FROM THE JOURNAL OF EMILIANA G. L. JAREAU

DECEMBER 25, 2017

TJ and I have been together for exactly a year and a day now, and we've married for four months and five days. I'm almost at the end of this journal, too, which seems very fitting, somehow, because it's the one that TJ gave me a year ago today.

(note to self: get a new book)

A lot sure has happened since he gave me this journal.

A little bit over a year ago, I'd lost all hope that I was ever going to have a happy ending, but that changed when JJ and Will took me in over the holidays. Living at the LaMontagne house, and being around them was my first experience of having a family to come home to every night.

Things changed when the rest of the family came over for Christmas. First, Sandy regarded me as a daughter without a second thought, then I became friends with Isobel very quickly, and then I fell in love with TJ—love at first sight is a real thing.

I still remember the first time I saw my man.

It was as if everything else had just stopped, and that moment, right there, with him, was where I was meant to be.

Turns out I was right because we had our first kiss that night, and we made Milo and Kiley, just over a day later.

Then the team and I encountered Rebel Rose and Sadie, by pure happenstance in February on case in New York, and they became part of the family. They're a lesson in the old adage, 'friends are the family you choose,' and now I love both of them so dearly that I just couldn't imagine my life without them now. Good thing they're our next door neighbors.

Rebel and Isobel even became friends, after she and Sadie left New York. They even protected each other when trouble came knocking, and now, they treat each other like sisters. That's really saying something because Rebel has two older sisters and five older brothers.

As for my dear Isobel, I may not have known her while she was growing up, but I've seen a real change in her in this past year. She's no longer as shy as she was, and she's very outgoing, too. She also has her own group of friends, including a girlfriend, whom she loves to spend time with and have adventures with. Isobel even got a promotion at the pet shelter two days ago, and on top of that, she's excelling in school. Plus, she even earned the role of Martha Cratchit, in A Christmas Carol. (We're going to see it later, a special Christmas Day treat) I love Isobel so much, and I'm so proud of her and how far she's come.

Milo and Kiley are five months old now, learning new things every day. They've both gotten the hang of sitting up by themselves now, and rolling over, too. TJ and JJ both said that the babies will start trying to crawl in a few weeks—God help us all.

Kidding. Kind of.

Milo and Kiley can't talk now, but they babble nonstop because they're so enthralled about the world around them. Hanging out with Sadie and Emiliana might also have something to do with it. The twins have been enamored with Isobel since the day they were born, and Isobel will take them off our hands, just to play and bond with her siblings. When this happens, things get quiet, but then I find it's because Isobel has read to them until they've fallen asleep in her arms, and she'll just be holding her brother and sister, loving them and cuddling them. The love my children have for each other melts me.

Speaking of them, I'm starting to want to try for one more baby in the next year or so—before I get too old, and someone says that miracles can't happen twice. I thought Isobel, Milo, and Kiley would be it, but I'm starting to have second thoughts because there's just this little voice in the back of my mind that says maybe kid number four wouldn't be so bad.

I would love a second son for a variety of reasons, but especially because I want Milo to have a brother. Isobel has an all-girl squad of her own, and Kiley's got Sadie and Cousin Emiliana, but there's going to be a day when my boy would prefer the company of a brother, because even Henry and Michael will probably be too old to want to play with him by then.

TJ thinks I'm insane for wanting another baby, at the age we're at, but I think I can change his mind, so I'm going to put a pin in that for now.

Rebel has also changed a lot since we met her. She's very confident with herself, and she's even taken up a job as a secretary for mother, something she really enjoys. She also proof-reads dad's book manuscripts. Reb's job also means that she's at my parents' house all the time, something they enjoy.

Rebel has also officially and legally cut ties with the biological father of her children, which is a good thing because she's nine months pregnant and due at any time now. She's also back on good terms with her parents, which is also very good because she's in a very serious relationship with Spencer now. He'd moved in with her and Sadie, and everything. Rebel and Sadie have even met Diana, and from what I understand, she loves them. I sincerely hope that they get married in the next few years.

And then there are the LaMontagnes—JJ, Will, Henry, Michael, and Emiliana—they changed my life, and if not for them, I would have never even tried to embark on my biggest adventure ever. I owe them everything, all five of them.

Last, but certainly not least is my team at the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

I pray and hope every day that Hotch and Jack are safe and happy, wherever they are. I also like to think that they're being watched over by Haley and Gideon, from Heaven.

Then there's Stephen. His adult children are local, but he, Blessing, Zuri, and the baby relocated to Chicago, not long after the wedding. They were there for almost three weeks when I got the call from Stephen that his first son, Stephen Demetrius Walker III, had been born. The baby does have cystic fibrosis, but still, he's getting all the help he needs at the children's hospital there… which is also where a certain Savannah Hayes Morgan works, now that the Morgans are in Chicago again.

We even received a Christmas card from the Morgans just last week, announcing something quite special—Hank is going to be a big brother in the coming year!

Spencer is living the kind of life with Rebel that I know he's always wanted, and I'm proud of him because after everything he's been through over all of these years, he deserves his happy ending.

Even Dave has found his happy ending with Amalie D'Agostino, the one who got away. They're very happy together.

Penelope is also doing really well, too. She still has my old cat, Sergio, who is just chugging along and enjoying life, but with help from Luke, she's just adopted two German Shepherd puppies, by the names of Dizzy and Dolly. They're even from the same litter. Both of them adore Sergio, and according to Penelope, he doesn't mind them. However, both of the puppies have imprinted on Roxy—they think that Luke's dog is their mother. Penelope and Luke haven been using this as a reason to hang outside of work more often.

I think it's kind of sweet.

She doesn't even call him 'Newbie' so much anymore. And they flirt with each other like crazy.

Things are changing in my life, but I don't mind.

Friends really are the family you choose.

My life turned out so much better than I could have ever hoped for, and even with the being away and traveling halfway around the world to figure it out, I wouldn't have changed a single thing about how I got here.

I love my life, and everyone in it. I wouldn't even change my job. Not for a single thing.

Oh… I think I hear Milo and Kiley waking up from their nap. Time to feed them and get them ready to see sissy's show.

With everything that's happened in the last year, I still can't shake the feeling that we've got another, bigger adventure on the horizon, yet.

Like a changing of the tides.

I just wonder what it is…


To be continued in the sequel

Stay tuned ;)