Chapter 84: Bingo!
Jamie wakes up bright and early like he normally does. He quietly slips out of bed so as not to wake his sleeping wife and heads into their shared bathroom. He quickly goes to the bathroom, brushes his teeth and splashes some water on his face before changing into his jogging gear. Today is his first jog in his new neighborhood and he is looking forward to it!
When ready he quietly slips out of his bedroom shutting the door and pads down the hall down the stairs. He heads for the study and opens the safe to pull out his off duty weapon and shield. He closes the safe and heads back out into the living room affixing both to his waist as he goes when suddenly he hears a noise coming from further in the back of the house. Thinking he should be the only one up at this hour, he flips into cautious cop mode. He doesn't pull his weapon but he unclips the strap and keeps his hand close as he carefully walks towards the noise. He rounds the corner and almost runs right into Rosa as she comes around the corner the other way startling them both.
"Oh my god!" Rosa cries out as she immediately removes the earbuds from her ears "Don't do that!"
"Me?" Jamie tosses back in a hush "I thought there was an intruder in the house!" he states as he immediately reaffixes the strap over his gun.
Rosa's eyes go wide at noticing his actions.
"Don't worry, I ask before I shoot." Jamie promises "What are you doing up so early?"
"Morning's are me time before a certain 10 year old wakes up." Rosa explains "I can put my earbuds in, listen to some tunes and get a jump on the day before all hell breaks loose. You?"
"I usually go for a jog." Jamie explains.
"Okay well guess we all have to get used to each other's routines." Rosa states as her eyes once again drift to Jamie's weapon "You never leave home without those do you?" She adds as she gestures to the gun and shield "Even if it's just a jog?"
"Never." Jamie confirms.
"Okay well have fun." Rosa offers.
"You too." Jamie replies before turning and heading for the front door. When he reaches it he opens it and the second he does the beep of the alarm sounds. "Right." he mutters not used to having to disarm that yet as he turns to head back to the keypad but Rosa reaches over to deactivate it instead.
"I got it." Rosa quietly calls.
Jamie gives her a thumbs up then disappears out the door leaving Rosa to look after him now deep in thought.
….
A little while later, Eddie comes down the stairs yawning on her way to the kitchen. She notices Rosa sitting at the kitchen island absently drinking her coffee as she stares off into space deep in thought.
"Morning." Eddie greets bring Rosa back to earth.
Rosa flashes her a smile "Morning."
"Everything okay?" Eddie questions – her cop instincts tingling…
"Um yeah." Rosa replies.
"Rosa…" Eddie prompts in a warning tone.
Ross huffs out a laugh "That right there." She admits "You're a cop. Jamie's a cop. I mean I knew that. I've always known that but…"
"But…" Eddie questions as she moves to get herself a glass of water.
"With that that means there are now guns in my house." Rosa states "Your house." She quickly corrects.
For a moment, Eddie stills her movement "Oh." She breathes out in realization before turning to face her new housemate "Rosa, Jamie and I are very diligent will gun safety. We always have been. We never leave them out or unattended. They are either in the safe or attached to us."
"Well… that's good to know." Rosa admits as the front door opens and Jamie comes back in from his run.
"Hey." he greets as he walks towards the kitchen "Didn't expect you to be up yet." he tells his wife.
"Baby's thirty." Eddie explains as she watches Rosa's eyes drift over to the gun on Jamie's hip "Jamie…" Eddie begins "I think Rosa is realizing she might have a few concerns about our guns now that we are all living together."
"Oh. Okay." Jamie simply accepts "What are they?"
Again Rosa flashes a smile "Nevermind. Don't worry about it. It's fine." She dismisses.
"Um no its not." Jamie rejects "It you have concerns you need to tell us." he earnestly states "Come on. Cards on the table."
Rosa takes a deep breath "Gun are everywhere these days. I know that. They even do mass shooter drills in schools now it just… now they're in my home – your home." She corrects again.
"It's our home Rosa." Eddie corrects "You live here too."
"Well I guess I'm just realizing I can't live with my head in the sand anymore." Rosa sighs.
Jamie curiously studies Rosa "You know my Dad first took me to the firing range when I was 8." he states "I was taught how to properly handle and shoot a gun and the responsibility that comes with that."
"8 huh?" Rosa sighs again.
"8." Jamie reaffirms.
"Rosa, do you know how to handle a gun?" Eddie curiously inquires.
"No." Rosa admits.
Jamie and Eddie exchange a look.
"Rosa…" Jamie slowly states "You know Manny had a gun on him when I arrested him… right?"
An unhappy look appears on Rosa's face "Oh I know but he swears he never brought it into the apartment."
Silence.
"Rosa." Eddie slowly begins "Maybe its time both you and Mia learnt..."
Rosa heavily sighs knowing where Eddie is going with that sentence.
"It's up to you Rosa…" Jamie chimes in "…but if you want, Eddie and I can take you and Mia to the range and teach you. It's better to know and never use it then not know and need it or worse have an accident happen because of improper use or handling – besides, if Mia wants to be a police officer – she has to learn eventually."
Again, Rosa sighs but then nods her head yes…
…..
Henry is just shutting the oven door in the Reagan Family kitchen when the backdoor opens and Jamie and Eddie enter "Well if it isn't our newest pair of homeowners! Still alive after the move I see."
"Barely." Eddie groans out.
"You?" Danny challenges as he enters the kitchen from the other direction. He puts his hand on his lower back and stretches trying to milk some sympathy "Pretty sure it was me and Jamie moving all the boxes ten times over. Pretty stiff now I'll have you know."
"Hmmm." Eddie muses as she looks at her brother in law, puts her Sergeant hat on and plays a little hard ball "Do I need to send you for a physical refit test?"
Danny looks at his sister in law unimpressed before looking at his grandfather "This is the thanks I get for helping them move."
"Oh I'm kidding." Eddie promises "You started it." She tacks on "But thank you for helping." she sincerely offers to her brother in law.
"You're welcome." Danny accepts "So how was the first night?"
"It was good." Jamie admits "Went for a run this morning, got some more unpacking done."
"Any your new housemates?" Henry inquires.
"Mia loves it." Jamie admits "Rosa…"
"Uh oh." Henry breathes out "Trouble already?"
"Rosa kinda realized we both carry guns." Eddie reveals.
Danny looks at his brother and sister in law a bit sideways "She's just realizing that NOW?"
"We know." Eddie sighs.
"We offered to take both her and Mia to the range to learn." Jamie adds.
Danny nods in agreement "Probably smart."
"Definitely smart." Henry confirms.
…..
"Hah!" Sean exclaims in excitement as he sits around the dinner table with the rest of the Reagans looking at his Baby Blue bingo card in front of him "Bingo! I won!"
Everyone looks over at him.
Eddie reaches her hand out requesting his card "Let's see."
Sean hands it to her.
Eddie looks it over "That is complete, yes." She confirms "Anyone else?" She inquires as she looks around the table.
Everyone either pouts or shakes their head or grumbles no.
"Alright then Sean." Eddie begins "I do hereby officially declare you the winner!" she announces before looking over in thought and blowing out a breath of air "But you and Henry already gave the baby the coolest thing ever with that treehouse." She admits.
"We know!" Henry proudly boasts displaying his trademark grin.
Frank loudly clears this throat.
"Oh I'm getting to it!" Henry chides his son before turning his attention to Jamie and Eddie "You see Eddie, it didn't matter which one of us actually came up with the bingo because every single person at this table chipped in to pay for the treehouse."
Jamie and Eddie get shocked and surprised looks on their faces "You did?" Eddie questions as she looks around the table.
"We did." Everyone replies in unison.
"So now…" Sean adds as he reaches down under the table between himself and Henry…
"As requested…" Danny adds…
"We present to you…" Frank tacks on…
"The finishing piece for the treehouse…" Erin adds…
"Which was built by…" Sean continues as he pulls out a wooden plaque matching the treehouse…
"The Baby Blue Bingo Winner's Association." Henry finishes.
And there on the plaque Jamie and Eddie read exactly that
"This Treehouse was built by The Baby Blue Bingo Winner's Association Coop Est. 2023"
Eddie's face turns into a super emotional pout "Oh you guys!" She whines while Jamie gets a small but slightly overwhelmed smile on his face "This is why you built the treehouse?" She continues now feeling extremely guilty "I mean when I said the gift had to be meaningful I was thinking… thinking… oh I don't know what I was thinking but it wasn't this!"
Henry arrogantly grins "Go big or go home!"
"But we didn't do this for Nicky, Jack or Sean." Jamie points out.
Everyone around the table but Sean shrugs in deflection.
"I know." Sean instead states "So when I have a kid I'm going to want you to gift them the coolest car."
"Really Sean?" Erin flatly challenges "That's for the baby huh?"
"Hey like a baby can use a treehouse?" Sean tosses back in defense causing Eddie to huff out a laugh.
"Porsche or Chevelle." Sean flippantly tacks on to his Aunt and Uncle "I'm not picky."
"Oh my god." Danny groans in embarrassment as he places an elbow on the table and buries his face in his hands.
Sean turns to look at his father "Unless you want to give me your Mustang."
Danny lifts his head to look at his son "Well that would be unfair to Jack." he tosses back.
"Like it was unfair that first Joe and then Jamie got The Chevelle?" Henry points out to his oldest grandson "Didn't see you care much."
"True." Danny admits.
"Wait so not to start a family war or anything..." Eddie pipes up "You never wanted The Chevelle?" She curiously inquires to her brother in law.
"Would it have been nice?" Danny replies "Sure but I already had my Mustang and then when we had Jack and Sean it just wasn't practical."
"Right." Eddie notes and suddenly she and Jamie get a bit quiet.
"That's not to say you two can't keep The Chevelle and The Porsche." Frank points out "You have the garage space."
"No we know." Jamie admits.
"But we know we'll need a more practical vehicle too." Eddie adds.
"You're just dragging your feet on that." Erin deduces "Should have known!" she adds in laughter causing other members of the family to laugh too.
Eddie looks around confused "Why are you all laughing?"
"Cuz it's kinda your thing." Erin explains "Getting together – drag your feet. Have a baby – drag your feet. Move into your house – drag your feet. Get a family friendly vehicle – drag your feet!"
"Don't forget how long it took him to become a Sergeant." Danny adds as he points at his brother.
"That's Lieutenant." Jamie bites back.
Danny snickers "So bets on how long it takes them to get a minivan?" he goads.
"Oh my god, NO!" Eddie rejects "No minivans!"
"Hey those things are pretty stylish now." Danny defends "Don't knock it until you've driven one."
"Really?" Jamie challenges.
"No they are god awful." Danny admits "But you do anything for your kids."
"Awwwwww."" Sean mocks.
Danny gets an unimpressed look on his face then points at his son "All so they can turn around and do that to you."
"Here! Here!" Erin pipes up in agreement.
"Kids these days…" Henry tacks on "No respect. Now in my day…"
"WE KNOW!" Frank, Danny, Erin and Jamie all reply with a laugh.
"My Mom has decided she wants to be called Grand MaMa." Eddie suddenly announces out of blue as she pushes food around on her plate "And my Dad will be Grand PaPa."
All eyes at the table turn to look at her.
Jamie looks up and over at his Father "You already have a claim on the Grandpa title." he helpfully explains "So they don't want the baby to get confused."
"Oh well then." Frank accepts not really sure what else to say…
"Makes perfect sense." Danny agrees as he looks at his sister with a "I'm I the only one that finds that weird?" look.
"Complete sense." Erin tacks on while giving Danny a "No." look.
Silence.
"Is that a Serbian thing?" Sean can't help but curiously inquire.
"Ah no." Eddie rejects.
"It's a Lena thing." Jamie adds causing Frank, Erin and Danny to all suddenly completely understand.
"Grand PaPa." Henry suddenly announces in thought "I like it!"
Everyone at the table turns to look at Henry.
Henry shrugs before pointing at a plate at the far end of the table "Pass the roast."
...
