Summary: Things start to fall into place for the Darcy family and the rest of the group as Eleanor's first birthday approaches
Notes: I KNOW it's been some time and I'm sorry about that. Besides being sick for a while, writer's block became a real thing. I promised to finish this and I will. It's just going to take some time.
Saturday, October 5th
As the Fall season settled into the San Francisco area, the foggy mornings outnumbered the sunny ones. After a very hectic and long work week for both Lizzie and William, they took advantage of a sunny Saturday and took Eleanor to Pier 49 to explore the area. Their last stop was the Aquarium of the Bay, where Eleanor's eyes were wide with wonder over the sea life swimming through the water. As they walked through the underwater tunnels, she kept reaching up at the fish swimming above them. William lifted her up onto his shoulders and she laughed whenever something swam past her. When they left the aquarium, they remembered the sea lions were a short distance away and walked over to see them.
The noise of the creatures and the crowd by the dock proved to be too much for their daughter. She burst into tears soon after, putting an abrupt end to their adventure. Lizzie spent the whole walk to the car and ride back comforting her. Once they got home, she put Eleanor down for a nap in the hopes that she would be in a better mood with some rest.
"She's down," Lizzie said, emerging from the hallway. She joined William in the living room, sitting next to him on the couch. She sighed when he draped an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. He muted the television and set the remote next to him. "Poor girl. I hate seeing her so upset."
"It's interesting how different her reaction was from the fish and animals in the aquarium to the sea lions," William said. "There were sharks and rays bigger than the sea lions in those tanks."
"There's your answer. They were safely behind thick glass and couldn't get to her," Lizzie said. "She must have thought the sea lions were a threat. They're so loud with nothing but a dock between us. It was pretty crowded too. I got jostled a couple times and there was that family who had no regard for personal space."
"I think you're right," William said, brushing the tips of his fingers along her arm. "She gets that overwhelmed feeling from the Darcy side."
"It's up to us to make sure she doesn't grow up thinking it's okay to sulk in corners during events," Lizzie teased, lifting her head to look at him.
"Do I still do that?" William asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, and I'm very grateful for that," Lizzie said, kissing his cheek. "This William is my favorite William of all."
"It's thanks to you," William said warmly. "The best part of all this is that there's so much of you in Eleanor. She's such a happy girl most of the time that I don't think we have to worry. She's getting bigger every day and her personality is blooming."
"She is," Lizzie agreed. "You know, you just reminded me. She is getting bigger. I think we need to lower her crib."
"Again? I feel like I just did," William said.
"Now that she's standing on her own and getting stronger, she could easily find a way to climb out on her own," Lizzie explained. "I don't want her getting hurt."
"I'll lower it after her nap," William promised.
"Okay," Lizzie said, glancing at the television. "What are you watching?"
"I was flipping through the channels and found a documentary on the life of Tesla. Care to watch?" William asked.
"It sounds more interesting than that sloth documentary. The pacing of that one was slower than a sloth itself!" Lizzie said.
William chuckled. "I thought you would enjoy it. They suffered from editing issues."
"Not every show is a winner. Turn the volume up, please," Lizzie said, resting her head on William's shoulder again.
He turned it back on and set the remote down before sliding his hand into hers. The documentary was simultaneously interesting and relaxing. They spent the time winding down from their little adventure and enjoying the quiet time after hectic weeks. It was engrossing enough that they didn't notice their sneaky daughter crawling into the room until she was cornering the couch.
"Mama," Eleanor cooed, her face brightening at the sight of her parents.
"Eleanor!" Lizzie gasped, sitting up straight. She scooped her up from the floor. "Oh my god. Did you climb out of the crib? You climbed out, didn't you?"
William immediately began inspecting her head and body for any bumps or bruises. When there appeared to be no damage, they both breathed a sigh of relief. William stood up from the couch and began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Lizzie asked, holding Eleanor close to her.
"I'm going to go lower her crib right now!" William called back. "We don't want this happening again, right?"
"Thank you!" Lizzie said. She propped Eleanor on her lap and shook her head. "You're going to give me a heart attack one day, baby girl."
Eleanor tilted her head slightly and looked at her with curiosity.
"You've got to be careful for Mama and Dada," Lizzie said, ruffling her wavy hair.
"Mama!" Eleanor repeated, looking pleased when she recognized the word.
"You don't understand what I'm saying at all. It's okay." Lizzie kissed her forehead. "Mama loves you."
Monday, October 15th
Eleanor had been cruising like a pro for the past couple weeks. William and Lizzie took every opportunity to help her learn how to walk, leading her from the living room to the kitchen or down the hall to the nursery with her holding their hands. She graduated to only holding one finger each by the end of the first weekend in October.
Eleanor's latest way of greeting Lizzie when coming home from work was waiting at the end of the entryway, with William crouched down to Eleanor's level. His hands would hover around her waist as she stood by herself and he encouraged to walk to Lizzie. At the end of last week, it looked like she was going to take her first unassisted steps, but it still hadn't happened yet. She was too eager to see Lizzie when she walked through the door that she'd only hesitate for a second before dropping to her hands and knees and frantically crawling to her instead.
Today, when Lizzie got home from work, her usual welcome brigade wasn't at the end of the entryway. She could hear William's voice floating from the kitchen, having a one-sided conversation with Eleanor. She emerged from the entryway and she checked the kitchen. William was at the stove stirring something in a pot and Eleanor was holding onto the fridge handle, standing and looking back at him.
"Hello there," Lizzie said, putting her things down. She walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss.
"Good evening," William said warmly. "How was your day?"
"Busy with cast meetings and conference calls," Lizzie said, watching Eleanor inch closer to her. "And how about the two of you?"
"About the same. Department meetings and emails," William said, gesturing to Eleanor. "She did well in daycare, as usual."
"Of course she did," Lizzie said, crouching down to her daughter's level. "You have a good day today, Eleanor? Come here and give Mommy a hug hello."
Eleanor let go of the fridge and crawled to the island, pulling herself back up with the lip of a drawer. William watched her from the corner of his eye and Lizzie waited for her to come to her. Eleanor let go of the drawer and stood on her own, her stance wobbly but keeping her up. There was less than two feet between them, but it must have looked daunting to Eleanor so Lizzie held out her arms to lessen the space.
"Come on, baby girl. Mommy wants her hug!" Lizzie said encouragingly. She glanced up to William, who was lowering the heat on the pot and pulling out his phone.
"Are you going to go to Mommy, sweetheart?" William asked gently, turning around to watch her. Eleanor looked up at him at the sound of his voice and brightened. "She'll give you a nice, big hug like Daddy always does."
Eleanor waved her arms around, which made her wobble more, but she crouched down a little to regain her balance. She straightened herself back up and Lizzie motioned with her hands to come closer. Eleanor stared at the floor for just a moment and then took a tiny step forward.
"That's it! Just a few more steps and you'll reach me," Lizzie said, trying not to excite her too much. It didn't quite work because Eleanor cooed with happiness as she took one more step before falling on her butt. Lizzie moved closer and helped her up before inching backwards and encouraging her again. Eleanor wobbled more than before but managed to take a third and fourth step before her butt hit the floor again.
"You did it, baby girl!" Lizzie said, scooping her up and giving her a hug. "Your first steps! You'll get the hang of it before you know it."
"I'm so proud of you," William said, bending down and ruffling her hair.
"Did you get it?" Lizzie asked him.
"I sure did," William grinned. Lizzie put Eleanor back on the floor and let her have free reign.
"She really does move like a little drunken person," Lizzie mused as they both stood back up. She kept an eye on the crawling baby while William got back to work on dinner. "Just like Jane described it."
"Speaking of, did you get a hold of her?" William asked.
"Bing said she was still feeling under the weather when I called this morning so I emailed her," Lizzie said. "She said she'd ask a co-worker to help with Eleanor's costume. I already found a wig that works."
"Do you think it will be done in time?"
"I have a backup plan, just in case, but she said it would get here the day before," Lizzie said, stopping when Eleanor attached herself to her leg. "What are you doing, silly goose? Do you want to play?"
"She's missed you," William noted. "Kept saying your name throughout the car ride home."
"She did? I missed her too," Lizzie said, picking her up. "How long until dinner?"
"Probably twenty minutes," William replied.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to spend that time entertaining this little walker! You're a walker now, aren't ya?" Lizzie said, tickling Eleanor's belly. She squealed and wiggled in her arms as she walked towards the stairs. "Let's go have some fun, baby girl!"
As Eleanor's birthday approached, things became a little busier. Lizzie knew that a party for a one-year-old was more for the parents than the child, but she still wanted to make it special. Fitz and Brandon were true to their word and they stopped by a few times to drop off Halloween decorations and help with the little details. Brandon was officially tasked with making the birthday cake and Lizzie gave him free rein over the design.
The week before the party, Lydia and Adam hosted their first monthly dinner. Their first official purchase together had been a dining room table set that had room for everybody. They had redecorated the apartment more to their mutual style and they were eager to show it off. Though half the group was working or out of town, the night went over well. Adam impressed with his cooking skills and Lydia made an excellent hostess.
Eleanor was slowly getting better at walking and could take a few unassisted steps at a time before she'd fall down. Lizzie or William were constantly with her when she'd try a few steps, encouraging her to go a little bit further with each attempt. Her biggest problem was that she'd get so excited over how well she was doing that she'd lose her balance. She happily demonstrated her limited walking skills to anybody who had the patience. Mrs. Reynolds was so proud that she nearly cried, Fitz recorded every step he saw, and the ladies at the daycare were thrilled. While she could currently only make it from one piece of furniture to another, Lizzie and William knew it would only be a matter of time before she'd figure it out.
Friday, October 25th
Friday was the beginning of Eleanor's birthday weekend and it would be a busy one. Lizzie's parents were due to arrive Friday afternoon and they would be staying until Sunday. William had already made up the guest room for them to stay in, but there was still plenty to be done. He and Lizzie both worked half days so they'd be home when her parents arrived. After William told Lizzie about the small celebration the daycare threw for Eleanor and showed her the gift they gave her, he ran back out to do errands. Lizzie stayed to entertain their daughter and feed her.
"Who could that be, Eleanor?" Lizzie asked her, wiping off the applesauce from her face. "Could it be Grandma and Grandpa?"
Eleanor looked at her like she had no clue what she was talking about. Lizzie chuckled and kissed her forehead, jokingly telling her to stay put in her high chair. As she walked away, she saw Eleanor pick up the spoon and she knew she'd come back to a messy baby. There was another knock as Lizzie walked towards it.
"I'm coming!" Lizzie said, unlocking and opening the door. She immediately let out a yelp of excitement over who was behind it. "Jane! Bing!"
"Surprise!" Bing grinned as she hugged him.
"Oh my god. I'm so happy you're here," Lizzie said, pulling them inside and giving a tight hug to her sister. "I've missed you so much, Jane."
"Me too. It's so good to see you," Jane said softly near her ear. Lizzie sighed with happiness at hearing her signature words and pulled back to smile at her.
"What are you doing here? Where are the twins?" Lizzie asked.
"The twins are with my parents," Bing said.
"I brought Eleanor's costume," Jane said, holding up a small garment bag. "I said it would be here today."
"I know but I didn't think you'd bring it in person!" Lizzie said, leading them back to the kitchen where her daughter was. "This is such a wonderful surprise. I can't wait for William to get back."
"Where is he?" Bing asked.
"He's picking up our costumes," Lizzie said. "But Eleanor is here. We were just finishing up eating."
"I can see that," Bing said, snorting with laughter when they turned the corner. Her face was covered in applesauce and she was waving the empty bowl around, looking pleased with herself.
"Oh, baby girl," Lizzie groaned.
"Let me!" Bing offered, grabbing some paper towels. "Once you've cleaned beet puree off a ceiling, you've become an expert on everything."
"Beets? Yuck," Lizzie said, making a silly face at Eleanor. She giggled as Bing wiped her face clean. "This little one doesn't like beets. I don't blame her."
"We were trying different foods," Bing told her, glancing to Jane. "Remember the pear zucchini corn incident?"
"I never could get the stains out of my shirt," Jane said, watching him clean Eleanor up. "I had to get rid of it."
"I've lost a couple shirts in the past months." Lizzie nodded knowingly. "William lost a tie to her latest teething round but it was worth it. It was the only thing that seemed to comfort her."
"There we go! All clean. Come here to your uncle," Bing declared. He picked her up to give her a proper hug hello.
"How long are you here for?" Lizzie asked. "And why didn't you let us know you were coming?"
"We're leaving first thing Sunday morning," Jane said. "We couldn't miss Eleanor's birthday party. You and William flew out for the twins' first birthday and we wanted to do the same. We decided it a couple days ago, Bing made the arrangements, and now we're here." Jane took Eleanor from Bing's arms to snuggle her. "Besides, I needed to see this little one in person. Our video chats aren't enough and it's been too long."
"It really has been," Lizzie said, sidling up next to her sister. "And you know the best part? You get to see her in action!"
"That's right! She's walking now," Bing said, bopping Eleanor on the nose. "We're here for the next two days so we have a lot of catching up to do."
"Where are you staying? Mom and Dad should be here soon so they have the guest room," Lizzie said.
"We're at the Westin," Jane said. "We're here to help you however you need."
"Nuh uh. You're just here to visit. I'm not putting you to work," Lizzie said. "You're always busy."
"Can we at least see how her costume fits? Then I can get to work on any alterations that it may need."
"Oh yes! I'm excited to see her in her outfit," Lizzie said, glancing at Bing. "William should be home pretty soon. Make yourself at home."
"Don't mind if I do," Bing said. "You ladies can take all the time that you need."
William had returned home soon after, thrilled to see Bing and Jane. They spent time catching up until Mr. and Mrs. Bennet arrived mid-afternoon. Mrs. Bennet practically screamed when she saw Jane and she could barely decide on who to hug first, her daughters or her granddaughter. Eleanor enjoyed the extra attention and favored her grandfather's lap the most. As evening approached, William made the suggestion of going out to dinner and found a nice Italian restaurant in the neighborhood that had something for everyone.
Jane and Bing headed back to the hotel after dinner. Mrs. Bennet helped out with Eleanor's bath, not caring that the front of her outfit was soaked because it gave her more time with her granddaughter. Soon after Eleanor went down for the night, Lizzie's parents followed suit. After a busy day and knowing tomorrow would be even more so, Lizzie and William called it a night soon after and headed to bed together.
Saturday, October 26th
Sunlight began to pour into the bedroom as Lizzie stirred awake. She squinted at the early morning light, realizing she forgot to close the curtains the night before. As she began to move, Williams's hold on her tightened and she was pulled in closer to him. She smiled to herself as he pressed his lips to her neck.
"Morning," William murmured lowly, his voice thick with sleep. Lizzie turned around to face him.
"Morning," Lizzie replied. "Sleep well?"
"I did." William nodded. "Woke up a little while ago."
"You should have woken me," Lizzie told him.
"You looked too peaceful. I got lost in my thoughts," William said, one corner of his mouth lifting. "Remember this time one year ago?"
"At this exact time?" Lizzie asked playfully. She glanced at the clock to see it was two minutes after seven. "Honestly, those first days were kind of a blur but I can say that I will always remember the first minutes we had with Eleanor. Hearing her cry for the first time, finally holding her after waiting so long, and seeing you with her? Those are moments I'll never forget."
"Not any time soon," William said. "The strength you showed made me fall even more in love with you."
"That's not hard to do," Lizzie said lightly. He snorted and shook his head before kissing the tip of her nose. "I can't believe she's one."
"It's been quite a year. I wouldn't change a thing," William said.
"Not even the blowouts, hours of sleep lost, or the tie that was sacrificed to her teething?" Lizzie asked.
"Not even those," William said, one corner of his mouth lifting. "They're learning experiences for the next one."
"Which won't be until well after she's potty-trained," Lizzie said pointedly.
"Alright. Let's get her to it then, shall we?" William joked, sitting up in bed. Lizzie laughed and pulled him back to her. He laid on his side and propped his head up with his hand.
"Don't wake her yet. It's her birthday. Let her sleep in," Lizzie said.
"The words 'sleep in' and 'one-year-old' don't go together," William said.
As if on cue, they heard the stirrings of their little one begin to make noise on the baby monitor. Lizzie could barely hold back her amusement and William rolled over to his back, rubbing his hands over his face. They knew they still had a couple minutes before her stirrings turned into something more, either babbles or full-blown crying. What they didn't expect after those couple minutes was the sound of Mrs. Bennet coming into the nursery to take care of her.
"Good mornin', my dear grandbaby!" Mrs. Bennet's voice came clearly through the monitor. "You ready for your big day? I surely say you must be! You're a big girl now."
Lizzie and William exchanged a smile and stayed where they were, listening to their daughter's delighted coos as Mrs. Bennet kept talking to her. They listened as she changed her diaper and dressed her in an outfit Lizzie happened to lay out the night before. It was a nice break for the parents to have an extra pair of hands so willing to take care of Eleanor.
"Look at you! You're just the most precious birthday girl. You hungry? I think I saw a bottle with your name on it in the kitchen," Mrs. Bennet said. "You don't need your mama for that anymore."
Lizzie sighed and rolled her eyes. She had decided to stop pumping altogether and start weaning Eleanor off breastfeeding because she was turning one. What she didn't expect was how little time it took. Due to her work, she had been mainly breastfeeding only in the morning right after Eleanor woke and in the evening when she put her to bed. It only took two weeks for her daughter to fully adjust and the last time she breastfed her was last Sunday. Her body was easily adjusting back to her pre-pregnancy days and she had to admit that she didn't miss pumping, but she missed that special bonding time with her daughter. She still had time with her as she fed her a bottle of formula, but it didn't quite feel the same.
Her mom was surprised by the news. She had found out last night as she was helping Lizzie put Eleanor to bed. She tried to guilt trip by saying she breastfed all her girls until they were eighteen months but Lizzie refused to let her mother's comments get under her skin. She and William agreed it was the right time and the right decision for their family.
William grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, making her feel better.
"Ready to get up?" William asked warmly, kissing her temple.
Lizzie nodded. "It's going to be a great day."
At breakfast, Mr. Bennet and William took over the kitchen to make pancakes, bacon, and eggs for everybody. After cleaning up and playing with Eleanor for a bit, Lizzie and William got to work. Jane and Bing arrived to be party helpers, and Fitz showed up shortly afterwards with the decorations he had promised, leaving Brandon at home to work on Eleanor's birthday cake. Bing and Fitz went with William to go pick up more food and supplies, and Mr. and Mrs. Bennet took Eleanor to the San Francisco Zoo as a birthday surprise. Lizzie and Jane were left alone at the house and preparing food for the party.
"You know, I'm really glad you're here," Lizzie said. "It's such a nice surprise for Eleanor, and you two have been a big help."
"Anything we can do to help out such a big occasion," Jane said. "And I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," Lizzie said, bumping her hip with Jane's. "How are the twins adjusting to preschool? Is it much different than daycare?"
"Oh, you know," Jane said. "We're trying to find a balance. Scarlett is a little social butterfly and has already been invited to two birthday parties. She's doing fine with the lessons. Charlie would rather read and learn than make friends, but his teacher says he's her best student."
"Wow. Best student. That's impressive," Lizzie said. "He's such a bookworm and a little smarty-pants."
"He is," Jane agreed. "We'll see how everything goes."
"This is the easiest part. Shapes and numbers are nothing," Lizzie assured her. "Wait until he gets to physics and calculus."
"That's Bing's department," Jane said, pushing a tray over to Lizzie.
"Here's hoping that Eleanor is more interested in literature than anything else. But we don't have to worry right now." Lizzie wrapped the tray in saran wrap before putting it in the fridge. "She's still learning to speak and only says a handful…"
When Lizzie turned back around, Jane had a distant look on her face. She said her name a couple times and then waved her hand in front of her sister's face, finally getting her attention.
"Jane? Where'd you go right now?"
"I have to tell you something," Jane said. "And you can't tell anybody."
"I promise," Lizzie said.
"You know when I told you I was sick two weeks ago?" Jane started. Lizzie nodded. "I was sick, but not with the flu like I said."
"Wait, what?" Lizzie caught on almost immediately and perked up. "Are you pregnant?"
"I—I was," Jane said somberly. Lizzie's face fell.
"Jane," Lizzie said softly, resting a hand on her sister's. She waited patiently for her to speak, knowing it was difficult for her to open up. Jane looked like she was steeling herself and then began talking.
"We agreed to wait a little longer, what with the twins just starting preschool and Bing and I getting busier. I found out I was pregnant one day, and two days later, I wasn't. I barely had time to process it," Jane said. "You know Scarlett and Charlie were the best surprises in my life, and we weren't prepared then either."
Lizzie stayed quiet, letting Jane continue.
"I've been in this weird funk ever since. I barely had time to get used to the idea of being pregnant again before it was taken away from me. I've been going back and forth between being upset about it and…feeling relieved. That's not normal, is it?"
"Every woman who's gone through this reacts a different way. It's okay to be upset just like it's okay to be relieved. You said yourself that you and Bing aren't ready yet."
"I did and we aren't, but there's this guilt that's been building up about me being relieved," Jane said. "Does it make me an awful person?"
"No!" Lizzie said adamantly. "No, of course it doesn't. Things didn't work out. It's going to take you some time to get back to normal again but you're going to get there. In the meantime, I'm here for you. The whole family is all here to help you if you need it."
A small smile appeared.
"I know. Bing tried his hardest to make me feel better but he realized what I really needed was my family. I needed my sisters," Jane said. "He suggested the spur-of-the-moment trip and arranged the flights and the hotel and for his parents taking the twins for the weekend. We're not here enough, and I needed to see you and Eleanor."
"You're not, but we're just as guilty about going to New York," Lizzie said, bringing her in for a long hug. "I'm sorry about the circumstances that brought you here, but I'm still happy you came. We'll see each other more with the holidays coming up. It will be Eleanor's first big trip and plane ride for Thanksgiving, and I'm excited about Christmas. It will be a completely full cabin."
"We haven't been to the cabin since the twins were babies and we haven't celebrated Christmas together for the past two years. I'm looking forward to this more than you know," Jane said. "It gets harder and harder to be on the opposite side of the country."
"Move back here," Lizzie joked.
"We would," Jane said. Lizzie's eyebrows shot up. "I mean, Bing and I have had conversations about it. There's just so many variables to consider. Don't get me wrong, we're happy in New York, especially with the freedom I'm getting with my clothing line and how well Bing is doing. But everybody is here."
"Personally, I would love if you were closer," Lizzie said. "But you know, it's all about timing."
"And it's not the right time. At least not yet," Jane said. "Maybe someday."
"Meanwhile, you're here now and we still have more to do before everybody gets back!"
"Let's get this done and then I can finish up the alterations on your and Eleanor's costumes," Jane said.
"It's going to be great. Thank you for everything," Lizzie said. "You never told me what your costume is!"
"You'll have to wait and see."
Lizzie groaned. "Even you? At least I know my own daughter will look adorable."
Jane smiled at her. "Isn't that all that really matters in the end?"
Everybody slowly came trickling back to the apartment, giving them time to get the place decorated and ready for the party. When Eleanor returned with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Lizzie could see she was on the edge of a meltdown and clearly ready for a nap. Jane and Bing and Fitz and Brandon all excused themselves so they could get ready for the party, and William helped get her down to sleep. Lizzie's parents retreated to the guest room for some rest of their own, wiped out from their day out with their grandchild.
Eventually, Lizzie and William decided to get dressed and ready for the party, taking advantage of their daughter's long nap. They wanted her to wake up on her own so she'd be properly refreshed for her celebration.
"I still haven't figured out what to do with my hair," Lizzie said, sitting on the bed putting on ankle-length white socks and black Mary Jane shoes. "Red Riding Hood has a few different styles."
William appeared shirtless in the bathroom doorway and in the middle of buttoning up his jeans. His hair was still a little wild from his shower, sticking up at odd angles, and a couple of days of no shaving gave him a scruffy look.
"You're wearing a hood, so what works best for that?" William asked.
"Anything really. I could wear my hair in pigtails or keep it wavy like this," Lizzie said.
"You know my thoughts on wavy and curly hair," William said, half-smiling.
"I do," Lizzie stood up and ran her hands down her red knee-length skirt to straighten it out. She walked up to him and stuck two fingers through his belt loops, leaning in close to him. "I also know what you like to do with something to hold onto."
"Tease," William said, raising an eyebrow. "We don't have time for that right now."
"But maybe later," Lizzie said playfully.
"Maybe," William said with a knowing look. "But I also don't recall Red Riding Hood ending up with anybody at the end of the story."
"We can change the narrative," Lizzie said brightly. "Write our own ending."
William chuckled and bent down to kiss her. "Sounds like a great one."
Lizzie caught a glimpse of herself in costume in the mirror as William stepped away into the bedroom. He grabbed his long-sleeve red and black checkered shirt and slipped it on. "I think I'll leave my hair like this. It looks good."
William was buttoning up his shirt and loosely tucking it into his jeans as he looked at her and agreed.
"Now the real question is whether I can pull off the hunter look without a full beard."
"You're just fishing for compliments now," Lizzie said.
"Am I really?" William asked, rubbing a hand across his cheeks.
"Yes, you know you look good," Lizzie approached him once more and put her arms around his waist. "You've got this handsome hipster hunter vibe going on. Any more of a beard and Eleanor may not recognize you."
"Fair point," William said. "I wouldn't want to scare her."
"I will miss this look when you shave," Lizzie said, pulling at her bottom lip for a moment.
"I'll make a deal with you. I'll wait to clean myself up until tomorrow night," William started. "If you don some pigtails just for me before that."
"You've got yourself a deal." Lizzie grinned mischievously and stood on her toes, pulling him in for a deep kiss. He held her by the waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Lizzie whimpered a little as he slid his tongue between her lips, running it across hers. They enjoyed the moment for a little longer before pulling away and sharing a smile.
"We really do need to finish getting ready before our little one-year-old wakes up," William said, exhaling. "It's a big day for her."
It took some time to get Eleanor dressed up in her costume, but it was worth the struggle. Lizzie couldn't resist taking some pictures before showing her off to her parents. When the three of them finally emerged from the bedroom hallway, they got a pleasant surprise of their own. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were actually in costume and Lizzie was amused by their choice. They were dressed up as the farmer couple in the American Gothic painting. Lizzie thanked them for putting in the extra effort for their granddaughter.
Brandon and Fitz were early and the first to arrive, both of them holding boxes. Lizzie burst into laughter when she answered the door.
"This is too good!" Lizzie said. "Who is who?"
They were matching from head to toe in red pants, a yellow shirt with an oversized white collar, pale blue bow ties, and a bill-less red cap that had a little flag sticking out of the middle. They even had matching red suspenders.
"Tweedle Dum at your service," Fitz said. "Where can we put her present and these cakes, Little Red?"
"You made two, Brandon?" Lizzie asked as they walked in, closing the door and bringing them into the kitchen.
"I made one for everybody and I made a little one for Eleanor," Brandon said, lifting the lid to show a large cake in the shape of a one. It was decorated with white frosting and pale green dots lining the edges and 'Happy Birthday, Eleanor!' written near the bottom of it. The second box revealed a little round cake with colorful sprinkles lining it and a little number 1 piped on the top.
"Oh, you made a smash cake!" Mrs. Bennet cooed. "These are both lovely. You've got such a talent, hon."
"Thank you, Mrs. Bennet," Brandon said.
"If you didn't already have this handsome one," Mrs. Bennet said, touching Fitz's arm. "I'd say you could get yourself any man."
"Handsome?" Fitz grinned, straightening his bow tie.
"Don't let it get to your head, Tweedle Dum," William joked, clapping his back. "Fantastic job, Brandon. Thank you so much for everything."
"Really, it was nothing, William. I enjoyed doing it, so thanks for giving me the practice," Brandon said. "Where's the lady of the hour?"
"She's with her grandpa," Lizzie said. "Showing off her walking skills."
"We're coming!" Mr. Bennet's voice floated in from the hallway. "Nearly there."
They emerged after a moment. Eleanor was taking her time taking with her steps and Mr. Bennet was right behind her, his hands hovering and ready to catch her. She stopped and promptly sat down, smiling when she saw Lizzie and William. When he figured she wouldn't be getting back up immediately, Mr. Bennet picked her up from the floor and brought her over.
"Oh my god. Look at you, Sunshine! You are the cutest little grandma I've ever seen!" Fitz said. He reached out and straightened her tiny curly gray wig.
"I love it," Brandon said, bopping Eleanor on her nose and making her giggle. "I saw you two and nearly thought she'd be the wolf."
"What better way to celebrate her first birthday by dressing her up as a little old lady?" Lizzie said playfully.
"You and I are kindred spirits, Lizzie D. That's exactly what I'd do," Fitz said, giving her a high five.
"Okay, we know we're early, so can we help with last-minute stuff?" Brandon asked, clapping his hands.
"Of course. You can help me with the drinks," William said. "Come with me."
Friends and family slowly began to arrive, each of them happy to show off their costumes. Jane and Bing arrived with far too many presents for Eleanor, dressed as Ariel and Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. Lydia and Adam were dressed as Amy Pond and the eleventh version of The Doctor. When they arrived, there were screams of surprise from the youngest sister since she was purposely left in the dark about Jane's visit. Eleanor was scared by the outburst and started crying. William calmed her down as her aunts apologized profusely to her and cheered her up.
Charlotte and Sam arrived as Carmen Sandiego and Waldo, garnering laughter and a nod of approval from Fitz and Brandon. Gigi and Naveen were the last to arrive, also with arms full of gifts for the one-year-old. Gigi and Naveen were dressed as Daenerys and Jon Snow from Game of Thrones.
"You two look great! Your costume looks so authentic, Naveen," Lizzie said, ushering them in. "I'm impressed, especially since you had so much less time than everybody else to get a costume."
"What you fail to realize is that he already had his costume," Gigi told her. "He wore it for a series finale party earlier this year."
"I think I pull this off well. I've got the hair and the accent," Naveen said, holding out his faux fur cape and turning around to show off the leather costume. "You mock."
"I just might be," Gigi replied in a poor British accent.
"How many times have I told you that your accent is not good, darling?" Naveen said, clearly amused.
"Many," Gigi said, glancing at Lizzie and shrugging. "And yet, you think I'm adorable."
"I sure do," Naveen said, using a bad American drawl. Gigi rolled her eyes and gently smacked his arm. He grinned and leaned down, kissing her cheek.
"You two are ridiculous," Lizzie said.
"I apologize for her behavior. It's atrocious," Naveen joked. "And thank you again for inviting me. I know this is important for the family."
"We're happy to have you here, Naveen," Lizzie said, gesturing down to the party. "Help yourself to anything to eat and drink. Everybody is in the living room."
"I'm eager to see what everyone is wearing! I'll take these," Naveen said, taking the gifts from Gigi. He smiled at her before walking down the hall to join everybody else.
"He's such a dork," Gigi said, removing her coat and smoothing down her blonde wig. "And then he's also handsome, super charming, and funny."
"Sounds like a good balance," Lizzie said.
"He really is," Gigi said radiantly. Lizzie smiled from seeing the joy in Gigi's face. "Now, where is my niece? I need to give her birthday kisses."
"Come on. You're going to love the costume she's wearing."
The gift table had been overflowing with birthday gifts for Eleanor and Lizzie and William were surprised, yet thankful, for all the generosity. They spent some time sitting with their daughter, opening the gifts for her and showing them to her. She was given new toys, games, books, and some outfits that were Jane originals. Of course, she spent more time playing with the wrapping paper and emptied gift boxes than anything else.
Lizzie stepped away between serving the main dishes and the cake, wanting to get the kitchen in order. Fitz was right behind her with dishes and ready to lend a helping hand.
"Are you having fun?" Lizzie asked. "I know it's not quite the same as your usual Halloween parties."
"Are you kidding? This is better," Fitz said, nudging her side. They both looked back at the group. William and Lydia sitting on the ground and playing with Eleanor. She kept toddling back and forth to them, handing them scraps of wrapping paper and boxes. When she handed William a bow, he put it on top of his head and she laughed so hard that she fell backwards. He picked her back up and she started her little game all over again.
"I admit that today's been pretty nice," Lizzie said. "It's so difficult to get everybody together, but it happened somehow."
"Somehow? You did this, lady. You created a space that we want to be a part of, time and time again," Fitz said. "You're responsible."
"That almost sounds like a bad thing," Lizzie mused, taking a dish to dry.
"It's not. Most of us are here because of you. Darcy rarely came to parties I threw and he'd never dress with the theme. It was like pulling teeth to get him to do anything. He was all work and no play. Then you came along and now he's hosting parties and in full costume! Every single person here is wearing one!" Fitz pointed out. "With the exception of Brandon, Gigi, and Bing, these people were your people first."
"Naveen is Gigi's," Lizzie said.
"But you encouraged her to do something about it. I mean, I did too, but you get the point," Fitz said, handing her another dish. "All I'm saying is that it's really great to see so many people here and happy to be here. I chalk that up to your skills, Lizzie D."
"Thank you, Fitz," Lizzie smiled, taking a quick glance at her daughter in the living room. "It's all for Eleanor. I want her to be surrounded by her grandparents, aunts, and uncles."
Fitz smiled crookedly. "I can't believe how much she's grown. I remember how little she was when she was born. Now she's walking and she's got a personality and everything. That goes so fast."
"It does," Lizzie said, studying his face. Fitz wasn't often sentimental. While she could chalk it up to the occasion since she felt the same way, she knew it was something more.
"Darcy looks so happy, too. There was a long time where I thought we'd never get to a point like this," Fitz commented, handing her the last dish. "There was a part of him that disappeared when his parents died, but he found it again with you. He actually got a little gross about being in love." Fitz chuckled to himself and Lizzie shrugged. "But once Eleanor was born, he transformed into a completely different person. Sure, that old part of him is still there, but he became more. He gushes about the most random things to me and I kind of love it."
"Parenthood does that to you," Lizzie told him, still studying his face and piecing things together. "It's strange what you get excited about. You'll see. You'll be as happy as him when you get there. Probably even more ridiculous knowing you," Lizzie said. "I promise."
"I hope so," Fitz said.
He pressed his lips together and looked down at the empty sink. Lizzie took her chance.
"You know the saying 'no news is good news?'" Lizzie asked.
"Yeah…" Fitz replied slowly.
"You haven't given us an update on your surrogate since August," Lizzie said. "And while I love seeing the more serious side come out, Fitz, I so figured it out."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Fitz said quickly.
"Come on," Lizzie said, grabbing his arm.
"Lizzie," Fitz admonished. She watched two expressions fight it out on his face as he struggled to keep things to himself.
"How far along, Fitz?" Lizzie asked in a hushed voice. "I know you're dying to tell someone."
"Argh! You're the worst," Fitz replied, equally hushed. He took a look over to the party and must have deemed it too noisy for them to hear what he was about to divulge. "She's eight and a half weeks."
Lizzie held back a squeal of delight—but just barely. She kept her voice low. "Fitz! I knew it!"
"Brandon is going to kill me for telling you," Fitz said with a sigh.
"I'll keep it a secret. I promise you," Lizzie said, squeezing his arm. "When is she due?"
"May twentieth," Fitz said as the elation on his face grew. "We found out three and a half weeks ago and I've been wanting to shout it from the rooftops ever since. Brandon keeps insisting we wait until she's three months, but it is torture keeping it to myself!"
"I know the feeling. While we enjoyed keeping the secret for a while, there were a few times I wanted to blurt it out," Lizzie said. "Especially after the first couple of ultrasounds."
"Lizzie, they're so overwhelming," Fitz admitted.
"In a good way, right?"
"Yeah. It's just a lot. The first ultrasound was to confirm she was pregnant and that first glimpse was amazing. Then we had another one yesterday and we heard the heartbeat. At eight weeks! I can't wrap my head around that," Fitz said. "The baby already has a heartbeat."
"Your baby, Fitz, You're really going to be a dad," Lizzie said, her eyes starting to water a little. "You and Brandon are going to be parents!"
"We really are," Fitz said with a shocked laugh. They both glanced back to the party to see them all preoccupied in conversation.
"When are you going to tell everybody?"
"The end of November so you've got to keep this to yourself in the meantime."
"I get to hold this over William after you announce it since he kept your secret from me for so long," Lizzie joked before getting serious again. "You know you're going to be such a great dad, right?"
"Thank you. That means a lot," Fitz said. "Having the practice with Eleanor makes me feel a little more confident."
"I'm glad she could help you," Lizzie said. "Are you going to keep the sex a secret or do we get to know?"
"Actually, we did agree on this part. We're having the doctor write down the sex at the next appointment and putting it in an envelope. We agreed that we'd open it at the cabin with everybody around. Probably on New Year's Eve," Fitz said.
"What a perfect way to ring in the New Year," Lizzie said softly.
"It's got the Fitz finesse, don't you think?" Fitz agreed, letting out a breath. "We really need to stop talking about this before one of us gets emotional."
"I'm just so happy for you," Lizzie said. "I'll hold back the tears until you announce it officially."
"Good way to sell it," Fitz teased as they quickly hugged. "We've got a cake to serve, don't we?"
"We do! My baby is one today!" Lizzie gushed, taking the cake out of the fridge "Where is that candle…"
"Got it!" Fitz held up the wax number one. He grabbed a box of matches from a drawer while Lizzie put the candle on the cake.
"Everybody get ready! The cake is coming out!" Lizzie announced loudly, getting the party's attention. William picked up Eleanor from the floor and took a seat on the couch, setting her down in his lap. He looked over at Lizzie and gave her a big smile, indicating they were ready. Lizzie lit the candle and Fitz helped her pick the cake up, making sure that the candle didn't go out as they walked over to the living room. Fitz gave a countdown to start singing.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Haaaaaapppy birthday, dear Eleanor…"
Notes:
I hope this was worth the wait! Only two more chapters after this! The end is NIGH.
Thank you for the constant encouragement and thanks to Sarah for pushing me to write. It's much appreciated.
