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3. Scissors

Monday morning, Carly stood in front of her full length mirror, tugging at her dress and ruthlessly sticking another bobby pin in her hair.

"Careful there...you're going to hurt someone with that." Jack came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed the column of her neck. "Nervous?" he asked, gazing into the mirror to meet her eyes.

"Shaking like a leaf," Carly admitted, surveying herself and removing her fourth pair of earrings, exchanging them with the pair she'd already tried on and rejected twice.

"Stop," Jack admonished, handing her the simple pearl and crystal drop earrings she'd worn on their last wedding day, knowing the symbolism would soothe her tattered nerves. "The hard part is over. This is just ceremonial."

"My heart is pounding so hard I can hardly think."

"I'm flattered."

Carly's lips flattened together, as she elbowed him ever so lightly. "I'm officially opening True North Designs in two hours. I feel like throwing up, Jack. And throwing up all over the mayor isn't going to make the best impression."

"You've already been working out of there for a month. You had to move into a space because there was no way you could keep up with the orders working out of here. This? This is just taking scissors to a piece of ribbon and getting your picture taken."

"It's more than that," Carly replied, arching an eyebrow. "It's being in business, Jack...and we know how that always works out for me."

"You're working with Rosanna, who you trust completely. With Lily and Worldwide's publicity relations department behind you, I think you're going to be the talk of the industry. Again."

"Meanwhile, my children are neglected and my husband forgets what I look like?"

"Now you're just talkin' crazy. That's you hired the best of B.R.O.'s staff, and an experienced nanny. As for your husband..." Jack laid his cheek against her head and laced their fingers together. "He knows where you work. And just when you need distracting."

Carly turned around, rewarding him with a kiss on the neck. "How's your ankle?"

"Good as new."

She gave him a disbelieving look, having noted the way he'd grimaced getting out of bed in the morning. "I'm sorry-"

"You keep saying that," Jack said, stumped.

"Well, if I hadn't-if I'd realized-if I weren't-"

"Would you spit it out?"

"You know I get a little...I don't always think straight," Carly let out with a sigh. "And you didn't-we hadn't-you acted like it was just another day."

"When?" Jack questioned. "Like what was another day? Our anniversary? Carly, I didn't forget. I couldn't have, we talked. You knew I was making plans."

"Not that-before," Carly said, twirling her finger in a backward motion. "I had my appointment with Dr. Schiller, and nothing."

"Nothing? Carly-I was finishing up a week on night shift, we've got a house full of kids. You're starting a new business...and we've got a newborn with colic."

"I know. But when I think, I know we're all over the place and this deflated beachball around my middle-" she stopped, tugging at her dress again. "But an entire week, and we couldn't find time to-"

"It was eight days, Carly. And the last two nights, I was ready to jump you after I laid the baby down, but you were already dead to the world." Jack laid a finger under her chin, tipping her face up to look at him. "It's a lot more fun together. Or did you forget yesterday morning already?" he asked huskily.

"No," she said, softly, reddening. "But if we'd been safely in bed, it would have been Saturday night."

"You're right," he agreed lustily. "You owe me one," he said, picking her up and falling with her to the mattress.

"Jaaack," she shrieked. Half in disbelief, half in delight as he buried his head against her neck and blew raspberries. "Stop," she said unconvincingly, as she clung to and shifted her body under his. "It's gonna take an hour-"

"It's not gonna take nearly that long," Jack said roughly.

"Mom! Dad!"

Sage's voice cut through the moment and any thoughts headed in an intimate direction.

"Yeah, honey, we're in here," Carly called out as Jack rolled off her and they both sat on the edge of the bed, trying to look casual.

"The boys won't help," Sage complained, handing Carly a bundle of cooing baby. "And I need to get ready."

"Go ahead," Carly replied, cradling the infant in her arms. "Mrs. Driessen isn't here yet?" The nanny they'd hired had come with the best of recommendations-straight from Emma herself.

"Not yet," Sage replied, sailing from the room.

"I don't think your sister is happy with you," Jack said lightly, running his fingertip over a chubby cheek, and being rewarded with soft baby laughter.

"Nonsense," Carly replied, rocking slightly. "Your big sister's just anxious to get ready. She's been really excited about the opening."

Jack propped himself up on an elbow as Carly leaned the baby back against her thighs. "She's perfect, isn't she?"

"From the minute she was born," Carly agreed.

Jackie Avalon Snyder had arrived nearly three weeks early on May first. Like her father, she was brown-eyed with dark, curling hair. Like her mother, she was the center of attention, making the WOAK newscast the night of her birth, arriving as she did in the Nancy Hughes McCloskey Memorial Garden, which had just been dedicated that morning.

Carly, having been told she'd only experienced false labor pains, had been cooling off in the garden's serene atmosphere when labor had started in earnest. Luckily for her, Dr. Robert Hughes had been strolling through the garden dedicated to his mother's memory, waiting to give the WOAK crew a short interview. When Jack found his wife, the reliable Doctor had the situation well in hand. As Kim went to get a nurse, Jack held her hand, and Bob delivered the five pound, three ounce baby girl.

While her father had put up a half-hearted objection, her mother simply smiled and reminded her father he'd once proclaimed what a good name Jackie was for a child. Thus Jackie was named after her father and the place their someday had become their now.

She was the light of her mother's life and the apple of her father's eye.

"Mom! Dad!" Parker's heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs seconds before he burst into the bedroom without bothering with any early morning pleasantries.

"I've gotta go pick up Faith," he announced. "JJ's still not back from his run, and Sage is Sage," he added with a hint of exhaustion at his teenage sister's attitude. "So, I'll see you later," he said, handing off another bundle into Jack's arms.

"Oh, and I think he left you a present," Parker added with a none-to-upset grin.

Jack sniffed at the young Carson Robert Snyder's diaper, and came to the same conclusion, wrinkling his nose to comic proportions.

"You can't say he's not generous," Carly cracked.

"Who, Parker or Carson?" Jack inquired, easing off the bed with his son in search of a fresh diaper.

"Either," Carly laughed, tickling her daughter's feet while making faces at her son peeping out over Jack's shoulder.

Carson Robert Snyder had arrived ten minutes after his sister, giving her a few moments with them before claiming their attention with his own debut. Like his mother, he was blonde and blue-eyed; like his father, he was definitely the quieter, calmer half of the duo. Although he could make his opinion known with one loud burst.

He was the light of his father's life and the apple of his mother's eye.

And both Jackie and Carson had their parents (and older siblings) wrapped around their little fingers.

There had been much dicussion over his name. It was his father who arrived at the name Carson, with a little help from ESPN. As the debate raged on through the fall, winter and spring, Jack threw out names like Jordan, Michael, Jim, Walter, Scottie, Brian, Ernie and Dick. All of which, Carly pointed out with a little help from JJ, were names of Chicago sports stars.

"Still good names," Jack had insisted.

"Ernie?"

"Ernie Banks, Ernie Els-"

"Bert and Ernie," Carly finished. "I don't think I want my child named after a Muppet."

That had ended that discussion.

No decision had been made, and the early arrival only complicated the situation. After Carly and the twins were all resting comfortably, Jack had snuck down to the cafeteria for a sandwich and a pint of rocky road ice cream.

"Jack-congratulations again."

Jack looked into Dr. Bob's smiling face and shook his hand again. "I can't thank you enough, Bob."

"Well, Carly did most of the work," Bob replied with his usual amount of cheerful modesty. "Is the Snyder household ready for a double helping of sleepless nights and bottle duty?"

"I think so," Jack said with a little trepidation. "Everyone's anxious to meet them. We'll put them to work whenever we can," he laughed.

"I'm sure the kids are all thrilled. And Emma will be over the moon to meet-did you name them yet?"

"Our daughter is Jackie. We can't agree on a boy's name."

"Well, I have to admit," Bob started, tugging his ear, "that was always a task I left to my wife at the time. When they asked what I thought, I'd look thoughtfully into her eyes, and agree it was a perfect name. Absolutely perfect."

Jack laughed. "I'd try and pull that on Carly, but she'd be suspicious if I was too agreeable."

"It takes finesse," Bob agreed. "My forte was the ten p.m. 'til two a.m. shift. I found medical school was excellent training for it."

"Like stakeouts without the stale coffee and doughnuts."

"I see you know it well. I sat up many nights burping babies and watching The Tonight Show."

"Oh..." Jack mimicked a golf swing. "Heeerrreee's Johnny."

"Well, with Tom anyway-Jack Paar was host then."

"With Sage it was SportsCenter."

"Ah-the wonders of the modern age."

At this point, Kim joined them, sliding her arm through Bob's. "Hello, Jack. Mother and babies doing fine, I hope?"

"Yes, twenty fingers, twenty toes. Carly's resting comfortably. I was just thanking your husband for all his help."

"I was talking his ear off," Bob explained, noting the ring of frost on the pint of ice cream Jack had in his hand.

"Not at all-I was trying to pick his brain."

"And you know how that went, Baby Boy Snyder still needs a name." They all laughed, and then parted ways.

Jack slipped back into Carly's room, dark and quiet as she lay sleeping. He kissed her forehead lightly, and peeled back the lid from his ice cream as he clicked on the television. With no effort at all, he found ESPN. The lead story was the NFL lockout. And how it would affect free agents and trades like the one Carson Palmer had demanded.

Thus, their son was named for his mother, a man seeking to shape his own destiny, and the kindly doctor who helped bring him and his sister into the world.

In due time, Mrs. Driessen appeared; and Jack, Carly, JJ and Sage all ready to go to the grand opening of True North Designs. After one last check, the kids piled into the car, with Jack double checking the babies while Carly fretted in the hallway mirror.

"You're gorgeous," Jack assured her, holding her jacket for her to slip on.

"You always know exactly what to say," Carly said with a nervous laugh. "Thank you," she added, quickly kissing his cheek.

"I'm gonna hold your jacket all day long if that's my reward."

"Well, thanks for that too." Her cool blue eyes looked up into his. "I meant for has been the best year of my life. Every day I wake up knowing that no matter what happens, we're in it together. I spent years fearing tomorrow-waiting for something bad to happen because it always did. You showed me how to expect more from myself. And then you waited for me to get it right. I couldn't do any of this without you."

Jack cleared his throat, overcome. Smoothing her hair, he looked into her eyes and smiled. "I couldn't do this without you. You've held me together, you've shown me how to give my whole self. You taught me how to dream, and then helped make every one of them come true."

"We're pretty great together, huh?"

"We are," Jack nodded. "Now, let's get going before you cry, ruin that makeup and make us late."

"Always thinkin', huh, G-man?"

"Damn straight." He opened the door for her. "Wait," he said suddenly, grabbing her wrist. "You got it?"

Carly's lips formed a perfect O in embarrassment. She stepped back to the entryway desk, and opened the large middle drawer. "Can't forget you, can I?" she said softly, picking up their compass. "Are you sure you don't know how it got to that side of the pond, Jack?"

"Nope," he said, closing the door behind them. "It was just meant to be."