December 8th

"He really just gave you a house?" JJ asked incredulously for approximately the fiftieth time that morning. "Just gave it to you, no questions asked?"

Emily shrugged, no closer to understanding what had happened than she'd been the night before. Maybe if she'd been able to drink coffee, she would've been a little less bewildered and a little more conversational. As it was, though, her side of the conversation was mostly comprised of grunts and helpless gestures.

"I thought he didn't even live in town anymore," JJ continued, "Why does he even have a house? A house he doesn't even live in?"

"He keeps a property or two in town to renovate when he's here," she explained. "He gives them to families in need at low cost when he's finished. It's like his way of giving back to the community, I guess."

She nodded slowly. "That's admirable. He's a good guy...a catch, really. I know you and him have this weird childhood vendetta against each other, but..." She trailed off, shrugging.

Rolling her eyes, Emily said, "I don't hate him. He's just...annoying."

It was JJ's turn to roll her eyes. "You're such a child sometimes." And before Emily could retort, she changed the subject, "So, are you going to take the house?"

"I don't know," Emily admitted. "I mean, it would be nice to have my own space – space for the baby – and not be a burden on you all the time. But I don't know if I can do this without having you by my side all the time."

JJ nodded her understanding. "First things first: you are not a burden, okay? And second, you absolutely can do this. And I'll still be by your side whether you live with me or not. You never have to do any of this alone."

Emily smiled her appreciation, but said nothing.

"Why don't we go check out the place together?" JJ suggested. "Maybe you'll feel differently now that you've had a little time to sit with the idea..."

"Can we stop and get cinnamon buns on the way?" Emily asked, visibly perking up at the prospect.

When Emily unlocked the door and opened it to let JJ inside the house, she could hear distant noises of unclear origin. "Hello?" she called out. "Is someone there?" Her mind instantly landed on scenarios involving her having to fend off a burglar with her bare hands...or run away, neither of which as an appealing prospect at eight months pregnant.

"Shit..." someone hissed from somewhere inside.

"Derek?" Emily called out, this time a little exasperated as she followed the sounds. "What are you doing h-?" She trailed off as she emerged into the living room, coming to a sudden stop on the threshold.

Her eyes went wide as she scanned the room which, since her tour last night, had been decorated within an inch of its life. And, in the corner of the room, Derek was currently struggling to erect the tallest Christmas tree she'd ever seen.

"Oh... Hey, Princess..." he stammered, peering at her between the branches. "I didn't think you'd come by so early."

She nodded slowly, vacantly, still staring at the tree like she'd never seen one before. "I just wanted to show JJ and... What exactly are you doing?"

Panting slightly from the exertion of getting the tree to stand independently, he finally emerged from between the branches, wiping sap on his jeans. "I wanted to surprise you," he confessed. "I had a feeling that putting up decorations probably wasn't on your list of priorities this year. And I thought that maybe seeing it all dolled up might make you see the magic of the place."

"Oh, Derek..." she whispered.

"Before you say anything," he continued, "The decorations are a loan – luckily Mama has more decorations than God himself – but I just would have hated to see you bring your little tyke home to a bare living room, you know?"

For several long moments, Emily blinked in stunned silence as she surveyed Derek's handiwork.

After an uncomfortably long time, his expression fell a little. "You hate it, don't you? It's okay, I'll take it down and..."

"No!" she yelped. A beat. Her cheeks pinking at her sudden outburst, she rephrased, "I mean...you put a lot of work into this. It would be a shame to let that go to waste."

For his part, he decided not to rub in the fact that she was more of a softy than she cared to let on. "Well, alright then. I'll get out of your hair and let you two do whatever it is that you girls get up to..."

JJ, who had silently been observing the conversation from just over Emily's shoulder, joined them in the living room then. "Please, stay."

Emily shot her a glare, but JJ determinedly pretended not to notice.

Dear Pilgrim;

Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Even if I don't see what's so embarrassing about enjoying a little culture...even if said culture is kind of girly.

I'm only kidding. I appreciate that you gave it a chance at my behest. I suppose, considering your compliance, I'll have to give Diehard a chance.

I'm going to confess to you that I recently had a relationship end and it was...well...let's say messy. I'm not sure my heart will ever fully heal from that. I'm also unsure if I'm ready to move past what happened. And, to be honest, if you're looking for something uncomplicated and clean, maybe you'd be better off to look elsewhere.

I like you, really, I do. But I don't want you to expect that when we reveal ourselves on Christmas, that I'll fall into your arms like a Disney Princess meeting her Prince Charming.

Maybe in a few years things might be different. Or maybe not. I really can't say.

With that in mind, if you don't want to waste anymore time writing to me, I'll understand. Everyone eventually leaves me anyway.

Goodbye for now. And possibly forever.

~ Silver Belle