"What do you mean you didn't ask him?" JR asked. "What are you
waiting for?"
"You haven't seen Dad lately," Jamie said. "He doesn't seem himself.at all. Look JR, maybe I shouldn't go."
"Sure you should go."
"I don't fell right going and leaving him like this."
"You've been hanging around Joni too long. Start doing stuff because you feel like doing it."
"You mean like you?" Jamie asked crossly.
"What's your problem?" JR asked him. " I guess I was right. Saint Joni is rubbing off on you."
"Leave her out of this JR, or I swear, I'll."
"You'll what? Huh? You'll slug me? Go for it, James," JR said, sticking his chin out, pointing at it. "Let's see what you've got."
Jamie felt his fists clench at his sides. He wanted so much just to haul off and put JR in his place. But he took a deep breath and stuck his hands in his pockets.
"I'm not going to fight you, JR. Some other time maybe."
"What?" JR said, following Jamie as he started to walk away. "Where are you going, Jamie, huh?"
"The same place you should be going," Jamie said without turning to face him. "Martin Family tree trimming."
"Yeah, well go ahead," JR said, walking back. "Go hang those stupid little glass ornaments. I'm not much in the spirit this year."
Jamie stopped and turned back to JR, who had taken a seat. "You can't just not show up," Jamie said.
"Watch me," JR said. Jamie sat down next to him. There was silence for a moment before JR spoke again. "Mom loved the holidays," he said. "Her favorite time of the year." He paused. "This is the first Christmas without her here."
"The holidays are hard on you too," Jamie said. "Look I'm sorry JR I didn't think."
"No. I guess you didn't. Did you Jamie?" JR tried to stay tough and seem macho, but Jamie could tell that he was hurting. "This year, I just want to stay as far away from Pine Valley as I possibly can. I don't want anything to do with any phony family garbage, or.people feeling sorry for me just because she's gone. I don't want that, Jamie. Don't you get it?"
"Sure I get it." Jamie said, turning towards him. "She was your mother, JR. But you're not the only one who lost her. You're not the only one who's hurting this Christmas. We all need eachother to get through this."
"Another lesson you learned from Joni?" JR asked.
"No," Jamie answered. "I've seen how you and Dad both deal with this.. You two were the closest to her. You were, JR. And I know that we need eachother, because it still hurts. Especially now. We need to be the family that Dixie loved. For her, JR. For your mom." Jamie stood and faced him. "So what do you say? Forget the concert. Let's go hang some stupid little glass ornaments."
Ruth Martin made her way to open the front door. A smile appeared on her face as she swung it inward.
"Ho Ho Ho," Jake said as he and Greenlee entered. He kissed his mother. "It's starting to snow." Jake paused and smelled the air. "Boy, it smells great in here."
"We've been baking cookies all week," Ruth said. "Of course, if you came to visit a little more often..."
"I know, I know," Jake smiled. "With all the work I've had at the hospital..."
"My son the doctor. That job will be the death of you."
"I keep telling him to take some time off," Greenlee said.
"Men are stubborn, dear," Ruth said, lightly touching her arm. She looked at Jake. "You're brother's in the kitchen, why don't you go tell him you're here." Jake didn't move for a moment, but then slowly began to make his way into the kitchen. Greenlee went to follow him when Ruth spoke again. "Greenlee," she said. "Would you help me get the ornaments out of storage?"
Greenlee took a deep breath. She wanted to say no, but she knew that this was just a ploy to get the brothers alone together in the same room. "Sure," Greenlee finally said.
Jake walked into the kitchen and saw Tad standing over the stove. He wasn't doing anything, just standing there.
"Hey," Jake said as the door closed behind him.
"Hey," Tad said, turning briefly to face him.
The silence in the room was awkward and deafening. Jake walked over to Tad and leaned up against the counter top. They didn't say anything to eachother for a long time. The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife.
"Look, Tad," Jake finally broke the silence. "What I said to you in the apartment... I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it."
"Yeah," Tad said. "I know you didn't."
"It's just that..." Jake began to walk around the room. "This whole thing has got me so... freaked." He paused and looked at Tad. "Forgive me? Please."
Tad approached Jake and threw his arms around him. "I wouldn't be a good brother if I didn't forgive you. Besides, I've got some stuff of mine in your apartment. How else am I going to get it out of there?" They both smiled, still in an embrace as the kitchen door pushed open and Greenlee stuck her head in.
"Well, nothing's broken, so I guess the coast is clear," Greenlee said as se walked further into the kitchen. "Brooke just got here."
"Go on," Jake said to Tad. Greenlee walked closer to Jake as Tad exited the kitchen.
We still have a little time before everything is set for the trimming," Greenlee said, wrapping her arms around him.
"I know," Jake said. "That's why I think now would be a good time."
"For what?" Greenlee asked as Jake took her hand and led her outside. The snow had begun to coat the ground and it was really starting to feel like Christmas.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jake asked her. Greenlee smiled. "And I'm here watching the snow fall with the most beautiful woman around."
"Oh, Jake."
Jake turned so that they were face to face. "I knew from the moment I first saw you," he said. "Through everything we've faced, everything we've gone through in the past, I knew that no matter what happened, I would never stop loving you. You're the light of my life...I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Jake reached into his pocket. As tears welled up in Greenlee's eyes, Jake got down on one knee. "Greenlee Smythe. Would you make me the luckiest man in the world? Will you marry me?"
"Oh, my God," Greenlee said as her hands went up to her mouth. She was crying even harder now. "Yes. Yes," she said through her tears. Jake slowly slipped the diamond on her finger as her right hand wiped her eyes.
Greenlee looked down at the ring and then embraced Jake once again. "I love you so much," she said. "I wish we could stay like this forever."
"As long as I'm with you, Greenlee, I have all that I'll ever need."
Their eyes met briefly and Jake's hand came up and gently ran over her cheek. He lowered his head and their lips locked. As the snow continued to fall, the same desire went through Jake's mind. He wished that they could stay like that forever.
"You haven't seen Dad lately," Jamie said. "He doesn't seem himself.at all. Look JR, maybe I shouldn't go."
"Sure you should go."
"I don't fell right going and leaving him like this."
"You've been hanging around Joni too long. Start doing stuff because you feel like doing it."
"You mean like you?" Jamie asked crossly.
"What's your problem?" JR asked him. " I guess I was right. Saint Joni is rubbing off on you."
"Leave her out of this JR, or I swear, I'll."
"You'll what? Huh? You'll slug me? Go for it, James," JR said, sticking his chin out, pointing at it. "Let's see what you've got."
Jamie felt his fists clench at his sides. He wanted so much just to haul off and put JR in his place. But he took a deep breath and stuck his hands in his pockets.
"I'm not going to fight you, JR. Some other time maybe."
"What?" JR said, following Jamie as he started to walk away. "Where are you going, Jamie, huh?"
"The same place you should be going," Jamie said without turning to face him. "Martin Family tree trimming."
"Yeah, well go ahead," JR said, walking back. "Go hang those stupid little glass ornaments. I'm not much in the spirit this year."
Jamie stopped and turned back to JR, who had taken a seat. "You can't just not show up," Jamie said.
"Watch me," JR said. Jamie sat down next to him. There was silence for a moment before JR spoke again. "Mom loved the holidays," he said. "Her favorite time of the year." He paused. "This is the first Christmas without her here."
"The holidays are hard on you too," Jamie said. "Look I'm sorry JR I didn't think."
"No. I guess you didn't. Did you Jamie?" JR tried to stay tough and seem macho, but Jamie could tell that he was hurting. "This year, I just want to stay as far away from Pine Valley as I possibly can. I don't want anything to do with any phony family garbage, or.people feeling sorry for me just because she's gone. I don't want that, Jamie. Don't you get it?"
"Sure I get it." Jamie said, turning towards him. "She was your mother, JR. But you're not the only one who lost her. You're not the only one who's hurting this Christmas. We all need eachother to get through this."
"Another lesson you learned from Joni?" JR asked.
"No," Jamie answered. "I've seen how you and Dad both deal with this.. You two were the closest to her. You were, JR. And I know that we need eachother, because it still hurts. Especially now. We need to be the family that Dixie loved. For her, JR. For your mom." Jamie stood and faced him. "So what do you say? Forget the concert. Let's go hang some stupid little glass ornaments."
Ruth Martin made her way to open the front door. A smile appeared on her face as she swung it inward.
"Ho Ho Ho," Jake said as he and Greenlee entered. He kissed his mother. "It's starting to snow." Jake paused and smelled the air. "Boy, it smells great in here."
"We've been baking cookies all week," Ruth said. "Of course, if you came to visit a little more often..."
"I know, I know," Jake smiled. "With all the work I've had at the hospital..."
"My son the doctor. That job will be the death of you."
"I keep telling him to take some time off," Greenlee said.
"Men are stubborn, dear," Ruth said, lightly touching her arm. She looked at Jake. "You're brother's in the kitchen, why don't you go tell him you're here." Jake didn't move for a moment, but then slowly began to make his way into the kitchen. Greenlee went to follow him when Ruth spoke again. "Greenlee," she said. "Would you help me get the ornaments out of storage?"
Greenlee took a deep breath. She wanted to say no, but she knew that this was just a ploy to get the brothers alone together in the same room. "Sure," Greenlee finally said.
Jake walked into the kitchen and saw Tad standing over the stove. He wasn't doing anything, just standing there.
"Hey," Jake said as the door closed behind him.
"Hey," Tad said, turning briefly to face him.
The silence in the room was awkward and deafening. Jake walked over to Tad and leaned up against the counter top. They didn't say anything to eachother for a long time. The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife.
"Look, Tad," Jake finally broke the silence. "What I said to you in the apartment... I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it."
"Yeah," Tad said. "I know you didn't."
"It's just that..." Jake began to walk around the room. "This whole thing has got me so... freaked." He paused and looked at Tad. "Forgive me? Please."
Tad approached Jake and threw his arms around him. "I wouldn't be a good brother if I didn't forgive you. Besides, I've got some stuff of mine in your apartment. How else am I going to get it out of there?" They both smiled, still in an embrace as the kitchen door pushed open and Greenlee stuck her head in.
"Well, nothing's broken, so I guess the coast is clear," Greenlee said as se walked further into the kitchen. "Brooke just got here."
"Go on," Jake said to Tad. Greenlee walked closer to Jake as Tad exited the kitchen.
We still have a little time before everything is set for the trimming," Greenlee said, wrapping her arms around him.
"I know," Jake said. "That's why I think now would be a good time."
"For what?" Greenlee asked as Jake took her hand and led her outside. The snow had begun to coat the ground and it was really starting to feel like Christmas.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jake asked her. Greenlee smiled. "And I'm here watching the snow fall with the most beautiful woman around."
"Oh, Jake."
Jake turned so that they were face to face. "I knew from the moment I first saw you," he said. "Through everything we've faced, everything we've gone through in the past, I knew that no matter what happened, I would never stop loving you. You're the light of my life...I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Jake reached into his pocket. As tears welled up in Greenlee's eyes, Jake got down on one knee. "Greenlee Smythe. Would you make me the luckiest man in the world? Will you marry me?"
"Oh, my God," Greenlee said as her hands went up to her mouth. She was crying even harder now. "Yes. Yes," she said through her tears. Jake slowly slipped the diamond on her finger as her right hand wiped her eyes.
Greenlee looked down at the ring and then embraced Jake once again. "I love you so much," she said. "I wish we could stay like this forever."
"As long as I'm with you, Greenlee, I have all that I'll ever need."
Their eyes met briefly and Jake's hand came up and gently ran over her cheek. He lowered his head and their lips locked. As the snow continued to fall, the same desire went through Jake's mind. He wished that they could stay like that forever.