November 27th, 2003

Her first Thanksgiving. Her very first thanksgiving. Oh, It was Jade's too. Alex was stressed. She was cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for the very first time. Family was coming over and it was going to be great, only if she could get this turkey perfect. She grabbed the baser and started squeezing the juice all over the golden turkey.

"It smells good." Ty said walking in. Alex smiled.

"It smells going but I'm so afraid it's going to taste bad." She said, "I have people to impress."

"No you don't." He said, "Don't worry about it."

"I have to worry about it." Alex said as she grabbed the bag of carrots. "Can you put Jade in that purple dress mom got her? I want her to look nice."

"All right." He kissed the top of Alex's head and walked out. She was really stressing out over nothing. Her mother wouldn't judge her by her cooking. Would she? "Miss Davis, wakey! Wakey!"

Ty walked into her nursery. Jade was standing up and bouncing in her crib. She squealed when she saw her father. Ty tip toed up to her and started to tickle her. Jade fell down on her crib giggling wildly. Ty grinned picking her up.

"Come on. We need to get you dressed before Grandma and everyone gets here." He walked over to her closet. It was filled to the brim with clothes for the first two years of her life. She certainly was a spoiled little girl. He grabbed the purple dress Alex wanted to wear and walked over to her changing table.

"Okay, you better not barf on this dress. Grandma needs to see you in it first." Ty said unbuttoning the fleece romper from his daughter, "Dry diaper?...Thank the lord!" Ty threw the romper into the hamper and pulled the frilly dress over Jade's head. He reached between her legs and snapped the three buttons close that kept the sewn in diaper cover closed.

"There. Pretty as a picture." Ty smiled, "You reckon you have enough hair to put in a ponytail or something?" Ty took the small soft brush and began to brush her curls to the top of her head. He grabbed a white band and slid it around the very tiny ponytail. He grinned. "There. Not much, but you look cute. Let's get these shoes on." He grabbed the white shoes and slid them onto her wiggling feet.

"Let's go show Mommy." Ty smiled, resting Jade on his hip. He trotted down the stairs. The smell of spiced pumpkin filled the air. "Mommy, look at me." Ty rested Jade on the counter. Alex laughed softly.

"Look how gorgeous you are, Jade." She smiled, "I'm surprised you found enough hair on her head to put it up." Jade giggled grabbing a carrot.

"It was hard, but we did it." He picked Jade back up, "How's it coming?"

"Oh…Okay, I think." Alex said, "Could you set the dinning room table with the good china?"

"Sure. Come on, Miss Davis." Ty walked out ito the dinning room. Alex sighed and looked at all the steaming pots. Stuffing, carrots, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, snow peas, and gravy cooking on the stovetop.

"This needs to be perfect." Alex muttered as she ran to the refrigerator. She grabbed the couple of bottles of wine. Her heart beat rapidly putting the bottles in a bucket. This just had to be perfect. The doorbell rang. "Oh god. Get that, Ty!!"

"I am." He said walking to the door and opening it. Adam stood there with a bouquet of flowers, "Adam, hi!"

"Hi." Adam grinned, "Look at you, Jade. Can I hold her?"

"Of course come on in." Ty chuckled handing the baby to her uncle.

"God, She's gorgeous. She has Alex's eyes." Adam grinned walking into the living room with his niece.

"Who was at the door??" Alex yelled from the kitchen.

"Didn't your mother teach you manners, Lexi?" Adam yelled back, "No yelling at the company!" Alex laughed loudly as she walked out of the kitchen.

"I only yell at my brother." Alex smiled as she gave him a hug, "How was the ride?"

"Short." He smiled, "Mom not here yet?"

"No. She hasn't even called yet." Alex shrugged, "Probably got stuck playing bridge with her friends."

"Mom doesn't play bridge." Adam said bouncing Jade on his knee. She giggled.

"Sure she does. She's on a team." Alex chuckled.

"What is she sixty?" He asked.

"Almost." Alex winked.

"When will dinner be done?" He asked.

"Ah, an hour." Alex said walking back into the kitchen, "I hope Mom will be here soon." Alex started to pull out all the dishes the food was going to be in. Everything matched; her mother would like that. She glanced at the clock it was two o'clock. Her mother better arrive here soon or they would have to start eating. She didn't want all the food to get cold. Alex checked on the turkey. She smiled. "You're looking delicious."

"Thanks." Ty said as he walked into the kitchen.

"I wasn't talking to you." Alex said throwing the dishtowel at him, "I was talking to the turkey."

"Are you having an affair with the turkey?" He gasped.

"Oh you know it!" Alex giggled as the phone rang. She grabbed it, "Taylor and Davis Residence."

"Sweetie, It's your mother." The older Taylor woman said.

"Ma, where on Earth are you?" Alex asked.

"I'm at Logan." She said.

"Logan?? That's in Massachusetts, Mother!" Alex cried looking at Ty, "why are you there?"

"There was a snow storm and they had to ground us." She said, "I will be able to make a noon flight tomorrow." Alex bit her trembling lip.

"But it's Thanksgiving. Adam is here. It's Jade's first thanksgiving." She said.

"I know, Sweetheart." She said, "But it's to dangerous to go out there." Alex sighed deeply, "It breaks my heart I'm missing it, Alex. I'm sure you cooked a wonderful spread."

"I did." Alex mumbled.

"Save me a plate, okay Darling?" She asked. Alex nodded.

"All right." Alex said, "Go get settled in the hotel or something and we'll be waiting for you tomorrow."

"All right. I'm sorry, Alex."

"I'm sorry too." Alex hung up the phone, "Her flight got grounded and she'll be here tomorrow."

"Oh." Ty said, "So, we can eat?" Alex shot him a look, but nodded.

"Yeah we can eat." She said.

* * *

Ty tied the bib around Jade's neck. They didn't want her to get potatoes all over the dress. Alex sat down next to her brother who was salivating.

"We should say a prayer." Adam said. Ty looked at Alex.

"Okay, I will." They all held each other's hands and bowed their heads. "We are gathered around this table to celebrate our thanks. We've been blessed with so much this year and we have plenty to be thankful for May we bless this food that lies before us and may it nourish our bodies and souls. Bless you our heavenly father. Amen."
"Amen." The men both said. Alex smiled shyly at them.

"Let's eat." She said.

December 9th, 2003

Ty settled back in his chair, keeping an eye on Jade in the corner of his eye. Alex was working over time, so it was just he and his daughter. He flipped on the TV and grinned when he saw a football came on.

"Broncos. It'll have to do." He popped open his Pepsi and reclined in the chair. Ty glanced down at Jade. She was playing with her tiny little activity bar above her head. Ty looked back at the TV.

"Oh come on. Don't flag him." Ty groaned at the TV. "Stupid idiot." Ty shook his head. Some of these players were ridiculous. They couldn't make a touchdown if their life depended on it. Jade giggled softly and rolled onto her stomach. Her blue eyes looked at her father, who was still paying attention to the game. She slowly pulled herself up onto her knees. Her palms were planted firmly on the rug. Her head wobbled slightly as she eyed the door. She slowly moved her arms and her legs. She started to move on her own for the very first time.

"Oh come on!!" TY growled at the TV. Jade glanced back but kept on moving. She made her way unsteadily into the hallway. A small bug crawled in front of her. She giggled and started to follow it. Her pudgy lugs started to move faster as they got used to the motion. Ty looked down at the blanket.

"Shit!" He jumped up and bolted out of the room, "Jade! Where did you run off to?" He looked underneath the hallway tables, "Jade! You're not supposed to move yet!" He ran into the kitchen, "Jade Olivia Davis, where are you?" He heard a little giggle come from the cupboard. He bent down on opened it. Jade was giggling as the bug crawled all over her hand.

"Jade, you're almost six months old. You can't be at this crawling and hiding stage yet." He said smacking the bug off of her hand and squished it with his thumb. Jade's little lip started to tremble as Ty picked her up. She started to scream struggling in his arms.

"Jade, please stop." He growled going to the fridge. Ty opened it with his foot and grabbed one of her bottle. "I'm sorry, but you can't be crawling all over the place. The gates aren't up and they're suppose to protect you." Jade continued to scream and struggle in his arms.

"What on Earth is going on in here?" Alex asked as she walked into her house, "Are you murdering our daughter? I could hear her all the way outside."

"She crawled away and hide. I found her and she just started to scream." Ty groaned. Alex walked over and took her daughter.

"Come here, ladybug." Alex walked out of the kitchen and to the living room, "You just need to relax." She sat down and cradled Jade in her arms. Jade grabbed at her chest as her sobs started to ease. "Yes yes. You're just hungry, huh?" Ty sat down across from Alex and watched her breastfeed Jade. The baby was whimpering as she ate.

"How do you do that?" Ty asked, "She always calmed down when she's with you."

"It's a mother's touch, I suppose." She shrugged.

"What about a father's touch?" Ty asked.

"You have that and she'll need that too." Alex said, "There's different times she needs different parents." Ty sighed slightly.

"I know that." He said. "I guess, I should be lucky I don't have anyone biting my nipples."

"Just me." Alex winked playfully. Ty's eyes twinkled at his fiancée, "Oh no. Not yet. Jade's awake and I need a bath after the day I had."

"Hmmm….A bath. That sounds wonderful." Ty grinned. Alex giggled looking down at Jade. Maybe she'd have a long enough nap so she and Ty could have some quality time together.