~Six Months Earlier~
"Jamie...Jamie, wake up!" Eddie says as she plops into their bed beside him.
"Huh, what...what's wrong?" Jamie mumbles as he searches for his phone on the bedside table. He's checking for the time, still in a half-slumber. "Are you okay? Is something wrong with the baby," Jamie stammers as he turns on the lamp. Eddie is sitting up beside him with a smile on her face and Jamie's brows crease in confusion.
"We're fine," she says with a level of enthusiasm Jamie wasn't expecting this early in the morning and certainly isn't prepared for.
"Then why are you waking me up before 7 am on Saturday," he grumbles as he sits up beside her and looks at the time.
"Someone's grumpy," Eddie jokes.
"You were the one that said we were definitely sleeping in this morning, remember?" Jamie says, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, still trying to figure out why his wife is awake and so upbeat at six-thirty when they were supposed to sleep until the sun came up, at least.
"I did say that, but guess what?" she grins widely and then crunches her nose in response to Jamie's still aggravated state beside her. She does feel sort of bad for waking him up but she can't help it.
"What?"
"I didn't wake up sick this morning, and I've officially started the second trimester," she tells him as her smile stretches from ear to ear.
"Doctor did say there was a good chance the morning sickness would subside during the second trimester," he says flatly. He wants to stay grumpy because he should still be asleep, especially given the fact that there is absolutely nothing wrong with his pregnant wife or unborn child, but when he really starts to notice the joy and happiness in his wife's face his aggravation quickly begins to fade.
"Well, this baby is very punctual. Definitely your child, Reagan," she jokes.
"Oh, you had doubts before?" he snickers, accepting the reality that his wife feels great for the first time in a long time and she isn't about to let him sleep the morning away. He catches her wrist as she swats playfully at him and pulls her closer as he pecks her lips. "I'm glad you're feeling better," he adds with a smile.
"You know what this means?" Eddie says eagerly.
"I know, I know. Pancakes and bacon for breakfast. I'm on it," Jamie says as he kisses her again and crawls out of bed.
"We love you," Eddie singsongs as she follows him into the kitchen.
Jamie has never smiled so big, or felt so much pride and joy as he does at this moment. To hear his wife say we instead of I for the first time since they found out they were going to have a baby melts his heart.
They had originally planned a lazy weekend. Neither Jamie nor Eddie had any desire to leave the apartment all weekend long until they were due at family dinner in Bay Ridge on Sunday. They were both exhausted after a busy week at the precinct, Jamie dealing with three officers out sick most of the week and Eddie hard at work on the cases she was helping Davis with, and by Friday night they were determined to have a stress-free, relaxing weekend at home. That was until Eddie woke up feeling like a whole new person, beginning her second trimester and free of the agonizing morning sickness that she had endured for the last two-and-a-half months.
She was amazed at how much more energetic she felt Saturday not having spent the early morning hours heaving in the bathroom and trying her best just to keep ginger ale and crackers in her stomach, she wanted to get out of the house and enjoy herself. Jamie accommodated Eddie, because that is what he does, and made a phone call to Mike, Anthony's realtor friend, who had the afternoon open.
"Come on, Eddie. Let's just call it a day, please?" Jamie pleads. It was almost 6 pm and they had been looking at houses since noon. They started with two in Staten Island that they really didn't like, and ended up in Bay Ridge, looking at two they knew they couldn't afford. The only reason he even agreed to look at them was that they were close to his dad and grandpa. He knew it was a mistake though because his wife has already fallen in love with both of them and there was no way they could afford them.
"Jamie, there's just one more on the list," Eddie states, trying to rationalize with him. She knows they can't afford any of the houses they looked at in Bay Ridge today, but Anthony's friend agreed to meet them a week early to show them the houses on the list they already approved, and she at least wanted to look at the last one while they were there.
"And we can look at it tomorrow," Jamie says as he glances over at Mike for his quick approval. "We're going to be in Bay Ridge again anyway." He is exhausted so he knew Eddie had to be and he really wasn't in the mood to look at one more house that he knew his wife was going to love and they wouldn't be able to afford.
"Yes, but what if Mike doesn't want to come back to Bay Ridge tomorrow. I mean, we're already here and it's just a few blocks away," Eddie whispers to Jamie, although not so quietly that Mike, standing next to them, can't hear.
"Guys, I don't mind coming back out tomorrow, really. My schedule is open. I really don't mind," Mike says as he glances between them.
Jamie smiles quickly at Mike and then Eddie and he and his wife have another famous non-verbal conversation. Of course he doesn't mind, Jamie thinks. Why would he mind? They are letting the poor man believe he has a chance to sell them a house in Bay Ridge. Any realtor would be glad to make another trip out there with those dollar signs flashing in their eyes. But Jamie knows they can't buy one of those houses and he feels guilty for wasting Anthony's friends time there, even though they were the ones who added them to the list, and he is trying hard to make his wife understand the point he is trying to get across to her without saying it out loud, in front of the realtor.
"Tell you what, you two. I'm sure you're exhausted. My day is open tomorrow. You guys think about it tonight and call me in the morning if you want to come back out. Sound good?"
"Sounds good," Jamie says as he reaches out to shake Mike's hand.
Later that night, after Jamie and Eddie had settled in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn and another true crime documentary on Netflix, Jamie got a phone call from Mike with exciting news. He had just gotten word that a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house on a corner lot in Bay Ridge that would be perfect for the expecting parents was coming available. Mike was overly excited to show them the house Sunday and Jamie quickly assumed it would be far out of reach on their cop salaries, and the last thing he wanted to do was get in over their heads on a house in Bay Ridge, bigger than they really needed. He didn't know yet how much time Eddie would take off after their baby was born, or if she would even go back to work. He assumed she would but he also knew that he would be a hundred percent okay if she decided to stay home with the baby for good, but when Mike told him the current owner was short-selling to avoid foreclosure and this was possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Jamie's ears perked up. Eddie's too.
Sunday afternoon, a couple of hours before family dinner, they met Mike at the house just a few blocks away from Frank's. The house was perfect. Besides four bedrooms, it had a great kitchen, plenty of space, a huge yard, which made Jamie happy, and the short-sell price was well under their budget. There was no way they could say no and Jamie told Mike to do whatever he could to make it happen.
Smiles were plastered across both of their faces when they arrived for dinner and Danny was the first to notice. "Why do you guys look so happy?" Danny asks as he sets the roast on the table. Jamie and Eddie look at each other and back at the rest of the family who is now just as intrigued as Danny.
"Well, we didn't want to say anything just yet, in case it doesn't work out, and because this all sort of just fell into our laps today…"
"What are you talking about?" Erin says anxiously as she passes the rolls to Eddie.
"We found a house down the street," Jamie finishes with a smile as he grabs the bowl from Eddie, tosses a roll on his plate and passes it on to Pop.
"Down the street from where?" Frank asks.
They all knew Jamie and Eddie were going to look for a place to move to before the baby was born if they could, but no one knew they had already started looking. Erin knew they had the realtor's number because she got it for them, but that was it.
"From here," Eddie answers Frank with a smile as she reaches for a cut of the meat in front of her. Frank and Pop share the same smile as they hear the news. They love the idea of having Jamie and Eddie and their growing family close to them.
Frank does wonder how they could make that happen financially, he knows the price of the homes in his neighborhood but he also realizes he doesn't know everything about Jamie and Eddie's financial situation, mainly Eddie's, but he knows his youngest and most responsible son wouldn't make a purchase that he couldn't afford either, and he doesn't ask any questions. Danny doesn't have the same manners though.
"You guys found a house down the street from here? From Dad and Pop? In Bay Ridge?" Danny questions in disbelief as he fills his own plate and watches Jamie and Eddie nod their heads. "Jeez, dad. What the hell are you paying the golden boy here? The kid can afford a house in Bay Ridge...maybe I need to take the sergeant's exam after all," he adds sarcastically as he shoves a cucumber slice in his mouth and looks over at Frank.
"So, Eddie...how's it going at work? Heard they've got you looking over some open cases," Frank asks as his daughter-in-law shakes her head at Danny. "From behind the desk of course," he adds as he grins at Jamie. He knows how hard it must be for Jamie to watch his pregnant wife put on the uniform every morning. Eddie smiles at Frank, thankful for his quick ability to change the subject and excited to talk about the opportunity she has gotten while on modified assignment.
"It's going great," she adds enthusiastically. Danny has accepted the subject change for now, but he is still curious how his kid brother can afford a place in this neighborhood.
"There are two cases that are really bothering me though," Eddie says as she reaches for her glass of water.
"Oh," Frank says as he watches Jamie's reaction. He can see concern on his son's face.
"Yeah. They're both abductions."
"Those are always hard," Frank says with a solemn smile.
"Especially these," Eddie adds.
"Why is that?" Danny chimes in as Jamie remains quiet.
"Well, I'm 99% certain they're related. These two are hitting a little closer to home, I guess," she says as Jamie lets out a discouraging sigh.
"There's these two women, both were pregnant and abducted just a few weeks before their due dates. No sign of the mothers or the baby's anywhere. It's terrifying honestly," she adds as she places her hand across her very small but noticeable belly. I have to solve these cases," she says. The determination in her voice makes Jamie nervous and the entire dinner table can see that.