This chapter is a little shorter but I'm leaving to go out of town tomorrow morning and probably won't be able to update for a week or so and I wanted to get this chapter in.
Jamie and Eddie's original plan was to tell everyone once they were all together at Danny's Friday night but since leaving Bay Ridge Wednesday, Jamie had a pretty good feeling that his dad had already figured it out, and Eddie had a strong suspicion that Erin was on to them too, so she decided this would be a perfect time for a Code Blue of her own for the Reagans. She figured she owed them another one anyway since they got her twice last year.
They had decided a fashionably late arrival to game night Friday was necessary, that way everyone else would be there when they got there and they could get their secret out in the open first thing. Their timing was perfect as Jamie pulled the car up to the curb in front of Danny's and they were the last ones there.
"Pizza's here...sorry we're late," Jamie hollers as he holds Danny's front door open for Eddie to enter first.
"Finally!" half the Reagan family shouts back as they meet them in the kitchen.
"We never should have agreed to let you guys bring the pizza. We're starving here. What gives?" Danny quips as he playfully shoves his way in between Jamie and Eddie and reaches for one of the pizza boxes. "There's beer in the fridge," he tells them both before shoving a slice of pepperoni in his mouth.
Frank and Henry sit at each end of the table like they normally do, but the rest of the family just grabs a slice and stands around the kitchen. This isn't a formal family dinner, no need for seating arrangements and fine china.
"Okay. Everyone is here. Spill it, you two," Erin says with urgency. She's ready for them to confirm if what she thinks she knows is true. She promised Frank she would leave it alone a couple of weeks ago, but why else would Jamie have made sure everyone was here tonight, and she's out of patience. Henry and Frank both shoot a warning glare in her direction and the rest of the family looks between Erin, Jamie, and Eddie wondering what the hell is going on.
"What are you talking about," Jamie says sheepishly. He's not really trying to deflect her question, and she just confirmed to both of them that she does most likely know their news, and their new plan is going to work perfectly.
"Come on Jamie," Erin begs.
"What's goin on?" Danny chimes in, growing more curious by the second, along with the rest of the family as all eyes remain on Jamie and Eddie.
"Uh...well…" Eddie begins as her expression turns sad. She's got to play the part right now and she hopes they will buy it.
"What…what...Come on you guys...what's going on," is the collective response from several members of the family as Eddie pauses for dramatic effect.
"We do have something to tell you all," Eddie finishes through her facade as she looks over at Jamie for support, trying not to let her smile break through.
"Okay. Eddie and I have been keeping a secret from you guys for a couple of weeks now," Jamie says, as he plays off of his wife's fake emotion, trying to lead his family as far away from the truth as possible. He's trying hard not to smile either at the confused and concerned looks on everyone's faces.
"We've decided that we're moving…" he finally says.
"Wait. What!" Erin, Pop and Frank exclaim in unity. Frank drops his pizza to his plate and stares in disbelief. Neither he nor Pop nor Erin could believe how wrong their suspicions were.
"We weren't sure exactly how to tell you guys. I mean, with Jack off at college and Nicki living all the way across the country now, we knew you guys wouldn't take the news very well...but…" Jamie thinks he and Eddie should win a damn oscar for the performance they're pulling off right now because every single member of the family is struggling to pick their jaws up off the floor. Their Code Blue is probably the best one yet.
Frank still can't believe he read them both this wrongly for the last two weeks, Pop looks like he is about to cry, Erin seems angry, and Jamie figures it's probably because she thinks she has been wrong the whole time, Danny doesn't like the idea of his kid brother and new sister-in-law moving, Joe still doesn't know them all that well, but he was just starting to build a bond with Jamie and he's not too thrilled about it either. Nicki, Jack, and Sean aren't sure what to think, and not one single member of the Reagan family can find any words to say at the moment.
"Why the hell are you guys moving!" Danny eventually blurts out on behalf of the entire family, and Jamie and Eddie share one of their famous non-verbal conversations, agreeing that they've made everyone sweat long enough.
"Well...we just figure we're gonna need a bigger place for when the baby gets here," Eddie says through a grin that is now stretching from ear to ear, and Jamie holds up the sonogram picture for everyone to see.
"Get out! I knew it!" Erin shouts as she swats Jamie on the shoulder before wrapping him in a hug and the smiles return to Frank and Henry's faces as they stand from the table.
"That wasn't very funny. It was actually kind of mean. You're starting to act more and more like a Reagan every day," Danny tells Eddie as he chuckles and pulls her into a sweet hug.
Every member of the family extends their congratulations to Jamie and Eddie, they all exchange hugs and embrace the joy of a new baby that will soon be joining the Regan clan. The planned game of charades after dinner is forgotten as they take turns cooing at the black and white blob on the sonogram picture as they pass it around and Jamie and the rest of the guys share a celebratory drink together on Danny's back porch while Eddie fills Erin and Nicki in on all the details they have so far. The Reagan family has had two great blessings over the last few months and they couldn't be happier.
Their drive back to Manhattan was less than energetic as the fatigue was really starting to set in for Eddie and Jamie's mind was wandering in a thousand directions.
"So, I know the whole move thing was just a ruse for the Code Blue," Jamie smiles as he glances over at his wife in the passenger seat. He can tell she's exhausted, but this idea has been trying to escape since earlier in the night and they still have about twenty minutes left in their drive home, and Jamie can't keep it in any longer. "What do you think about it though," he adds as he reaches across the console for her hand and laces their fingers together.
"Think about what? Moving?" she questions as confusion blankets her face. "I hadn't really thought about it at all. I mean, we have two bedrooms…"
"I know. I guess I just always thought we'd raise our family in a house, outside the city, with a yard…" Jamie admits softly as a vision of their first child running through their backyard fills his mind. "I know you like being in the city...it's just a thought. We don't have too…" Jamie begins to ramble.
"I like that idea," Eddie says sweetly, smiling over at Jamie.
"Really?" Jamie responds with excitement and squeezes her hand a little tighter because leaning over to kiss her while he's driving wouldn't be the safest thing to do, but he is so happy to hear her say that.
"I never thought I would want to live outside the city," Eddie says softly. "But then again, I never thought I wanted kids either, until you," she adds.
"Wow...everything is changing so fast, but it sounds perfect...as long as I don't have to drive a minivan," she says with a smirk and points her finger playfully at Jamie.
"No minivan," Jamie agrees. "But while we're on the topic of cars now, we probably need to figure something out about that too," he says.
"Right, I guess a Porsche and a Chevelle aren't really family cars are they," Eddie says.
"So which one goes?" Jamie asks. It's not as if they have notes on either of their cars, they could possibly keep them both, but now that they're considering two major purchases before their baby gets here, he thinks it might be a smart idea to sell one of them at least.
"The Porsche goes," Eddie responds swiftly and surely.
"But you love that car, Eddie."
"Yeah, but not as much as I love the life that we're building now, and the car doesn't mean nearly as much to me as your Chevelle does to you, Jamie. I could never let you get rid of that car." Eddie knows how much the Chevelle means to him, and she does love her car, but any sentimental value it ever had to her went out the window with her father when he tried to manipulate her and Jamie a year ago, and selling it and using the money towards a house and a bigger vehicle was the best thing to do.
"If you're sure," Jamie says as he pulls into the parking spot at their apartment.
"I'm sure," she promises.
A/N: there ya go. The cat is out of the bag. How do you feel about Jamko getting a house? Would you rather seem them in their apartment in the city? What about Eddie's Porsche? Does it make you sad to see that go? I had a sports car until I got pregnant with my first kiddo 13 years ago and had to give up my fun ride for a more practical family car too. A baby really does change everything :) Anyway, I have the next chapter in the works but I'm not sure I'll finish tonight. Don't give up though, I'll be back to writing in a few days.