A little bit of a time lapse here, but enjoy this chapter of sweet Jamko fluffiness as Jamie and Eddie spend Christmas together.
Summer turned to fall, and fall turned to winter, and Eddie was looking forward to her first Christmas in New York. It was extra special since she would spend it with Jamie and Gracie. Jamie was dragging box after box loaded with Christmas decorations to the living room while Eddie showed Gracie how to make her new Christmas pig sing and dance. This one annoyed Jamie as much as the other one did, and Eddie loved it.
As Jamie brought in the last of the boxes, Eddie began unpacking the first one. She was surprised at how many decorations he had. He said he always loved the holidays, and after he had Gracie, they have become his favorite. She wasn't old enough last year to appreciate all the lights, bells and bows, and he was looking forward to this year with her.
Eddie always loved this time of year too. Without her family here, she knew it wouldn't be the same, but she had Jamie and Gracie and they would be enough.
They are putting the finishing touches on the tree when Eddie reaches into the one small box of her own that she had brought with her from California and pulls out an ornament that belongs to her grandmother. Jamie notices a change in her demeanor as she stares at the small glass ball in her hand.
"You ok," he asks her, concerned.
She had been so excited about Christmas and the decorations, and now she seems upset, and he is confused. His question breaks her gaze and she looks over at him.
"Yeah," she sighs and smiles softly. "This just reminds me of my family," she says, as she holds the ornament out for him to see.
"This is the first Christmas that I won't see them, I just miss them, you know," she says quietly as she hangs the ornament on the tree and keeps going.
"I didn't get to go home for Thanksgiving and it has been a really long time since I've seen them, besides video calls," she laughs as she finishes since that is how she officially introduced Jamie to her mother and grandmother.
"Do you want to go home for Christmas," he asks her sincerely.
He was really hoping they would spend Christmas together, but he also can't stand to see her sad and just wants her to be happy. She smiles at his question and reaches out to wrap her arms around his neck, and his hands fall around her waist.
"No, I want to be here with you and Gracie," she promises as she leans in for a soft kiss.
Jamie was grateful for her confirmation, and he was determined to make it the best Christmas ever for her. He had the perfect gift in mind and a few weeks left to pull it off.
The rest of December flew by in a whirlwind. They had taken Gracie to visit Santa one afternoon, but she was terrified and wouldn't go to him without Eddie. Now Jamie's new favorite picture was his daughter and girlfriend on Santa's lap together. Jamie tried to make Eddie promise no more loud, annoying toys of any kind, but she wouldn't agree.
They were finally done shopping for the season and Jamie's gift for Eddie was falling perfectly into place. If everything remained as planned, Eddie should have the best Christmas ever.
It was finally Christmas Eve, and Eddie could tell Jamie had been anxious all day. She had asked him about it several times, but he would make up some ridiculous excuse about being as excited as Gracie. He didn't want to give anything away.
It was getting late, and closer to the arrival of her gift, when they decided to put a Christmas movie on, hopeful that would help Gracie wind down. She was just as anxious as her father, although not for the same reason.
Eddie had made hot chocolate for them, and Jamie picked out a movie, and the three of them were snuggled cozily together on the couch when halfway through Rudolph, the doorbell rang. Eddie was shocked at the dinging sound, wondering who it could possibly be at this time on Christmas Eve when she looked over to him for an answer.
"Your Christmas present is here."
He arched his eyebrows, smiling at her, and motioned for her to open the door. She stood from her place on the couch, careful not to disturb the toddler who was deeply engaged in the reindeer movie and gave Jamie a questioning look as she walked towards the door.
She wondered what he was up to but had absolutely no idea what she was about to discover on the other side. Jamie knew though, and he picked Gracie up and followed behind her.
The moment she opens the door, tears begin to fall as her mother and grandmother shout Merry Christmas.
"Oh my God! What are you doing here," she cries, trying to decide whether to step back and let them in from the cold or hug them right there on the porch.
Somehow, they manage both at the same time, and her mother and grandmother point over her shoulder at Jamie in response to her question, as they shut the door behind them. Eddie turns around immediately to find Jamie with Gracie on his hip and a wide grin on his face, proud of himself for pulling this off, but mostly happy to see her so happy.
Eddie is wiping tears of joy from her face as she approaches Jamie, throwing one arm around his neck and landing the other on Gracie's back.
"Merry Christmas," he tells her softly, and they meet for a gentle kiss.
Gracie is clapping her hands and giggling, and when Eddie pulls away, she gives the toddler a sweet peck on the forehead.
"You knew about this, didn't you," Eddie coos at the toddler and looks back at Jamie.
"Thank you," she says, soft and sincere.
They took the next few minutes for formal introductions among everyone since they had only met over a video call a few months before, and while Jamie took their things to his guest room, Eddie took Gracie back to her spot on the couch so she could finish her movie.
With all the excitement, the little girl was anxious again and insisted she start the movie from the beginning. Eddie knew it was going to be a long night, but she didn't care. She had the four most important people in her life together on Christmas Eve, and she had Jamie to thank for that.
Jamie returned to the living room first while Lena and Betty were getting settled and smiled at Eddie as she covered his daughter with a blanket, and the opening scene of Rudolph played on the screen for the second time that night.
Eddie walked towards him, meeting him behind the couch where Gracie snuggled. She wrapped her arms around his neck again, and he pulled her tight against him. His gestures still made her knees weak, especially tonight.
"I love you," she told him softly and with a grateful smile.
His affection for her was powerful, and she had never known anything like it before.
"I love you too," he told her just as softly, smiling sweetly at her.
He could tell how happy she was that her family was here, and that was all he wanted. They leaned in for a gentle kiss that lasted longer than either planned, and they broke apart at the sound of her mother and grandmother clearing their throats as they approached.
Lena and Betty smiled at each other as they continued towards the couple, they could tell how much Jamie cared for Eddie and how happy she was, and they loved him for his devotion to her.
Jamie made another batch of hot cocoa, and the four gathered around the living room. To Jamie's surprise, Gracie had fallen asleep. He really expected her to fight it longer with all the excitement, but it appeared to have taken a toll on her and she didn't last long, so he moved her to her bedroom.
Eddie wanted an explanation on how they all managed the surprise, and while Jamie moved Gracie, she asked them.
"How did you guys pull this off? Seriously, I had no idea. How did I have no idea?"
She really couldn't figure out how they kept the surprise. She had talked to her mother and grandmother at least once a week, and she either saw or spoke to Jamie daily.
"He called, said he needed our help, that he wanted to make your Christmas special," her mother said with joy in her eyes.
She was extremely grateful that her daughter had found someone so special who cared for her so deeply. Someone who treated her with respect and wanted nothing but her happiness. Her daughter had been through so much, and she deserved someone like Jamie.
"He really loves you, dear," Betty said as she rubbed her granddaughter's leg.
"I love him too grandma." Eddie's eyes were glowing, and both her mother and grandmother could tell how much she loved him.
"I have never felt this way about anyone before, it's crazy," Eddie confessed, unable to tame the grin on her face that continued to grow as she talked about him.
Lena and Betty looked behind Eddie as Jamie approached.
"I feel the same way," he said, matching her grin as he reached out to rub her shoulder before joining her on the couch.
In that moment, Eddie's mother and grandmother both knew she was in good hands in New York.
Their conversation carried on a little longer before they all grew tired and decided to get some sleep. They knew little Gracie would have them up in just a few hours. Lena and Betty were looking forward to Christmas morning in New York. Neither of them had spent one with a toddler since Eddie was small, and there was something about the pure joy and excitement of an innocent child on Christmas morning that made the day so much more enjoyable.
After Eddie walked her mother and grandmother to the guest room and hugged them good night, she joined Jamie in his room. He pulled the covers back for her to climb in the bed next to him, and she snuggled into his side, laying her head on his chest, and he wrapped one arm around her.
They were both exhausted and ready for sleep, but Eddie needed to thank him one more time. She looked up at him and gazed into his eyes.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"Really, Jamie. I can't believe you did this for me."
She was truly grateful for Jamie and wondered how she had gotten so lucky. He reached up to brush a loose strand of hair from her face, still holding her gaze.
"I will always do everything I can to make you happy, Eddie," he told her, his voice honest and sincere.
Still after so many months together, the man she was in love with made her stomach flutter again. Their lips met for a long, sensual kiss. It was the best way Eddie knew to express her feelings for him in that moment, and they quickly drifted to sleep, tangled in each other's arms.
Morning came, and mere minutes apart, each of the four adults joined together around Jamie's kitchen table. They enjoyed freshly brewed coffee in the Christmas mugs Eddie had picked out on one of their shopping trips, and they were all anxiously awaiting the pitter-patter of Gracie's little footsteps, all rather surprised that the toddler was still asleep.
"Should we just wake her up," Grandma Betty asked with excitement.
She really was looking forward to watching the toddler open her gifts, and Eddie thought it was adorable how excited her grandmother was. She didn't think she had ever seen her this excited before.
"No!," Jamie and Eddie exclaimed in unison, laughing at Betty, and the old lady pouted at their response.
"She is a bear if she doesn't wake up on her own. She'll be up soon," Jamie promised.
And he was right. A few minutes later, they all heard the sweet shouting sounds from Gracie echoing down the hallway and laughed together as Jamie went to get her.
Gathered around the beautifully decorated tree in the living room, Jamie sits on the floor with Gracie in between his legs, and the women enjoy the excitement of the toddler as she tears into her gifts with her father's help just a little.
There are a few presents left under the tree when Jamie reaches for a small square one handing it to Gracie and whispering something in her ear. Eddie, Lena, and Betty watch, impatiently waiting for Gracie to open the gift, when she stands with the box in her hand and toddles over to Eddie, reaching the gift out, offering it to her sweetly.
Eddie gracefully accepted the box from her favorite two-year-old and looks over at Jamie. She knows it is too soon for a proposal, but she can't help wondering. Lena and Betty think for sure it is a ring and silently encourage her to hurry up and open it.
Jamie knows he wants to spend the rest of his life with Eddie, but proposing on Christmas morning, surrounded by people, isn't his style. Eddie knows that too and begins to open the small gift wrapped in shiny silver paper, finished with a red ribbon and a tag that reads To Eddie, From Gracie and Jamie.
As soon as she takes out the black velvet box, she knows instantly by the shape that it isn't a ring, and she pushes open the top. Gracie is still standing between Eddie's legs when she sees the silver necklace inside the box. She smiles up at Jamie and wraps Gracie in a hug. The little girl giggles at the embrace, and Eddie's mother and grandmother watch in amusement, very curious about the gift that has yet to be revealed to them.
A few weeks earlier, Jamie had taken Gracie with him to pick out Eddie's gift. He knew he wanted to get her a piece of jewelry, and probably a necklace. He would get her a ring soon, but not for Christmas.
Jamie was standing in the jewelry store with Gracie on his hip, browsing the collection of pendants looking for the perfect one when he heard his daughter say piggie, as she pointed into the glass display case. When Jamie realized what his daughter had discovered, he knew it was the perfect gift.
A small platinum pig pendant with a diamond in the center. It was simple but elegant and perfect for Eddie, and he knew she would love it. They found a dainty chain for the pendant and Jamie took full advantage of the gift-wrapping service the store offered.
Watching Eddie's reaction to their gift, he knows he made the perfect choice. As she releases her hold on Gracie, she tells Jamie it is perfect and glances over at her mother and grandmother, who are still patiently waiting for the reveal.
She shows them the necklace, and both she and Jamie laugh at the puzzlement in their faces. They didn't understand the gift, but it is clear to them that there is meaningful sentiment behind it. They finish the remaining gifts, and Eddie's mother insists on making breakfast while they get ready to leave for Jamie's parents.
They arrived at Frank and Mary Reagan's a few hours later, and Gracie was greeted with a slew of new presents from her grandparents and aunt and uncle. Jamie's family had accepted Eddie's family with open hearts and were grateful for the additions around their table for Christmas dinner.
Lena and Betty jumped in to assist Mary with preparations, and she gladly accepted the company. Mary told them what a wonderful young woman Eddie was and how happy she made her son, and Lena and Betty shared their same feelings about Jamie.
All three of the older women knew it wouldn't be long before Jamie, Eddie, and Gracie would officially be a family, and each couldn't be happier.
While the older women were working in the kitchen, Eddie, Erin, and Gracie were enjoying Gracie's new toys, and Jamie, Danny, and their father were enjoying each other's company in the den, with a football game on in the background.
Later, the Reagan family that grew larger by three this Christmas, sat cramped around the table in their dining room, each one of them grateful for their blessings over the year, and especially grateful for the meal that had been prepared by Mary, Lena, and Betty.
They concluded their dinner indulging in Mary's famous apple pie made from scratch, of course, and a cheesecake Eddie had delivered to them from a Manhattan bakery. No one rushed the remainder of the evening, and they took pleasure in each other's company for as long as they could.
Lena and Betty were able to stay for a few more days before they had to travel back to California, and they all were so grateful for Jamie's generous gift this year. It wasn't just a gift for Eddie, he had made each one of their Christmases very special and had earned a special place in their hearts.
The two women left New York with joy for Eddie and the life she had built since moving there, and they knew Jamie was responsible for helping her put the nightmare from California behind her, even if he had no idea.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, hold on to your seat though, because it's about to get interesting.