Christmas at the Buchanan's
Long Before You Drew Your First Breath
A Dream Was Coming True
God Wanted to Give A Gift To The World
So He Wrapped It Up In You
Every Step That You've Taken
Every Move That You Make
Is Part Of His Plan
Meant to be - Steven Curtis Chapman
"Guess who comes bearing gifts?"
"UNCLE JAAAACKKKKK" the gleeful squeals of joy of little boys are heard throughout the house, as several tiny feet rush down the stairs towards the tall man in an aviator jacket, standing beside a beautiful blue eyed blond with a bundle in blue blankets.
Joseph steps back to let Mark project himself from the floor to Jack's arms, squealing with joy as Jack humphs and starts spinning with a laughing Mark in his arms, "Where's my GI Joe?"
"In heeeereee," squeals Mark, as Jack turns him upside down and enters the house with the little boy in his arms, while Luke jumped also begging to be taken in his arms.
"Hey little guy," Jack messes up Luke's hair, puts Mark on he floor and grabs the him in a firefighters hold, bringing gales of laughter of the little boy, just to be chastened by his wife.
"Jack, be careful with him, you'll hurt him."
"Nahh…"he dismisses her, and starts blowing raspberries in the little boy's belly, bringing even more laughter to his blue eyes, "he likes it, don't ya, Luke?"
The two blond girls warily approach the funny man who is playing with the boys, while the blond woman enters the room and kisses Joseph in his cheek, "Ignore him, it's the effect of too many cappuccinos on the way here," she walks into the room and smiles at them, as they were additions to the Buchanan's clan she hadn't yet the pleasure to meet, "you two must be Grace and Hope, nice to meet you ladies."
She walks by the living room and drops the baby bag on the sofa and sits on the sofa, unwrapping the little boy in her arms and showing an angelical face with a beautiful blue hat, immediately attracting the attention of the girls.
"Would you like to meet my little boy? This is Charlie."
The two girls rush to her side, each sitting at one side, and coo over the little boy, "he's so tiny," says Grace, stretching her hand and being surprised by the baby's firm grip of his tiny hand in her finger.
"Yes he is, but he's strong, just like his father," says Sarah, glancing smiling at Jack who is smiling at her, with a hand over each of the boy's shoulders. She's happy she was able to break the ice with the adopted girls.
Joseph hangs by the door and looks at his wife, Maggie, standing in front of him under the softly falling snow, her dark long hair framing her oval face, and smiles at the picture she makes at the front porch.
"Hey beautiful," he whispers, and opens his arms, and Maggie doesn't hesitate to hug him firmly, hiding her face in his chest. Her jacket clad arms hug him tight by his waist.
"I've missed you," Joseph whispers against her hair, and she leans back and looks at his face, "Hi, love."
They kiss softly, the strain of separation of seven weeks being transmitted in each second they are together, until they hear someone clearing his throat. They separate and look at the airman standing in the cold, by the Air Force designated car that drove them from the airport to the Buchanan's household.
"Sir, where should I put the luggage?" he asks fidgeting in the snow, eager to get back inside the warm car.
Joseph smiles against Maggie's hair, and waves the airman in, "forget the luggage, we can bring it inside later, let's have a hot cup of coffee."
The airman smiles at the friendly welcome, which is more than what he had expected for bringing the officers to this house. He takes his cap off before entering the house, and smiles at the friendly and warm atmosphere inside.
Joseph asks the airman his name, as Maggie walks out of his arms and kneels on the floor, smiling at Matthew who is hiding his face in Heidy's legs.
"Hi sweety, did you miss me?" He peeks from behind the nanny's legs, and sticks one of his fingers in his mouth, blinking repeatedly his big blue eyes to her. "Come on, don't you remember mommy?" the little boy glances up at Heidy, who frees his hands from her leg and pushes him lightly towards Maggie.
The little boy walks two steps towards Maggie, and stops, studying her face as if trying to memorize it. Maggie waits patiently, as she had been through that before with the older kids, as they sometimes need a little bit of time to reacquaint themselves with a parent who spends weeks away.
He takes another step, and Maggie scoops him in a hug, filling her arms with sweet smelling boy, his little arms going around her neck in a tight grip, "Hi Matthew, I missed you too, baby."
Joseph smiles at the scene, where his family is slowly settling down, along with his friends and taps the young man with his cap in his hand, standing nervously by the door, "come in, you're letting the hot air out." He closes the door after the airman, and guides him into the kitchen, being followed by Maggie holding a clinging Matthew in her arms.
"He grew up so much during these last weeks," murmurs Maggie, hugging him tightly in her arms.
"Yes, he is a good eater, my boy, aren't you?" says Heidy, going to the fridge taking some juice she had prepared earlier and pouring some in a glass and offering it to Maggie, who gladly takes it after sitting Matthew in the table.
"Is he eating all his vegetables?" she takes a sip of the juice, then gives one to him as well as he lifts his hands asking for the glass. "Don't spill, ok? Sip slowly."
"His, Mark's, Luke's… everyones."
Maggie laughs as she keeps holding the glass, as Matthew finishes the juice and returns the glass to her.
Joseph offers a glass of hot coffee to the airman, and approaches his wife and hugs her, kissing her head, "come, there's someone I want you to meet."
Maggie immediately tenses, and looks up at his face, searching it carefully and noticing the worry in his eyes, "the new girl?"
He nods, and squeezes her lightly against his chest, and slowly guides her to the living room where their kids are playing with the O'Neills, and they immediately notice when something changes.