing his lips to the soft skin that lay there. "Thank you."
"I love you too," she whispered, pulling away to kiss him on the lips. "And thank you."
After another five minutes of hugs, kisses and affection, Ian sat back on the couch as he, Lucy and Julie watched Ayva play with her new things. Lucy made coffee, topped with the product of her new milk-foamer, and the three shared a nutritious breakfast of candy and Hershey kisses. Finally, after an hour or so of Christmas cheer and chatter, Ian cleared his throat, set down his mug and sat up straight.
"Hey, Ayva, I think we forgot something." Ian looked down at Ayva's chocolate and dried-tear-covered face. The child knit her eyebrows, not understanding. "Can you pass Daddy his stocking again please?" Ian felt a swell of butterflies in his stomach at the feeling of calling himself "daddy". Ayva nodded, grinning, and pranced across the room to retrieve his stocking. Half way back to him, she froze, peering down into the stocking.
"There is somefing in there," she tipped the stocking upside down and shook, a tiny package spilling out. It landed on the hardwood floor with a thud, and the shocked gasps of both Lucy and Julie were the only sounds that proceeded.
"Can you bring the present over to your momma please?" Ian asked Ayva gently, not daring to look at Lucy until the small box got to her.
Ayva carried the tiny velvet case to her mother. Lucy's shaky hands accepted it, and she looked up at Ian with teary eyes.
"You wouldn't tell me what you wanted for Christmas," Ian said softly, grasping her left hand into his. He smiled at Julie, who's eyes were welling up with tears, before continuing. "So I guessed."
With his spare hand, Ian gently took the box from her and flipped it open, exposing the glittering, princess-cut, white gold diamond engagement ring inside.
Ian felt his own heart squeeze with pure joy as he took a deep breath.
"Lucy Hale," this was it. He stared into her beautiful brownish eyes and remembered the first day he fell in love with them. It occurred to him that he sounded a bit like Nicholas Sparks, but he didn't care. "I fell for you the day of our very first Pretty Little Liars chemistry read. I was wearing some kind of dorky Christmas sweater that I thought looked Ezra Fitz-ish, and the second I laid eyes on you, I had never regretted a wardrobe choice so much in my life." He paused to chuckle at the happy memory. "Because the moment I saw your beautiful eyes I knew I had to have you.
"It took me four years to buckle up the courage to ask you out. I don't think I'd ever been so nervous than the night before our first date, and all I remember thinking was that I couldn't screw it up, because I was finally about to have you."
Ayva was looking back and forth between her very emotional parents, too confused to ask questions. Julie was perched on the edge of the chair, trying to hold herself together.
"When I lost you," Ian blinked, realizing that this was a terrible idea to put in a proposal speech. But he needed her to know the truth- all of the truth. He needed to show her how very real this was to him. "I lost myself- and it's because, I don't know how not to love you! I don't know how to have a life without you in it, and I don't think I'll ever be able to be happy without you. You, and our- our child, you're my absolute universe, and I know that this," he implied their family, "this is all I'll ever need. I finally have you again, and I know that I'll never be able to adapt to a life that isn't this. Lucy, marry me, please. Marry me?"
He was fighting back his own tears as he all but begged her to marry him. Lucy's were bubbling down over her cheeks, her lips wobbling and her body trembling profusely.
"Yes." The single syllable was all she was able to choke out before she lunged at him, locking her hands around his neck and kissing him quite possibly as deeply as one could without choking. Ian pushed her back for a second, only long enough to jam the ring on her finger before her pulled her into a tight hug. This time, he let his own tears fall, kissing the side of her neck again as he squeezed her.
Ayva climbed up onto the couch and placed a worried hand on Ian's back. "Don't cry, daddy!" she whimpered.
Ian's only response was to break away from Lucy and pull Ayva into the hug, a string of happy, excited giggles coming from it. Lucy hugged Julie, Julie hugged Ian, and Ian held tight to Ayva as everyone rejoiced. Things couldn't have been more perfect.
They were finally, officially, completely a family.
Again.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S OVER! I'm so emotional right now because this is been such a good time. I have loved every minute of writing this story, and I'm so thankful for everyone who faithfully read it, despite my slow updates. I'm so happy that everyone seemed to enjoy it, because that's really the only thing I want to take from FanFiction. I hope you really enjoyed the story because I enjoyed writing it so much.
Somewhere along the road I may do an epilogue, but it's not going to be long. The story for now is done, but I am definitely going to be posting more stories soon! You can check out my other story, El Tango De Fitz, which is my newest.
Thank you so much again for the support, and I'm thankful for all of you! Seen you soon :)
Thank you x1000000 to Kate, Courtney, Julia, Caroline, Brooke, Emmalee, and all of my amazing twitter friends. You know who you are.
Xo, Emily.