A year later...
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Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
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Lucien let himself into the house quietly and took off his coat and hat. He looked forward to coming home to his family every day, but this particular day would always be a bit special.
"Is that you, Lucien?" Jean's voice drifted through.
He patted his waistcoat pocket to check the box was still there, and headed towards the kitchen. He paused in the doorway to watch them for a moment. His son sat in his high chair, bashing the kitchen table with a spoon. He was the only person in the world who could get away with damaging Jean's table.
Jean herself was cooking. Most days of his life he found her at the stove, and as usual he walked up behind her and put his arms round her waist. As he kissed the side of her neck, a voice interrupted them.
"Dada!" Lucien swung round and winked at his boy.
"Tommy, give me a moment." The boy looked puzzled, not understanding, but stopped banging his spoon.
"Happy anniversary, Jean," Lucien said with a smile. He took a small box out of his pocket and held it out to her. Jean stepped away from the stove and wiped her hands on her apron, then opened the box.
Inside were some earrings, gold with a purple stone, amethyst probably, she thought. She kissed Lucien on the cheek, then thought better of it and kissed him properly. "Thank you, they're gorgeous. I'll put them on later when I've finished cooking."
He pulled her a bit closer, kissing her gently and breathing in the smell of her hair.
"Perhaps not as good a present as last year's though?" he asked, nodding towards Tommy.
"Well, no, but spending my wedding night in labour wasn't ideal. He was worth it though." She laughed at the memory of that day. At least they had managed to get married first, by a few hours. She smiled at her fair haired, blue eyed son, so like his father.
Lucien eased the baby out of the high chair and balanced him on his hip. This boy had truly captured his heart and changed his life. Putting his other arm around Jean, he thought again how lucky he really was.
"He is the best present I've ever had, Jean. Thank you."
She smiled at him quickly, then nodded at Charlie and Mattie as they arrived for dinner. Suddenly the kitchen was filled with activity. Charlie dished up the dinner with Jean, Mattie entertained the baby and Lucien set the table.
A couple of minutes later and they were all settled, and eating, and Jean paused for a moment, looking at them and knowing her family was complete. Lucien, her two older boys, Mattie, Charlie, and Tommy, and Amelia of course. Not all related, and not all at the table with them, but all her family. She glanced at Lucien and thought about Li and her daughter; perhaps they should make a trip to Hong Kong before long, and try to put that relationship right.
While Charlie cleared the table, Mattie sneaked into the laundry room where she had hidden the birthday cake. When she walked into the kitchen with it, Jean objected, but rather half heartedly.
"Oh, you didn't need to do that, Mattie. He's one, he doesn't know it's his birthday." Tommy's eyes were shining in the light from the solitary candle, and he was enjoying being the centre of attention.
"That's not the point," Mattie replied. "The day he was born was pretty special, and we should remember it!" The cake was quickly cut and shared, and Charlie and Mattie made their excuses and left.
Finally Jean had a moment to try on her new earrings and admire them in the mirror.
"Thank you," she said to Lucien again. "And thank you for Tommy. You were right, he was worth all the gossip and awkwardness, and sleepless nights. And I see you in him every day." Her smile melted him, as usual.
"Considering we never intended to have him, and then he nearly ruined our wedding day, he seems to have won us over," he replied, tongue in cheek, and then he kissed Jean in a way that promised more for later; maybe they should put the child to bed and have an early night themselves.
