(For disclaimer, etc. - see 1.)
21. Merry Christmas, Baby
Characters/Pairings: Zoe/Wade, Jack
'Verse/Timeline: canon - post-series
Date: December 2015
"You know what today is, Jack?" said Zoe with the biggest grin on her face as she bounced her six-month-old son in her arms. "This is Christmas Day. Merry Christmas, baby," she said, kissing his temple.
He looked at her like he had no clue what she was saying, because he didn't, really. At his age, he had no concept of Christmas or gifts or Santa, though Zoe knew it would be a very different story in the years to come. Of course, just because he wasn't entirely aware of what was going on or what it all meant, Zoe was still determined to make it quite the special occasion for her son.
"See, we have the pretty, pretty tree," she said, showing him the little fake fir, covered in lights and ornaments, "and all those gifts, which are mostly for you," she explained, "and later, we're going up to the main house to have a real nice dinner with Uncle Lavon and Aunt Lemon. Isn't that great?"
"You know he doesn't have a clue what you're sayin', right, doc?" said Wade from behind her.
Zoe turned fast to find him standing in the doorway to the bathroom in nothing but his jeans, hair still wet from the shower and a smirk on his face that she couldn't help but want to kiss.
"Hey, he's our son," she said of Jack, even as the little boy squirmed and squealed, wanting to go to Daddy. "He's smarter than you think."
"Well, I know that for sure," Wade agreed, coming over and lifting Jack easily into his arms. "You are gonna be just as smart as your momma."
"Daddy is smart too," Zoe threw in with a look that meant business. "Just in a different way, that's all."
"I'll take it." Wade shrugged, kissing her cheek. "Merry Christmas, doc."
"Merry Christmas, cowboy," she replied in kind, grinning all over her face. "You know we should make a start on all these gifts because there are plenty. I'm pretty sure every person in town gave me something to put under the tree for Jack."
"You are one lucky little man, son," Wade told him, taking a look at all those prettily wrapped presents Zoe spoke of. "'Course, there's at least one in here..." he said then, holding Jack tightly in one arm while he retrieved something small from beneath the tree. "Now, you've seen this one before, right, son? This one right here that says, 'To Zoe, from Wade and Jack'."
"Really?" Zoe checked, turning to look. "You boys got me this?" she asked as she took the small box from her husband's hand. "Well, thank you both so much."
She was grinning as she kissed first Jack's head then Wade's lips, then tore right into her present. It looked like it might be jewellery, a necklace maybe, but Wade really wasn't the type and wouldn't have a clue what to buy. When finally, Zoe got the lid off the box, she found herself gasping with surprise, her eyes filling with happy tears.
"This is... perfect," she said definitely, fingers running gently over the small clay circle with a baby handprint saved forever in it. "I love it."
"You made me promise not to blow the budget, given how much this little guy costs," Wade told her, shrugging his shoulders. "We had to get creative, right, son?"
Jack made a happy gurgling sound, hugging onto his daddy who held him close and kissed his hair. Zoe wasted no time joining the group hug. Nothing could be a more perfect Christmas present than her own little family.