Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews; sorry for the delay, this chapter was a pain for some reason. I hope it doesn't show too much.
Chapter 68- Merry and Bright- Part 2
"Here's some more presents for you kids," Jim said the next morning as he grabbed the four gift bags Johanna had sent along with him to give to his nieces and nephews…who would soon be her nieces and nephews as well, he thought with a smile.
"Did you win the lottery and give half of it to Santa?" Michael asked as he watched his brother check the tags on the bags and give them to each child.
"No; Johanna told Santa to put some presents under her Christmas tree for these children."
"Miss Jo told Santa to bring us presents to her house?" Angie asked as she pulled wrapped gifts from the bag.
"She sure did," he replied with a grin.
"Oh of course she did," Elizabeth said snidely; the small wrapped gift Jim had handed her still clutched in her hand. "She just has to put on her goody two shoes show, acting like she cares."
"Miss Jo loves us!" Angie exclaimed; "Don't she, Uncle Jim?"
"Of course she does," he replied as he grabbed his camera; "She told Santa she loves you four and that she wanted him to bring extra presents to give you. She's with her mommy this morning but I'm going to take pictures of you opening your gifts so she can see if you're happy with them."
"Can we open them now?" Mikey asked; his fingers itching to rip into his gifts.
Jim made sure his camera was ready and gave a nod. "Go ahead; tear into that stuff."
Mikey picked up a small sized gift and ripped it open with zeal, finding a box inside that he hurriedly pried open. "It's a baseball watch!" he exclaimed. "Look, Grandpa; it's a baseball watch!"
"Let me see," Robert said as he leaned closer from his recliner and looked at the watch his grandson held. "Oh that's nice; it has your favorite team on it. The boys at school will be jealous of that."
"I can't wait to show Benny my Yankees watch," Mikey said as he plucked it from the box and held his wrist out for Robert to help him put it on.
"I'm sure he'll be green with envy," Robert declared; "You better send Miss Jo a note thanking her for having Santa send that along for you."
"Take my picture for Miss Jo," Mikey declared as he turned to Jim. "I'll hold my arm up so she can see my new watch."
"Good idea," Jim said with a laugh. "Smile nice for her."
Mikey smiled and he clicked the Polaroid camera. "Miss Jo's going to love that picture," he told him as he pulled it from the slot and laid it aside for it to develop.
"I got a Barbie watch!" Angie exclaimed happily as she opened her own small box. "Look, Mommy!"
"That's very pretty," Natalie replied, "Do you want to put it on for a picture for Miss Jo?"
"Yes; I want to wear it all day," she declared. "Can I wear it to school?"
"Of course you can," her mother said as she hooked the watch on Angie's small wrist.
"You ready for my picture, Uncle Jim?" Angie asked; holding her arm across her chest like her brother had so that her watch could be seen.
"I'm ready, sunshine; smile pretty."
She smiled and Jim took the picture. "I want a watch," Danny declared sadly.
"Well maybe you should open that little present that's sitting on top of the bigger ones," Jim told him. "Maybe there's a watch in there."
Danny smiled; grabbing the package and tearing the paper off of it as Jim readied the camera. He was glad that Johanna had anticipated that Danny would want a gift similar to his siblings; he had been with her when she found a plastic watch that was durable for an almost five year old. "It's a watch!" Danny yelled happily as the paper gave way. "It's got Snoopy on it!"
"Miss Jo heard that you like Snoopy a whole lot," Jim told him; "So she told Santa you might like Snoopy on your watch."
"I love Miss Jo," Danny said as he turned to his mother for help with his watch.
"She loves you too," he replied; raising the camera as Danny proudly displayed his watch for him. "Okay; I got your picture; now it's Alicia's turn to open a present."
Natalie pulled a gift from Alicia's bag and tore a small corner of the paper to help the toddler get started. Alicia ripped the paper off, uncovering a Barbie doll. Her eyes grew wide and she looked at Jim. "My Barbie?" she asked.
He smiled at his youngest niece. "That's right, peanut; it's yours. Miss Jo told Santa that it was time for you to have your very own Barbie doll."
"My Barbie!" she exclaimed, hugging the box to her chest.
"It's yours," Jim laughed. "It's just for you; do you like it?"
"Uh huh," she said; holding on to her gift tightly. "My Barbie."
Jim took a picture of Alicia happily clutching the Barbie doll box and then his attention was pulled to Angie. "Do I get a Barbie from Miss Jo?" she asked.
"I don't know; maybe you better open up the rest of those presents and find out."
The kids ripped into their remaining gifts; Angie finding a Barbie doll and a Barbie playset and accessories for her dolls; Barbie books and a Barbie nightgown that came with a matching outfit for her doll. Mikey uncovered G.I. Joe and a playset to go with it, matchbox cars and children's books about baseball along with a pair of pajamas that featured his favorite football team. Danny found a stuffed Snoopy; a Snoopy racecar toy, story books featuring the Peanuts gang, a few matchbox cars and Snoopy pajamas. Alicia uncovered a second Barbie doll, a small baby doll, Disney themed storybooks, a set of play food to go with the little kitchen playset that Jim had given her and a Barbie nightgown of her own.
"All of you get together and let me take a picture of you with all your gifts," Jim told them once the last present had been revealed.
'It must just be killing the Princess not to be here to see her good deeds unwrapped," Elizabeth said tartly.
"Lay off, Mother; she sent these gifts because she loves the kids," Jim remarked as he took the picture of his happy nieces and nephews.
"I'd say Santa was pretty good to you kids," Michael declared; "You even got bonus presents from under Miss Jo's tree; you must've been pretty good if even she put in a good word for you."
"Miss Jo likes us," Danny said as he hugged his Snoopy.
Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. "She makes me sick acting like she's their aunt when she's not."
"I wish Miss Jo was my aunt," Angie stated.
Jim smiled. "Well, Angie; I have another surprise for you."
"You do?" she asked.
"Yes; it's a surprise for all of you, but first Grandma has to open the present I gave her."
"Why?" his mother asked; "What is it, a time bomb?"
"Don't be silly; open it."
Elizabeth grumbled under her breath and tore the paper off the small package he had handed her. She found a small velvet jewelry box and opened it, rolling her eyes at the sight of the sapphire earrings Jim had bought for her. "Earrings," she stated; "Just what I don't need; I have a whole box full. Really; Jimmy, why waste your money on jewelry when you know your father always buys me jewelry for every occasion known to man?"
Jim took a picture of her as she frowned at the earrings, telling himself that it would be the 'before' the news picture. "Well, Mom, I saw them and thought of you, I thought they were pretty and that you might like to wear them to my wedding."
Elizabeth scoffed. "What wedding? You're never going to settle down."
He smiled widely. "Oh you're wrong, I will…and you can wear those to my wedding. Angie; are you ready for your surprise."
"I'm ready," his niece declared.
"Your wish is coming true; Miss Jo is going to be your aunt."
"Really!" she exclaimed. "How?"
"Miss Jo and I are getting married," he replied, keeping his attention and his camera aimed at his mother.
"James Robert Beckett!" Elizabeth yelled. "That is not funny and Christmas is no place for that kind of joke!"
"Oh it's no joke, Mother," he said, clicking a picture of her outraged face. "I asked Johanna to marry me a couple weeks ago and she said yes…we're getting married."
The rage intensified on his mother's face and he smiled, glad the camera was ready as his mother yelled loudly, "Over my dead body!"
"Do you want us to bury you in the earrings?" Jim asked as he clicked the camera; "Because we're definitely getting married."
"No, you're not! You're just saying that to annoy me!"
"It's the truth; ask, Dad; I showed him the ring."
Elizabeth's eyes blazed as she looked to her husband. "Is that true, Robert? Did you know about this?"
"I knew that he was intending to propose but not that he had done it yet," Robert answered; "He did show me the ring; it's gorgeous. Did she like it, Jimmy?"
"She loves it; she's still staring at it on occasion," he replied happily.
"I told you she'd be pleased," his father said. "Congratulations, son; I'm happy for the two of you."
"Thanks, Dad."
"I can not believe this!" Elizabeth thundered; her gaze still pinned to her husband. "You knew he was going to propose to that slut and you did nothing to stop it!?"
"She's not a slut and you'll quit calling her that," Robert said firmly; "And no, I wouldn't dream of trying to stop them from marrying. Jimmy's a grown man, he knows who he loves and what he wants; he loves Johanna and wants to spend his life with her. She's a good woman, they make a good match and I think they'll be very happy together."
"It's going to be nothing but heartache for you, Jimmy," Elizabeth seethed. "That girl is nothing but trouble. I don't know what kind of hold she has over you but I wish you'd break away from it and find someone in your own class."
"My own class?" Jim scoffed. "What the hell does that even mean?"
"She's not good enough for you!"
"Yes she is! If anyone wouldn't be good enough it would be the other way around; I'm sure she could probably do better than me but thankfully she doesn't want to," he replied. "I love her and she loves me; we're getting married and we don't care who likes it or not."
Elizabeth snapped the lid of the jewelry box shut and threw it at Jim; the small box smacking his chest and falling into his lap. "You just take those damn things back; I want nothing from you if you're going to pull a stunt like this!"
"A stunt like what?" he asked; snapping another picture.
"Coming into my home on Christmas and saying you're marrying that tart!"
"She's not a tart or any other word you want to use that means the same thing as slut," Jim retorted. "It's not a stunt; it's the truth. We're getting married and I bought these earrings for you to wear to my wedding."
"I wouldn't wear them if you held me down and stuck them through my ears yourself! You probably had her pick them out and I'll be damned if I wear anything she's had a hand in picking out!"
"I picked them out all on my own," he replied. "I know how much you like sapphires and I thought you'd appreciate a pre-wedding gift from your son."
"Well you're wrong as usual! I can not believe you'd do something so stupid as propose to her when I've told you a hundred times not to marry her!"
Jim laughed. "Did you really think you could stop me?"
Elizabeth eyed him coolly. "Believe me; if I can find a way to stop this wedding from happening; I will."
"No, you won't," Robert retorted; "Now that's enough of this. Isn't it time for brunch? I'm sure we're all hungry."
Elizabeth ignored her husband. "I'm surprised you didn't trot the princess in to give me the news herself."
"I would've liked that," Jim admitted; "But she's with her mother and I didn't want to ruin her holiday by subjecting her to you for the second time in a month. Last time she was here you poisoned her with pecans…who knows what you'd do to her for Christmas."
"I'd like to scratch her eyes out," Elizabeth said angrily. "I hate her."
Jim gave a short laugh. "Don't enter into a physical altercation with her, Mother; she can take you; no doubt about it."
"I'd like to see her try."
"Maybe that can be the entertainment for the wedding," Michael suggested.
Jim shook his head. "No; I don't want my bride having to get her dress dirty. She's going to be so beautiful in a wedding dress; I don't want that image marred."
"Make me throw up," Elizabeth said. "I don't know what the hell she does that has you so besotted but I'm sure you could find someone nicer to give you whatever it is you need…although maybe not; nice, proper girls don't do the things she does."
He smirked at his mother. "I assure you, Mother; she's a good girl…I'm the one who talks her into doing bad things."
Elizabeth gasped; a hand pressing against her heart. "James Robert; I won't have such talk on Christmas! How dare you be so crass and in front of the children!"
"They don't have any idea what it means," he retorted; "They're in the zone with their new toys anyway. How do you know that I meant in it in a certain way? You're the one who took it down that dirty boulevard."
"He's got you there, Mom," Andrew replied. "For all you know he could've meant that he talks her into sneaking into movies without paying."
Jim nodded. "Yeah; how do you know what bad things I might persuade her to do?"
"I already know one of them," Elizabeth said bitterly.
"What's that?"
"Marriage!"
"No; that's the good thing I talked her into," Jim replied.
"What kind of ring did you get her?" Natalie asked.
"A three carat emerald cut diamond on a gold band," he answered.
"Three carats!" Elizabeth yelled. "Are you insane!"
He smiled. "Insanely in love…and nothing but the best will do for my girl."
"A three carat diamond like she's some queen?!" his mother exclaimed. "You must be stupid."
Jim shook his head. "No; I assure you my intelligence in intact…and for what it's worth; she's my queen and I wanted to give her a ring that was worthy of being on her hand. It's beautiful and she's happy…and so am I."
"I guess she is happy when you're out spending a fortune on a ring," his mother declared. "I can't believe you'd waste so much money! That must've cost you a thousand dollars."
"Actually it was two thousand," he replied; "It was on sale."
Elizabeth's sharp intake of breath and fluttering of her hand at her chest was both comical and concerning. "You're not having a stroke are you?" Jim asked.
His mother continued to gasp and sputter as Robert watched with amusement. "You spent two thousand dollars on a ring?" she managed to say.
"I sure did; it was well worth every penny," he replied. "You should've seen how surprised she was and how well it suits her hand. It's the perfect ring; it's like it was made to be hers."
"Two thousand dollars!" she yelled.
"Yes."
"Oh my God; I raised an idiot," Elizabeth said mournfully.
Jim took another picture of her. "No; my father raised me to spoil the woman I love and give her everything she deserves. She deserved a beautiful ring as an expression of my love and desire to make her my wife. If it makes you feel any better though, your earrings only cost me a hundred."
"You take them back!" she nearly screamed. "You don't need to be wasting so much money and I'm never going to wear them; not to your wedding…or your divorce hearing when it comes about because believe me; it won't last!"
"You're wrong," Jim replied; "It will last and I'll spend my money how I want. I'm not in danger of bankruptcy. I'm also not returning your gift; let them rot with the rest of the gifts you've rejected from your children over the years."
"That suits me just fine," Elizabeth said sharply.
"I really do think it's time for brunch," Robert said as he rose from the sofa. "Come on, Lizzie; I'll help you."
"I can't stand the thought of this marriage occurring," his wife said as he took her arm and began to guide her from the room.
"It's going to be alright," Robert soothed. "Once you accept it and get to know her a little better; it'll all be just fine."
"Never!" Elizabeth declared as they left the room.
Jim laid aside his camera just in time to receive the hug Angie came running forward to give him. "I'm so happy you're marrying Miss Jo," she told him. "Her being my new aunt is the best Christmas present."
He smiled as he hugged his niece. "I think she's the best gift too, sunshine," he replied, a feeling of glee spreading through him courtesy of his mother's outrage.
With tension filling the air in the Beckett dining room table as they sat down to brunch; no one seemed too eager to indulge in conversation. Jim couldn't help but feel a little giddy at the pinched look on his mother's face as they all passed plates piled high of breakfast food. His father tried to spark some conversation but every assembled member of the family kept glancing warily down the table at Elizabeth Beckett; waiting for her next move, comment or meltdown.
Jim was also waiting; he knew better than to think that his mother was through with him; he was sure she still had plenty left to spew. Finally he felt her steely gaze upon him and he glanced in her direction, waiting for the inevitable.
"You could have at least joined us at church last night, James," Elizabeth sniffed. "You usually humor me at least once a year."
"I went to church," Jim replied as he reached for the syrup.
"Don't lie on Christmas," his mother said sharply. "You weren't at church; I would've seen you."
"I'm not lying," he stated; "And I didn't say I went to your church. I went to church with Johanna and her mother, grandmother and sister."
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "They're Catholics!"
"I know," he said with a nod. "That's why we went to a Catholic church."
"How could you!" his mother yelled.
"It wasn't hard," Jim told her. "I just walked through the door like everyone else."
His brother Andrew chuckled as he picked up a forkful of eggs. "Don't worry, Mom; I'm sure Jim didn't catch any cooties."
Elizabeth ignored her youngest son; his gaze pinned upon her middle child. "You had no business in that church! You're not one of them!"
Jim smiled while spreading butter across a slice of toast. "This might come as a shock to you but you don't have to be a Catholic to go inside their church."
"I don't care; you don't belong there!"
"I don't know; I felt right at home there. It's not like I was alone; I was with my fiancée and my future in-laws."
Disgust spread across Elizabeth's face. "I bet they were just tickled; weren't they?"
He nodded. "They were happy to have me along; Naomi even had me drive them in her car and Johanna's grandmother insists that I call her 'Grandma'. I just know that when Sophia meets my Grandma that they're going to be great friends."
"Oh you're just sucking right up to them, aren't you?" his mother said angrily.
"No; I'm not sucking up. They're very nice people; warm and accepting. I enjoy spending time with my fiancée which means occasionally spending time with her family. I like them though, and they like me. Even her father likes me and I hear he's pretty picky so I think I'm doing pretty well just being myself without need of sucking up."
"Quit calling her that word," Elizabeth demanded.
"What word?"
"You know what word," she said angrily; her eyes narrowing.
Jim smiled. "You mean 'fiancée'?"
"Yes," she spat.
"But that's what she is, Mom. She's my fiancée…my soon-to-be wife."
"She's nothing but a troublemaking tramp!" she yelled. "I bet she's just so proud of herself for finally getting her hooks in all the way…in fact she must be proud if she finally took you home to her daddy."
"Johanna took me to meet her father at his request," he replied; "And she's not a troublemaking tramp. She's going to be your daughter-in-law and I expect you to treat her with respect."
"She's nothing to me! I will not accept this, James Robert Beckett!"
"You're going to have to accept it; it's happening," Jim stated as he continued to eat. "And just so you know; everything you said about Catholic Church services are a lie. It didn't last any longer than any other Christmas sermon and there was nothing dramatic about it. It was all perfectly normal."
Elizabeth leveled him with a glare. "If you turn Catholic, I will disown you."
"Lizzie!" Robert said firmly. "That's enough."
"I mean it!" she thundered. "If you take up her religion, I will disown you!"
Jim smiled at her. "Don't encourage me like that, Mom. At the moment I have no plans of converting but you could easily sway me to change my mind. I will go ahead and inform you that Johanna and I will be married by a Catholic priest."
"Over my dead body!" Elizabeth yelled.
"I wish you'd quit saying that; a funeral could put a damper on my honeymoon," Jim replied; his brothers struggling to hold back their laughter.
Elizabeth shook with rage. "You are not marrying her! I won't stand for it!"
"You don't have to stand, Mom; there will be a pew for you to sit in at the wedding."
"You're not funny," she snapped. "She's not good enough for you; she's nothing but trouble and it won't last. Once you're married you'll see her true colors!"
"Is that how it was for you, Dad?" Jim asked as he glanced down the table. "Because I can't believe you would've willingly signed up for this if you had seen these colors of the rainbow."
"Jimmy; just give your mother a little time to come to terms with this," Robert said as he tried to take the diplomatic approach.
"I don't care if she comes to terms with it or not; it's happening," Jim remarked.
"It won't last six months!" Elizabeth seethed. "It's going to be the biggest mistake of your life!"
"No; it's the best decision of my life," her son replied. "You'll get over it."
"No, I won't! I'm telling you right now; I won't have her in my home on family holidays or any other day for that matter!"
"No problem; we'll be happy to go to Naomi's for every holiday. I'm sure she'd love to have us."
Elizabeth shook her head. "You're just going to have to choose once and for all; her or your mother. The little bimbo or the mother who carried you for nine months and suffered through ten hours of labor; not to mention raising you! Now what's it going to be?"
"I don't like being given ultimatums, Mother," Jim replied. "You don't light up Johanna's world either but she's never once looked at me and said 'choose between me and your mother' and she never will because she loves me and she respects your place in my life. It would be nice if you could master that concept but since you can't and you want me to choose; I choose my wife."
"She's not your wife," she retorted.
"She will be," he said; his gaze holding hers.
Elizabeth stared at him for a long moment. "I hope you're happy; you've ruined Christmas."
Jim smiled. "Really?"
"Yes," his mother cried. "You have ruined my Christmas."
He nodded, a smile clinging to his lips. "Good; that's what you get for ruining my Thanksgiving…and you'll notice that I didn't have to poison anyone to ruin your holiday."
"No; you've done worse," she replied; her voice choked with emotion. "You've broken your poor mother's heart."
"You mean you have one?" Jim asked; "Because it was kind of hard to believe you had a heart when you were purposely grounding up pecans to feed to someone who's allergic to them."
"Jimmy," his father gently warned.
"Stay out of this, Dad; I've earned this moment," he stated.
Robert fell silent as Elizabeth's gaze shot daggers at her son. "I wish you'd quit harping about those damn pecans! I paid her doctor bill; what more do you want?"
"Respect," Jim replied. "I want you to respect the woman I love; the woman I'm going to marry whether you like it or not. I want you to admit that the things you do are wrong. I want you to realize that you're not the boss of me and that your tantrums don't dictate my life. I want you to be happy for me."
Elizabeth shook her head. "I can't be happy about you ruining your life. I don't like her and I won't accept her as my family."
"Then you don't accept me and this will be the last holiday we'll spend together since my wife won't be welcome in your home. Of course this also means that when we decide to start a family; you won't be seeing your grandchildren either…because I'm sure you won't accept them seeing as how they'll be Johanna's children as much as mine. But that's okay; Johanna's parents will be happy to be full time grandparents and Dad of course can come over any time he wishes to see my family."
His mother burst into tears. "Why do you hate me?" she asked. "Why must you throw your life away on some jezebel who will only break your heart in the end? How can you choose her over your own mother? Do you really hate me so much that you have to go through the charade of marrying that little bitch to spite me?!"
Jim glared at her. "Don't you ever call her those names again," he said firmly; "And I would never marry anyone out of spite; no one wins in a stupid situation like that. I'm marrying Johanna because I love her and she's the one I want to spend my life with. I've got plenty of room in my life for both of you, Mother. You're the one who wants me to choose; not me, not her. I don't hate you; I love you…and if you loved me, you'd be happy for me."
Elizabeth sniffled. "Don't expect me to lift a finger to help you plan this wedding. I don't approve and I won't do a thing for it. I'm not even coming to your wedding!"
"Alright," Jim replied; "You don't have to come; no hard feelings. I'll send you a postcard from wherever we honeymoon."
"Don't bother!" she spat. "Now that you've ruined Christmas why don't you just go be with your little troublemaker? Just go and leave me in peace! I wish you hadn't even come!"
"That's too bad because I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he replied with a smile. "I couldn't wait to share my news with you; I've been waiting for weeks to give you this perfect gift. I'm going to finish eating and spend some time with my family and then I will be leaving; I'm having dinner with Johanna at her parents house."
Elizabeth shoved her chair back from the table; her brunch uneaten. "I'm going to go lay down until you leave; I can't bear to look at you knowing you purposely ruined my Christmas."
Jim got up from his chair and walked to her side, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I know the feeling; that's how I felt on Thanksgiving. I love you; Merry Christmas."
His mother glared at him and swept away from the table with a flourish as Jim returned to his seat. The room was quiet in her wake and Jim looked at the members of his family at the table and smiled. "Merry Christmas, everyone," he said as he raised his coffee mug in salute.
Andrew finally allowed his laughter to break loose. "Oh, God; I wish we had gotten that on film," he said. "That was something else…a holiday that will live in infamy."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, little brother."
Andrew grinned. "By the way; congratulations; Johanna's a great girl…when you're married; invite me to dinner once a week so I can get in some of that good cooking."
Jim smirked at him. "Nice try; twice a month is all I'm offering."
His brother nodded. "I can live with that."
"Well, Jimmy," Robert said as he caught his son's eye. "Do you feel better now?"
"In so many ways, Dad," he smiled. "In so many ways."
Despite Johanna's assurances the night before, Jim still wondered if it was too early to be showing up on her mother's doorstep. It was only one in the afternoon…maybe he should go back home and wait an hour and come back. Would two be a more respectable time? He didn't want to be in the way or intrude on their family moments before all of their guests arrived; after all, it wasn't their fault that he hadn't stayed long with his own family.
Before he could decide whether to knock or not, the door opened and he found himself looking at Frank McKenzie. Frank regarded him with a raised brow. "How long are you going to stand out here?" the older man asked.
Jim felt tongue tied for a second. "Well…"
"Well what?"
"I wasn't sure if I was too early," he replied.
His soon to be father-in-law shook his head. "You're fine; come on in."
Jim gave a nod as Frank stepped back; allowing him into the house. "Hang your coat up," Frank said, with a nod to the pegs on the wall.
Jim unbuttoned his coat and shrugged out of it, hanging it on the peg with Johanna's coat and purse. He then followed the older man into the living room.
"Johanna," Frank called in the direction of the kitchen. "Your fiancé is here."
Johanna laid down the dishtowel she had just dried her hands on and hurried into the living room, catching a glance at the clock as she went. She hadn't expected him so early. "Hey," she said with a smile as she approached him. "I didn't think I'd see you so soon."
Jim brushed a quick kiss against her lips. "Am I too early?"
"No," she replied. "I just figured you'd still be tormenting your mother."
"Oh I did plenty of that," he said with a smile.
"I'm sure you did," she said wryly. "I can't wait to hear all about it."
"Hello, Jim," Naomi said as she stepped into the room. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Naomi," he replied warmly. "Thank you for inviting me."
"We're glad to have you, dear," she said with a smile. "Now that you're here, maybe you can do something for me?"
"Anything," Jim told her; "Just name it."
Naomi smiled as she looked to Johanna. "You've found such a nice young man."
"I know, Mama."
"You look so nice together," her mother said with a proud smile; "But what I wanted to ask, Jim, was if you can help Frank move the table in here? He was waiting on Frankie to help him but since you're here maybe we can get that done and Johanna can set the table."
"No problem," Jim replied.
"Good, thank you. Frank; Jim will help you move the table. Let's get that done."
"Alright, Naomi," Frank said as he once again abandoned his chair.
Jim followed Frank into the kitchen and they each took an end of the table and carried it into the spacious area in the living room just outside the kitchen. "Are we going to need the leaf?" Frank asked as they sat the table down.
"You know we are," Naomi remarked.
"Johanna, get the leaf out of the hall closet," Frank demanded before glancing at Jim. "Let's get it pulled apart so she can put the leaf in."
Jim gave a nod and listened to Frank's instructions about how to pull the table apart as Johanna appeared with the leaf. She quickly laid it in place and then when to the small cabinet against the wall to get the table cloth her mother had laid there.
"Chairs," Frank stated; heading for the kitchen and clearly expecting Jim to follow him. He caught Johanna's eye and gave her a smile as he followed orders.
Naomi helped straighten the table cloth as the men carried in the chairs and placed them around the table. "You'll have to get the other chairs from the garage, Frank."
"Of course," Frank muttered. "Come on, Jim."
"Aren't you glad you showed up early," Johanna teased.
"Definitely," he quipped. "Moving furniture just increases my appetite for dinner."
"You'll have plenty to choose from," Naomi told him. "We're so glad you decided to join us…even if I did put you to work as soon as you came in the door."
He smiled at her. "I don't mind."
The men went through the kitchen and out the back door; leaving Johanna and Naomi to tend to the table.
"Get the crystal candle sticks out of the cabinet," Naomi told her daughter.
"You've had these for as long as I remember," Johanna said as she fetched the items and set them on the table.
"Your great grandmother Josephina gave them to me as a wedding gift; they were her mother's, they came from Italy…one day they'll be yours."
Johanna smiled. "Won't Colleen be mad?"
Her mother gave her a small grin. "Perhaps; but you're my eldest daughter…you get them…just like you get first dibs on my jewelry one day."
"Let's not talk about that," she muttered.
Naomi rubbed her back soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere for a long time, Bambina…but I am glad that you'll be settled with your own family when the time comes. I think you're going to be very happy with Jim."
"I know so," Johanna said softly and with conviction as her mother's hand slipped into hers.
Her mother leaned close, brushing a kiss against her cheek. "I know last night was probably our last night spending Christmas Eve together under the same roof…"
She gave a small nod, her throat tightening unexpectedly. "I cherished this last holiday of being the first to see you on Christmas morning…and I'll miss those moments now that all of my children will be married; but it's okay…it's the way it's supposed to be."
"I'll miss it too," Johanna murmured; "But I'm still going to go to midnight mass with you."
Naomi smiled. "I'm glad to hear that; I was hoping we could at least keep that part of the tradition."
"Of course, Mama."
Her mother hugged her tightly. "How does it feel to be engaged this Christmas?"
Her smile was bright as she met her mother's eye. "Wonderful," she allowed herself to gush.
Naomi laughed softly. "You do still have a glow."
"Still not pregnant," Johanna remarked.
"I know, darling; and I really am sorry that that conclusion even came to mind…I guess it was because of the things Jim's mother told me."
"I know," she replied; "It's alright…I understand why you might've thought that given Elizabeth's gleeful telling of every tidbit of my personal business that she knew…that I wish to God she didn't know."
Her mother nodded. "I'm glad you forgive me."
"I do; I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose."
"How did Jim's mother take the news of your engagement?"
"I don't know," Johanna said; "He was telling her this morning…and since he's here earlier than I expected; I'm going to guess that she didn't take it well."
"He was telling her this morning?"
"Yes; he wanted to make sure her Christmas was merry and bright….he's been as excited as a little boy as he waited for this day to come so he could tell her."
Naomi laughed. "Any special reason it had to be Christmas?"
She nodded. "Revenge for Thanksgiving."
"I see," she quipped as they heard the backdoor open.
Frank and Jim made two trips to bring in the chairs in anticipation of however many relatives accepted Naomi's open invitation to spend Christmas at her table. When they finished, Frank returned to the sofa and Naomi returned to the kitchen, asking Johanna to set the table for her while she took care of the food.
Jim helped her carry the dishes, silverware and glasses to the table and then stood by quietly, watching as she arranged things.
"Did you tell her?" Johanna asked after she had finished her task.
Jim smiled. "I sure did."
"Was it as good as you had hoped?"
"Most definitely," he replied; his gaze darting toward the chair where Frank was pretending not to listen. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"
A slight tremor of panic shot through her stomach but then Jim smiled and she realized that he only wanted to get them away from her father's eavesdropping. "Yeah, we can go upstairs," she said as she took his hand.
"Where do you think you're going?" Frank asked, his gaze following them.
"We're going upstairs to talk for a few minutes," Johanna replied.
"You don't need to go upstairs," he retorted. "We have a perfectly fine room, right here."
"Maybe we want to talk privately for a few minutes," she stated. "Maybe we don't want your commentary interrupting."
Frank eyed her sternly. "You know the rules."
Johanna laughed. "Oh my God; I'm not a teenager! Don't you think it's time to do away with that rule?"
"No," Frank said sharply. "No boys upstairs."
"He's not a boy, he's a man."
"That's worse," her father replied. "I know how men are."
She rolled her eyes. "So what are you saying; a man and a woman are incapable of being in a bedroom together without doing anything?"
"I didn't say it isn't possible…but being that I had to chase you in the door last night, I don't trust the two of you upstairs."
"Distrust on Christmas isn't very becoming, Dad," Johanna said as she tugged Jim with her toward the stairs. "Besides, you know Grandma is up there taking a nap in Frankie's old room; if that isn't enough to kill a mood, the thought of you and Mom downstairs is, now stop acting like I'm sixteen."
"What's going on in here?" Naomi asked as she came into the room.
"Oh Dad is treating me like a teenager," Johanna told her.
"Frank?"
"Well, do you think it's appropriate that they go upstairs to 'talk'?" he said, making no mistake that he didn't think much talking would be talking place.
"Oh for God's sake, Frank; why would they want to do anything but talk while under our roof? They're adults who I'm sure know how to control themselves when they're in someone else's home."
"Well I don't see why they have to go upstairs!" he bellowed.
"Maybe they want to have some privacy while they discuss whatever it is they want to talk about," Naomi retorted. "You know you eavesdrop on everyone's conversations. Go on, Johanna. If you want a moment before everyone starts pouring in, you better take it now."
"Thank you," Johanna replied as she once again pulled Jim along with her.
"Leave the door open," Frank yelled. "You never know when I might come upstairs!"
"Yes, Warden," she said as she and Jim began to climb the stairs.
"I mean it, Johanna…if I come upstairs there better be both feet on the floor!"
Johanna turned on the bottom step to look at him. "You say that like it can't be done standing up…since you didn't specify who had to have both feet on the floor."
His eyes widened and his gazed darted to his wife. "Do you see what I mean about your daughter!"
"Well, Frank, you're goading her…but that isn't proper Christmas conversation, Johanna."
"I didn't start it," she replied; "But on the feet on the floor thing, that can be gotten around…what if I was laying on the floor? I could keep my feet on the floor for sure then if I really wanted to."
Frank rose from his chair and pointed his finger at her. "No laying down anywhere in my house!"
She smiled. "What about sitting down? That can be done too you know."
"That's true," Jim said with a laugh.
"Opposite sides of the room," Frank demanded.
"I was only joking, Dad," she remarked. "We have no romantic ideas in mind. We just want to talk for a few minutes about Jim's morning with his parents."
"Uh huh; well you just remember that I can come up there…and you leave that door open."
She rolled her eyes and turned to continue the trek up the stairs.
"Maybe we should've gone out to the car," Jim whispered with a laugh.
"Oh no, he'd watch from the window," she replied as she reached the landing and she moved toward her old room. "We might get in the back seat."
"True," he chuckled as he followed her into the room she indicated.
Once they were inside, she smiled at Jim and pushed the door shut. "You're going to get in trouble," he laughed.
"He pretty much forced me to shut the door," she said lightly as she crossed the room to her bed and sat down, patting the spot next to her in invitation.
Jim sat down on the bed with her and watched as she pulled her legs up against her. "Oh no," she teased quietly. "My feet aren't on the floor."
He laughed softly, being mindful that Sophia was across the hallway asleep. "Being bad on Christmas, Sassy?"
She shrugged. "I wouldn't have been if it wasn't for the warden downstairs acting like I'm a teenager…besides; I always felt like the ultimate act of rebellion would be to have a boy in my room."
"I'm glad I could accommodate you," he teased. "Your rebellion is a little late but I'm glad you waited for me."
"It's not the perfect rebellion until you come a little closer," Johanna remarked.
"Are you hoping your father walks in and has a stroke?" he asked as he shifted closer.
"Nope; I just figure I better take this opportunity of rebellion while I have it," she said, her fingers grazing his chin. "I think a kiss would be the perfect way to seize the moment."
Jim smiled and caught her lips in a kiss that lingered, his fingers slipping into her hair. "I missed you last night," he murmured.
"I missed you too," she replied softly, drawing him back for another kiss.
He was tempted to steal a few more kisses when her lips parted from his but he refrained for the moment, pulling back so that he could study the room. "So, this is the room you grew up in?"
"Yes," she said with a nod. "Me and Colleen to be exact."
Jim smiled as he took in the large bedroom with its two beds that had identical bedding. The dressers, nightstands and the small desk were oak colored; the curtains on the window thin white lace. The wallpaper had tiny yellow flowers on it and pink shag rugs were neatly arranged in strategic spots on the hardwood floor. The double doors of the closet each held a poster, one black with the word LOVE spelled out in pink flowers and one pink with PEACE spelled out in purple. "Which poster was yours?" Jim asked with a nod at the closet.
"Love," she replied. "Colleen wanted that one but I got to it first."
He chuckled, his eyes moving to the space of wall above the desk where pictures from magazines had clearly been cut out and pasted onto a piece of cardboard that was nailed to the wall. He saw the images of the most popular singers and groups of the decade with the exception of the Beatles he noted; she didn't care for them and apparently Colleen hadn't either since they hadn't made the cut. The small bookcases were crammed with books and pictures of the girls when they were little. The dressers still held cheerleading trophies and dance trophies; a small medal hung on a nail near them. Above the trophies on the wall hung school awards; most of them bearing Johanna's name, he noted. "Who won the medal?" he asked.
"I did," she replied. "I got that when I was taking gymnastics; I came in second at a competition."
Jim smiled; of course she had…his only surprise was that she hadn't taken the gold instead of the silver. On the wall behind her bed was a small poster for The Sound of Music and behind Colleen's bed was a poster of a butterfly. "I'm surprised you didn't have a lava lamp in here," he teased.
"We did; Colleen took it."
"Where's the vanity you had to share with her?"
"In my bedroom at my apartment," Johanna replied.
"Really? That's the one?"
"Yes; as soon as I had my own place, I came and got it," she laughed.
He chuckled with her. "Its funny to see you in a room that has wallpaper containing little yellow flowers on it."
"Colleen picked that," Johanna replied. "We decided to redecorate when I was fifteen and she was thirteen. I wanted to paint the walls lavender and paint the furniture white; Dad liked that idea, he even said we could change the handles on the dressers and the nightstand drawers, make them look a little fancier since we were growing up but Colleen wanted nothing to do with it and threw fits…so she got her way since she was the baby and I'd be leaving for college before she would."
"That doesn't seem very fair."
"Believe me, it wasn't," she replied. "Mom wouldn't hear of us having comforters that didn't match and we couldn't agree on any so Mom picked these," she said, her gaze dropping to the white comforter that had a lace like design and tiny pink rosebuds printed on it.
Jim laughed as he looked at the comforters. "I'm sure your father approved of these…they're very virginal."
Johanna giggled. "I hadn't thought of that…if he only knew that I held out longer than Colleen did."
"Seriously?"
"Oh yeah; she gave it to the first guy who paid serious attention to her…she had just turned fifteen."
"And apparently still takes the first thing offered, given her complaints about marriage," Jim remarked.
Johanna nodded. "She doesn't learn lessons very well."
"Sounds like it."
"So," she said, "How did things go at your parents?"
A wide grin spread across his face as he reached into his jacket pocket for the small stack of photos he had with him. "First of all, here are some pictures of the kids opening up the gifts you sent for them."
Johanna smiled as he handed her each picture. "They look happy."
"Oh they are; you made Alicia's whole life by giving her her own Barbie dolls…and you made Angie's Christmas with the news that you'll be her aunt."
She laughed softly. "I'm glad I could please them…are the boys alright with me being their aunt?"
Jim scoffed. "You don't seriously think they're not, do you?"
"Just checking."
"Angie is the one who presented me with that wonderful golden moment I was looking for," Jim declared. "She made the comment that she wished you were her aunt…so I told her I had a surprise for her but that Grandma had to open up her present first. I made Mom open her earrings…which of course she hates because she already has earrings and that's when I told her that I thought she'd like to wear them to my wedding."
"Oh my," Johanna said as he handed her the picture of Elizabeth frowning at the earrings.
"Then I told Angie that her wish was coming true; you were going to be her aunt. Mother was instantly outraged," he said, handing her another picture. "She said Christmas isn't the time for that kind of joke."
"That is quite a look," Johanna said as she laughed at the picture in her hand.
"It gets better," he said, handing her the next picture. "I told her it was no joke and she started screaming 'over my dead body'."
"She does look like she's on the verge of a stroke on this picture," she replied.
Jim laughed gleefully. "She of course went off on her usual tirade about you being trouble and I'd regret it and all that fun stuff…and this picture is the height of her madness, after she threw the earrings at me."
"She threw the earrings at you?!" Johanna exclaimed.
"She sure did," he chuckled. "It was a beautiful moment. She accused me of letting you pick out the earrings and said she was surprised I didn't trot you in to give her the news yourself."
"That would've ruined your fun," she quipped.
"Exactly," he teased. "Oh she was enraged; it was wonderful. I told her how much I paid for your ring and she started gasping for breath."
"Oh my God, Jim."
"Then when she was able to speak, she said she raised an idiot."
"She shouldn't talk about your brother William like that," Johanna remarked.
Jim laughed and pulled her into his arms. "God I wish I had thought of that remark. She raged some more and then Dad lead her away to the kitchen to fix brunch."
Johanna laughed as she snuggled against him. "Were you uninvited from brunch?"
"Oh no, I stayed for brunch and made her Christmas even merrier."
"How?"
"I told her I went to church with you…Catholic Church to be exact."
"Did your mother fall over into her eggs?"
"No, but she yelled a lot," he laughed. "She said she'd disown me if I took up your religion; I told her not to tempt me like that. I told her we'd be getting married by a Catholic priest and she made that 'over my dead body' statement again. She says you'll show me your true colors once we're married…so I asked Dad if that was how it was for him."
Johanna couldn't help but giggle. "You got in so much trouble, didn't you?"
"In a manner of speaking but I liked it," he stated. "She tried to make me choose between you and her; that didn't go well for her."
Johanna shook her head. "She's going to be screaming clear to New Year's, isn't she?"
"Probably until this time next Christmas," he laughed. "She then announced that I had ruined Christmas and I told her that's what she gets for ruining Thanksgiving. She then said that I broke my poor mother's heart…"
"Oh wow; that guilt is being laid on thick."
"Yes…she accused me of hating her, of trying to spite her, that she's not helping with the wedding; that I could just go be with my troublemaker. It was fabulous," he declared; "And then she took to her bed, saying she wasn't coming down until I was gone."
"She didn't!" Johanna exclaimed.
"She did; so I made sure to stay another hour just so she could lay up there and stew a little more."
"Oh my God," she said. "I feel like I'm probably going to need a bodyguard; she might be on the hunt for me."
"Don't worry, sweetheart; I'll protect you."
"You're so very proud of yourself, aren't you?" Johanna said with a soft laugh.
"I am; it all went according to plan…taking to her bed was a surprise but it was fitting. She said she couldn't bear to look at me. It was a very magical Christmas morning."
Johanna shook her head at him. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you."
Jim gave her a grin. "I'm sure you can think of a few things," he said before catching her lips in a kiss that morphed into two and then three.
"Trying to get me in trouble with my parents now?" she asked between kisses.
He chuckled. "You're the one who has her feet off the floor."
She shifted slightly so that she was sitting beside him, her feet on the floor. "Now what?" she teased.
"Now we get back to this," he said without missing a beat, his lips finding hers once more.
The door opened a few seconds later, startling them apart. "I knew it," Frank stated. "I knew it wasn't innocent!"
"I've got my feet on the floor," Johanna told him.
"For now," he retorted. "Get downstairs, both of you."
Jim couldn't help but grin at the sassy smirk on Johanna's face. "It was just a kiss," she remarked as they got up from the bed.
"I don't trust you," he told her. "You've been up here long enough."
"Timing us, were you?" she asked as she and Jim stepped into the hallway.
"It looks like a good thing that I was," he snapped.
Naomi had just stepped out of the kitchen when they all reached the bottom of the steps. She regarded her daughter with a raised brow. "Why do you look so proud of yourself?" she asked.
"No reason," Johanna replied.
"Because she was up there with the door shut," Frank announced. "I caught them."
Naomi's eyes widened. "Doing what!?"
Johanna rolled her eyes. "It was just a kiss, relax."
"Don't worry, I'll marry her," Jim quipped.
Johanna laughed as they settled down on the sofa while Frank took his favorite chair. "Jim told his mother about our engagement this morning."
"How did she take it?" Naomi asked.
"Dramatically," Jim told her with a laugh. "She threw her gift at me and took to her bed until I left."
"She does behave badly, doesn't she?" Naomi asked.
"She does but I'm not bothered. She'll get over it."
"She better get over it," Frank stated; "Or she'll answer to me."
"That could be interesting," Jim commented.
A knock at the door halted that line of conversation. "That's probably Frankie, Valerie and Greg," Naomi declared. "Johanna, go wake your grandmother."
"I'm awake," Sophia replied. "I've been awake since the giggling started across the hallway…I was afraid I'd interrupt if I left the room but then Frank went barging in."
"We were just talking, Grandma," Johanna said as Naomi hurried off to get the door.
Her grandmother waved a hand at her. "Makes no difference to me what you were doing, I didn't want to spoil it. It's nice to see you so happy this Christmas, bambina."
Johanna smiled and leaned against Jim as he wrapped an arm around her. She was happier this Christmas…happier than she ever imagined she could be.
As the day wore on, various relatives had filed into the McKenzie home, keeping Johanna, Naomi, Valerie and Sophia busy and leaving Jim in the company of his future father-in-law and brother-in-law. He found that he didn't mind; whatever animosity that had been between Frankie and Johanna as children seemed to be in the past for the most part…or was dormant and waiting for some future date to reappear. He hoped for Johanna's sake that wasn't the case however. He didn't even mind Frank's company, which should probably bother him since he didn't approve of the way the man treated Johanna…but he couldn't find fault with him in any other area so far. They were having a good time discussing sports and hobbies as they drank beers and watched television while the women fussed over dinner preparations and gifts and the guests that streamed in.
Jim found himself meeting Naomi's sister Rita and her brother Tony; a handful of Johanna's cousins and in a surprise for the majority of them, Bridget and her husband William came through the door shortly before dinner.
"I am so happy for you, sweet pea," Bridget declared as she hugged Johanna.
"Thank you," Johanna murmured as she returned her hug. "I'm happy too."
"As you should be," her aunt stated. "I told your time would come."
"You always have to say I told you so, don't you?"
"Of course," Bridget stated. "What's the point in being right if you can't gloat a little?"
Johanna laughed softly. "Well, I guess that's true. Where are my cousins?"
"Oh those little brats came home long enough for gifts and lunch and then took off on a big ski trip that their father and I weren't invited along for," Bridget said, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"Shame on them," her niece teased. "They could've at least taken me and Jim with them."
"They're just awful human beings," Bridget said dramatically. "I'll be pondering their punishments all week long."
"I'm sure they'll suffer," she laughed.
"They certainly will," her aunt said before giving her attention to Jim. "And you young man, I'm glad you finally saw my bonus child for the prize she is and decided to snap her up."
Jim grinned at her. "I just couldn't resist her."
"Seems like you were trying to for awhile," Bridget teased.
"I was just trying to give her a challenge," he laughed.
"Uh huh; you wanted to make sure all those wild oats were sown."
Jim chuckled. "I'm not even going to attempt to touch that one."
"Smart man," she declared.
Bridget's husband, William, made his way to them and pulled Johanna into a hug. "Engagement must agree with you," he remarked. "You look even more beautiful than usual."
Johanna blushed. "Thank you, Uncle Will. You need to meet Jim," she said, her hand gesturing to her fiancé.
William greeted Jim and shook his hand. "You take good care of Johanna; we're very fond of her," her uncle stated.
"I promise she'll be well taken care of," Jim replied as his arm slipped around Johanna's waist.
"Good; because if she's not taken care of, you'll have a lot of people after you…Bridget's got a hellish temper."
He laughed quietly. "That must be where Johanna gets it."
"We can only hope," Bridget quipped; before they were pulled away to greet Naomi who had just come from the kitchen.
"How are you doing?" Johanna asked as she glanced at Jim.
"I'm fine," he replied. "I didn't expect so many people."
"Mom puts out an open invitation to both sides of the family for Christmas…I guess you can't say that you haven't met my family," she teased.
"That's true; I should make a list for my mother."
"If she's over her spasms enough to read it," Johanna replied lightly.
"I'm sure she was out of bed and raging by the time I pulled away from the house," he remarked.
"I bet your family is just so thrilled you picked today to tell her."
"They'll get over it," Jim laughed. "That was a little Christmas gift to myself."
She smiled as she leaned close and brushed a kiss to his lips. "I should probably be concerned that your merry making has possibly made me unpopular with your family."
He shook his head. "No; they understand…and if necessary; we can spend all of our holidays here."
"Oh yeah?" she asked, her brow raising as she regarded him. "Why is that?"
"I like it here," Jim replied.
"Really?"
"Yeah…it's nice…and women keep walking by and handing me food."
Johanna laughed, her arms wrapping around him. "You like the customer service, huh?"
"Definitely; I've had biscotti, which is very good. I've had fudge, also very good. I've had cookies, I've had candy…and I still have dinner and dessert to look forward to," he stated.
"It's just been such a great day for you," Johanna laughed. "You got to give your mother your very special news and then you got to come here and have food and beers and sports talk and it isn't even dinner time yet…and you haven't even gotten your gifts from me yet."
"It is a pretty damn good Christmas," he told her. "I'm glad I get to spend it with you."
"I feel the same way," she murmured, stealing another kiss.
"Jim," Frankie stated; "Come out to the garage and help me bring in the card table and the other chairs; Dad went to the attic and hasn't returned…he's pretending to look for things he knows are in the garage."
"That's a McKenzie Christmas tradition," Johanna stated, her arms slipping away from him.
"I'm surprised my father hasn't thought of that tradition," he quipped as he headed toward Frankie.
"Maybe you should suggest it," she said as she followed them through the kitchen to the back door.
"I think I will," he said with a wink.
"I'll bring him back, Mouthy," Frankie said as he opened the door. "You don't need to follow."
"I'll go where I want, you can't stop me," Johanna replied; knowing that her brother was only teasing.
"If you follow, you have to carry a chair," her brother said with a grin.
"Forget it, I'm staying here."
"That's all you have to do to keep her in line, Jim; tell her she has to move furniture," Frankie quipped as they stepped outside.
Johanna smirked at the door and then turned to find her mother watching the scene. "What are you thinking about, Mama?" she asked.
"I was thinking that you must be relieved that everything is going so well," Naomi remarked with a knowing smile, her arm slipping around her daughter's waist.
She gave a nod. "I am relieved."
"I could've told you it would all be fine," Naomi said warmly. "He fits in very nicely with our family. He gets along well with your father and brother; he was kind to Colleen last night. Your grandmother adores him."
"And you?"
"You know I like him very much," she said, giving her a squeeze. "I'm just glad to see you so happy today."
"It's a good Christmas," Johanna said, echoing Jim's earlier assessment.
"It is," her mother agreed.
"Is Colleen coming for dinner? It'll feel strange without her."
"I don't know," Naomi sighed. "I'm hoping she'll stop by, even if it's just for a few minutes. She hasn't even called."
"Maybe she and Paul are still fighting."
"I hope not; if they are, I probably won't see her at all. I like Paul well enough…but it does seem at times like he wants to keep her away from us; like our family isn't as important as his. It probably sounds petty or even silly; your sister is grown up and married and I know I have to share her…but I miss her."
"It's not silly," Johanna murmured. "I miss her too; she doesn't come here for dinner as often as she used to and Paul always acts like being with us is a chore. I meet up with her for lunch once in awhile and we go shopping on occasion but I can tell that Paul doesn't like it."
"Well too bad for him," Naomi stated. "She's your sister; she's allowed to spend time with you."
"Mom!" a voice called out from the living room.
Johanna smiled at her mother. "She made it."
"She did," Naomi stated, pulling her along with her as they left the kitchen in search of Colleen.
"Colleen, I'm so glad you came. Are you staying for dinner, dear?" their mother asked as she embraced her youngest daughter.
"Of course I am, Mama," she murmured; her gaze flicking to Johanna. "Merry Christmas, Sissy."
"Merry Christmas," Johanna replied as she stepped forward to hug her sister.
"Where's Paul?" Naomi asked. "Didn't he come with you?"
"No, he's with his mother; she's probably wiping his ass for him," Colleen remarked.
"Oh dear," Naomi said; "I guess you two are still fighting."
"You could say that," Colleen remarked. "I'm tired of everything having to be his way."
"It'll work out, darling," their mother consoled. "It's just that the honeymoon is over now and you have to work out the bugs."
"Then I hope you bought me a fly swatter for Christmas," Colleen replied. "Because I'm going to need one."
"I told you not to marry him," Sophia stated from the recliner, echoing the sentiment she had made the night before.
"I know, Grandma," Colleen said as she moved to greet her grandmother.
"As soon as we get the other table set up, we'll get dinner on the table," Naomi murmured to Johanna. "Come help me get everything ready to be moved."
Johanna followed her, wondering if perhaps her sister was going to be serious about wanting a divorce sometime soon.
"When is your engagement party?" Bridget asked as she looked across the table at Johanna and Jim a little while later.
"Engagement party?" Jim repeated, his gaze meeting Johanna's as she glanced at him.
"We haven't thought about anything like that," Johanna replied. "It really isn't necessary."
"Of course it is," her aunt replied. "This is a happy occasion; you need to celebrate with a party. It's usually the duty of the bride's parents to throw the event."
"I didn't have an engagement party," Colleen stated; a slightly accusatory note in her tone.
Naomi glanced down the table at her youngest daughter. "You declined an engagement party, Colleen. You said keep the money for everything wedding related."
Bridget eyed her niece. "You declined so don't start harping that it won't be fair if Johanna has a party and you didn't. Now Frank, are you and Naomi throwing this shindig or am I? Because I have no problem hosting the occasion."
Naomi shot a look at Frank who sighed. "You and Bridget plan it, Naomi; I'll pay for it."
Johanna squirmed in her seat; she didn't want her father to feel obligated to pay for a party that she hadn't even given a single thought about. "Dad; you don't have to do that. Everyone knows I'm engaged, a party really isn't necessary."
"Of course it is," her mother declared. "Engagement parties are for celebratory purposes before the wedding planning starts. It's also a good way to get an idea about who will be attending the wedding and for our family to meet more of Jim's family. You're having a party."
"And since I'm your Godmother, I'm chipping in for the expenses," Bridget declared.
Johanna sighed. "Are you alright with a party? Because if you're not, we won't do it. I won't be mad."
"I'm fine either way," Jim answered. "You may as well enjoy all the hoopla that you can, you're only getting married once."
She smirked at him. "You're only getting married once too."
"Obviously," he grinned. "But the decision is yours; I'm fine if you want a party."
Frank met his daughter's eye. "You're having a party; I want to meet Jim's mother."
Sophia nodded. "Yes; I want to meet her too."
Jim smiled. "Mother is always a very special guest."
"Oh God," Johanna muttered as she picked up her wine glass and took a long sip.
"I've already met Jim's mother," Naomi said; a touch of stiffness in her voice. "But I think it would probably be best if we had a private dinner sometime before the party so that we can meet Jim's father and of course Frank needs to meet Mrs. Beckett as well."
"I'm coming to that dinner," Sophia declared; "And you can't stop me."
"Mama," Naomi warned.
"Don't give me that tone of voice, missy," Sophia retorted. "They need to meet the grandmother of the bride and I'm coming. I want to be informed of when this dinner is taking place!"
Johanna drained the contents of glass at the thought of this dinner that was taking shape.
"Don't worry, Sophia;" Frank told her. "I'll come pick you up…we might need your abilities."
"Mhmm; my thoughts exactly," the old woman replied. "I'll put the eye on that old biddy; I'll fix her."
Jim was trying to hold back is laughter in deference to his fiancée's obvious suffering at the mere thought of it; but his lips twitched, giving way to a smile as he picked up his wine glass and poured its contents into Johanna's empty glass.
"Thank you," she told him. "I didn't want to have to leave the table to refill my glass; I wouldn't want to miss any plans that I need to prepare for."
"No problem, sweetheart."
"Are we invited to this get to know you better dinner?" Frankie asked; "Because it's starting to sound like it might be a good time and we can definitely arrange to be here."
"Yes," Johanna said while her mother simultaneously said "No."
Frankie smiled. "I'm going to go with Jo's answer."
"No," Naomi said. "It will be us, Johanna, Jim and his parents."
"And dear old Grandma," Sophia stated.
Naomi sighed. "Yes; mother; and you since you insist and Frank has already volunteered to pick you up."
"I still think that as brother of the bride, I should get to come," Frankie stated.
"You can come," Johanna told him, thinking that her brother proved to be a good ally in these times of wedding stress. "As the bride I say so."
"I'm coming," Frankie said as he looked at their mother. "You better make sure the leaf is in the table."
"If Frankie's coming, I'm coming," Colleen said. "I don't want to miss it."
"Leave Paul at home," Frankie remarked. "He'll kill the mood."
"You two are not coming!" Naomi said.
"But Jim could bring Andrew," Johanna said.
Jim glanced at her, his brow arched. "I can?"
"Yes; then we'd both have a sibling present."
"No siblings," Naomi declared. "Parents…and a grandmother."
"Jim's got a grandmother," Johanna said. "Lilly should come too."
"She'd like that," Jim said with a laugh.
"Fine; parents and grandmothers," Naomi stated. "No siblings."
"We'll see," Frankie replied.
"I mean it, Franklin," their mother stated.
He wrinkled his nose. "Don't call me that."
Valerie laughed at the expression on his face. "You'd think you'd be more bothered by being called Frankie."
"Well I'm not," he stated. "I've been called that all my life…and I don't want to be excluded from family fun."
"Hey, I invited you," Johanna stated. "I'll tell you when it is…if it must happen."
"It must happen," her father declared.
Johanna glanced across the table at her aunt and Bridget smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, sweet pea."
"Uh huh."
"I am, truly," Bridget said with a laugh. "Now when should we have the party?"
"How about in February around her birthday," her aunt Rita declared.
"No," Jim stated without batting an eye.
"Why not?" Naomi's sister asked sharply.
"Because I'm not going to have her birthday overlooked in favor of an engagement party," Jim replied. "We're not lumping occasions together."
Rita gave him a somewhat snide look and Johanna squeezed his hand in appreciation. Bridget's husband William swallowed the bite of ham he had taken and reached into his suit jacket pocket and withdrew his wallet. "I know I have one of those little cards with a calendar on it," he said as he looked through the various cards crammed into the slots. "Ah, here it is; how about around the 8th of January?"
"Too soon," Naomi and Bridget declared.
"The 15th of January?" he asked next.
"No," Johanna said. "We're going to the wedding of a friend on the 15th."
"Yeah; we already told Antonio and Isabel that we're coming," Jim confirmed.
William pondered the calendar some more. "Alright then, how about the 29th? I know it's a little close to your birthday, Johanna; but it will fall before the occasion."
"That will work," she replied; wanting the matter to be done with. "What do you think, Jim?"
"It sounds fine to me."
Naomi nodded. "We should be able to plan a nice party for that date. Now we just need a date for the family dinner."
"I'm going to need more wine," Johanna remarked as she picked up her glass and took a long sip of the wine Jim had poured into it.
Her brother met her eye and gave her an amused smile. "You should probably just go get the bottle of Jack Daniels."
"I'm saving that for this upcoming dinner," Johanna remarked.
"There's no need to talk like that," Naomi stated. "Everything will be just fine. We'll discuss a date for that dinner after New Year's…because I'm sure if I don't put off planning it until then, you'll worry yourself sick clear through the New Year and that's not the way you want to start the year, dear."
"That must be why the biggest holidays come at the end of the year," Johanna remarked; "That way you can take the old year out with a bang…or with an assault charge or trip to the hospital. No one wants to start a year off that way; but if it happens at the end, it looks like you showed restraint and earned it."
Naomi gave her an amused smirk. "You're just like your father."
"I thought we weren't being mean for Christmas this year?" she replied without missing a beat.
"It's not mean if it's the truth," Naomi declared.
"I want a second opinion."
"You're not like your daddy," Sophia stated; "You're like me."
Johanna nodded. "Now that I can live with, thank you, Grandma."
"Anytime, bambina."
Naomi shook her head. "You do have a bit of your grandmother in you…but you're definitely Frank McKenzie's child."
"She better be," Frank remarked; "Or you got a hell of a lot of explaining to do, Naomi."
Jim couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think you have to be concerned, Frank; Johanna looks like her mother but she also resembles your family."
"You think so?" Frank asked.
He nodded. "I think she resembles Bridget in some ways."
Frank gave a nod; his gaze darting between his daughter and his sister. "I guess that's true; she does look like Bridget in some ways…but I do have a brother and we all resemble each other."
"Frank McKenzie!" Naomi exclaimed; "How dare you even insinuate such a notion, I hate your brother! Hell could freeze over and I still wouldn't be tempted by that little pompous jackass."
Amusement lit up Frank's face as he laughed. "I know, dear; I just like to get you excited once in awhile."
"Uh huh; it won't be so funny when I wham you with the skillet one day."
"Now that's not appropriate Christmas behavior," her husband teased.
"Neither is questioning the paternity of our children," she declared.
"Oh come on, you know I'm only teasing. I know she's mine; all three of them are mine, there's no doubt about it. I think I know your loyalty better than anyone."
"You better," Naomi stated.
Johanna smiled as she glanced at her mother. "See what I mean about holidays? Dad could have gotten whammed with a skillet and people would've just thought you had been saving up that aggression all year and finally snapped."
"If I was going to snap, I probably would've done it years ago," Naomi remarked. "You'll see what I mean once you're married."
She sighed. "I wish you all would quit giving my fiancé bad examples of marriage…this rosy holiday glow might fade and he'll realize what you've all been saying and head for the hills."
Jim patted her knee. "Not a chance of that, sweetheart; they don't scare me a bit."
"That's because this is one of our better holiday gatherings," Frankie remarked with a grin. "Wait until you see us at a bad one."
"We don't have bad ones!" Naomi exclaimed.
"We do," Colleen commented; "Not too often but it does happen…usually the really bad ones are the normal Sunday dinners."
"They are not!"
Johanna found Jim's hand under the table as the bickering continued. "Welcome to my family," she told him.
He squeezed her hand in return as he leaned toward her to kiss her cheek. "I like it…it feels right."
"Really?"
"Yeah; there's nowhere else I'd rather be."
She smiled; the people around her of little consequence as she stole a kiss. She was so glad that he liked her family and didn't mind being with them. It made everything feel perfect…it gave her a happiness she wasn't sure she had ever felt before and she drew him back for one more kiss until her mother kicked her foot beneath the table.
"That's enough, you're at the table," Naomi said as Johanna's gaze shifted to her. "Eat your dinner; you'll have plenty of time for all that later when you don't have an audience."
"Sorry," she said sheepishly, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Don't worry about it," Bridget told her; "Cherish these moments; they'll be what you remember when you look back on this stage of your life."
Johanna smiled; she hoped they'd not only be fond memories…she hoped they'd set the precedent for more to come.
He hadn't lied, Jim thought to himself later that evening; being with Johanna and her family did feel right…even despite that initial awkwardness that came with spending a holiday with someone else's family. The McKenzies had accepted him and made him feel welcome…and he knew that Johanna couldn't say the same thing about her visits to his childhood home. He was still ashamed of the stunt his mother had pulled at Thanksgiving and her behavior in general towards Johanna. There should probably be a feeling of guilt about spending so little of the holiday with his own family; but there wasn't…he felt happy there with Johanna, observing how her family celebrated.
The McKenzies did things a bit differently; Naomi still wanted pictures of her kids standing in front of the Christmas tree; and they, knowing their mother wouldn't let them have peace until it was done, didn't fight the issue and allowed her to have her way. The house had seen a steady stream of relatives; something that wasn't seen at his own mother's house. Elizabeth Beckett only invited her children and grandchildren…she never included her own siblings or his father's siblings; cousins were never invited; and he figured his grandmother was only included because Robert Beckett demanded it. In Naomi McKenzie's home, everyone was welcome to come celebrate. There was plenty of food, treats and beverages; laughter and stories and interesting conversations. After dinner, Naomi and Johanna had played Christmas carols on the piano…it wasn't something he could imagine his mother and sister doing.
He couldn't imagine his mother doing a lot of the things that Naomi did…especially her warm welcoming of her children's significant others.
Yes; it had been a nice day…cozy when Johanna was at his side; but now it was getting late and relatives were leaving in small groups. He wondered if that meant that they could head home too. With that thought in mind, he drifted into the kitchen to find his fiancé.
Jim smiled at his good fortune; Johanna was alone at the sink rinsing dishes and he didn't see any family members hovering in the corners of the room. He crept up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. "Almost finished?" he asked, his lips brushing against her neck.
"That's the last one," Johanna replied as she put the dish in the drainer and then turned in the circle of his arms. "I was wondering when you were going to realize that I was alone in here."
"I would've been here sooner but I had to convince your brother that he's wrong about who's going to win the Super Bowl."
She laughed softly. "You boys and your sports."
"Yeah," he grinned; "Kind of like you and your soaps."
"Oh hush," Johanna told him, a smile tugging at her lips.
Jim dipped his head and kissed her. "I liked seeing you play the piano."
"I'm glad," she murmured. "Mom and I have been doing that since I was a little girl."
"It's a nice tradition."
"I like it," she said somewhat shyly. "I'm glad you like it…and that you like it here."
"I do like it here; but most of all, I just like being here with you."
Johanna met his lips in another kiss, her hand cradling his cheek. "A few weeks ago, I wasn't sure you'd come…but I'm glad you did."
"I wouldn't have missed having this Christmas with you for anything," he replied.
She smiled softly, her fingertips caressing his face. "That's so sweet," she whispered before initiating another kiss that quickly morphed into a series of soft, passionate kisses.
"Hey," Frank said as he walked into the kitchen. "If you want to do that, go home."
Johanna sighed. "Are you reliving the past as a father of a teenager?"
"If I was doing that, you'd be locked in your room right now and he'd be on his way home with orders not to return," her father stated as he moved to the fridge to get another beer. "Just because you have a ring on your finger doesn't mean that you get to go around and behave that way."
"It was just a kiss."
"For now," Frank remarked as he opened his beer. "If you two don't knock it off, I might get the hose."
"What's wrong now?" Naomi asked as she came into the kitchen.
"I caught them again," her husband stated.
"They're in the kitchen; I doubt there was much occurring," she replied.
"That's what you think," Frank remarked. "It was looking a little too cozy."
"It was just a kiss!" Johanna exclaimed.
"You've been kissed enough," her father retorted. "Go home if you want to continue."
"What's the matter, Frank?" Naomi asked; "Are you jealous because no one's kissing you today?"
He smirked at his wife. "Clear this place out and maybe I'll kiss you for awhile, what do you think of that."
Naomi scoffed but there was a gleam in her eye as she moved past him. "I think you're all talk."
Frank gave her a playful swat against her backside. "Now I'm going to have to surprise you later."
"It's definitely time for us to go home," Johanna said as she watched the encounter. "I don't want to be here to witness any part of that."
"I'm ready when you are," Jim told her.
"I have to get my stuff," she said, pulling him along with her.
He gave a nod and stood by the stairs as she hurried up to her old room to grab her overnight bag. She returned within minutes and went to the tree to grab the gift bags that bore her name, handing them to Jim so that she could hug her siblings. "You might want to get out of here," she whispered to Frankie as she caught him off guard and hugged him.
"Why?" he asked; giving her a quick hug in return.
"Dad's hitting on Mom."
Her brother shook his head, "Oh hell no. Valerie; get Greg, it's time to go."
"What's going on?" Valerie asked as she scooped up her son who was playing at her feet.
"Bad things you don't want to think about," Frankie replied.
Valerie's gaze shifted to Johanna. "What is it?"
"Dad's too happy; he's hitting on Mom."
Valerie nodded. "I'll gather our stuff; let's get the hell out of Dodge."
"What's going on?" Colleen asked as she joined the circle. "Why is everyone leaving?"
"Dad's making a move on Mom," Frankie told her. "Grab your stuff and get out."
"Oh God," Colleen said, cringing slightly. "I took a cab here, someone drive me home, please."
"We'll take you," Jim offered.
"Thank you," she said with a sigh of relief. "Let me just grab my stuff and I'm ready."
There was a flurry of activity as the McKenzie siblings grabbed their belongings and got ready to say their goodbyes.
"You're leaving?" Naomi asked as Johanna and Jim returned to the kitchen to say goodnight.
"Yes, we haven't gotten to exchange gifts yet so we want to go do that," she told her mother.
"Of course," Naomi replied, understanding in her voice as she pulled her daughter into a tight hug. "Did you hug your brother and sister?"
"I hugged Frankie; I'll get Colleen next," she promised.
"Alright; I love you, Bambina."
"I love you too."
Naomi kissed her cheek and then released her. "Let me get your cookies, dear."
Johanna waited patiently as her mother went into the pantry and collected a few books. She returned and handed one to her daughter. "Your usual butter cookies are in there, but I also put in some of the peanut butter ones."
"Thanks, Mom."
"And these are for you, Jim," Naomi said. "Johanna told me you like pumpkin pie so I made you one."
Jim smiled widely. "Thank you, I appreciate that."
"That's not my pie is it!?" Frank demanded to know.
"Of course not, Frank!" Naomi replied. "I have yours in the pantry."
"Just checking."
She sighed and turned back to Jim, handing him a small box. "This is some fudge; you seemed to enjoy it a great deal."
"I do enjoy it; it's the best," he said as he accepted the box happily.
Naomi then handed them each a small box. "And there's biscotti for each of you from Grandma."
"Look how happy you are," Johanna said as she looked at Jim.
"I love food," Jim remarked; "Especially when it's this good; I'm coming back next year."
Naomi laughed and patted his cheek. "We'll be glad to have you; thank you for joining us today."
"Thanks for letting me and for the treats," he replied. "I always appreciate treats."
"I had a feeling you would," Naomi teased. "It's good to know that Johanna's talents in the kitchen will be appreciated."
"Oh I already appreciate them," he said sincerely. "She had a great teacher."
"Thank you," her mother said as she patted his arm. "Take those boxes from her so she can humor me and go hug her father."
Johanna handed over her boxes and made her way toward her father, knowing her mother wouldn't have it any other way. "Goodnight, Dad," she stated; waiting for him to make the move if a hug was going to happen.
Frank glanced to Naomi and saw that she was watching him, and he knew that if he wanted any peace and her affections later, he better do what was expected of him…not that he didn't want to hug his daughter; it was just that he seemed to be having this odd issue of knowing that things were changing and that this was their last Christmas with her under their roof on Christmas Eve. He pulled his daughter into a hug, holding her a little tighter than he usually did as he felt that sting of losing his little girl once more. He closed his eyes, remembering when she used to smell of Johnson's baby soap instead of expensive perfume and then he released her, cupping her chin and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight, Josie."
Johanna looked at him for a moment, an odd look flickering in her eyes as she tried to figure him out…but he seemed to be a mystery and she'd never have all the pieces she figured. "Merry Christmas, Dad."
"Merry Christmas."
She turned away from him, looking back to Naomi. "I'll call you tomorrow, Mom."
"Alright, dear."
Jim shook Frank's hand and told him goodnight. "Get her home safely," Frank stated.
"I promise," he told him with a nod.
They said goodbye to Sophia and Frankie, Valerie and Greg and then told Colleen that they'd load the car while she said her goodbyes.
"It's been a good day, but I'll be glad to get home," Johanna said as they stood by the trunk, waiting on her sister.
"Me too," Jim replied. "I'm ready for it to be just us now…our own little Christmas."
Johanna smiled as she wrapped her arms around him; she liked the sound of that.
The hands of the clock were nearing midnight as Johanna and Jim remained curled up together on her sofa, wrapping paper and ribbons littering the floor from the opening of gifts. Some would say that they had spoiled each other, Johanna thought to herself; beneath her tree were new clothes and bottles of perfume and cologne; books and trinkets. The golf clubs Jim had wanted stood next to the tree…and the golf balls were scattered into corners of the room from their practice sessions with the clubs. She smiled a little; he was determined to teach her how to properly hit the ball.
The glow of the Christmas tree made everything feel cozy as they watched some Christmas special on TV; the light making the amethyst tennis bracelet on her wrist sparkle, and she moved her wrist to admire it.
"You like it?" Jim asked quietly.
"I love it; it's beautiful."
"I thought maybe you deserved a better representation of your birthstone than the butterfly one I gave you."
"But I love my butterfly," Johanna told him. "I wouldn't trade it for anything; it's the first birthday gift you gave me."
He brushed a kiss against her temple. "I didn't say you had to throw it away; I just wanted you to have something a little fancier," he amended.
"In that case, I understand," she replied as she snuggled against him. "I like my watch too…you really didn't have to get me one when you had already gotten me a bracelet."
"I asked you what you wanted; I was giving you the bracelet regardless. You said you needed a new watch and I thought you'd like the one I picked."
"I do; it's rose gold…it reminds me of Mom's engagement ring. I think rose gold is so pretty."
"I'm glad you like it, sweetheart."
"Do you like your gifts?" she asked.
"I love them," Jim replied; "Especially the tickets to the basketball game."
"I'm glad you like them. What about the golf clubs; are you sure they're alright?"
"They're perfect."
Johanna sighed softly in contentment. "We did it."
"Did what?"
"Managed to have a holiday without any major incidents."
Jim laughed. "That's true; we started the year off with a disaster of a New Year's celebration. We had to work on your birthday…we had to work on my birthday, and my mother complained about me spending the evening with you. Our vacation got crashed. The family Thanksgiving was a disaster…but we rebounded with our own private Thanksgiving and now we've had a good Christmas."
"Yeah, we did…it was perfect having you there with me."
"That's mutual," Jim replied. "Now we just have to make this New Year's Eve better than last year's."
"We will," Johanna said with conviction. "I know we will."
"How can you be so sure?"
She smiled. "Because I believe in us."
He caught her lips in a soft kiss. "I believe in us too."
Johanna entwined her fingers with his, thinking about the year to come…the wedding planning to come…the moment when being with him like this was the way she spent the end of every day and she was looking forward to it. After all, she was sure the best was yet to come.
Author's Note: New Year's coming next.