Chapter 92: The Nursery Brigade
"What's up little bro?" Danny greets.
"I need help!" Jamie desperately blurts out in a rush.
Danny takes in the tone of his brother's voice and quickly determines its not his brother's 'CO in trouble on the job' voice but his 'you're my older brother and I need something' voice so knowing that, Danny simply questions "With?"
"The nursery!"
"Oh." Danny notes simply going with the flow "You need help with painting or moving in furniture or something?"
"I need help with all of it Danny!" Jamie hisses back in a panic "All of it! Eddie put me in charge of the nursery! The whole damn thing!" He rambles on "ME!"
Danny rolls his eyes at the dramatics "Okay calm down Kid, take a breath, get some air in those lungs okay?"
Jamie takes a deep breath.
"Good." Danny commends "Okay so we get some paint and we paint the walls. What color did you guys pick?"
"We didn't."
Danny scrunches his face up in slight confusion "Okay… you pick a theme?"
"Nope."
"Well why not?" Danny chides "What have you two been doing all this time?"
"Not a nursery!" Jamie spits back.
"Clearly." Danny flatly mutters now understanding why his brother is in such a panic.
"Oh I so don't have this Danny." Jamie tosses out as he feverishly shakes his head back and forth in rejection.
"Yes you do." Danny reassures him.
"No." Jamie immediately rejects "No I don't. I can't just pick this stuff myself Danny! What if Eddie hates it?"
"She won't hate it Jamie - nobody knows Eddie better then you do."
"But…"
"JAMIE!" Danny interrupts "You're a freaking Harvard Law graduate and a Lieutenant in the NYPD – there is nobody better to have this then you okay so stop freaking out and just do what you do best – use that brain of yours and THINK!"
A dead silence comes over the phone as Danny patiently waits for this brother's mind to work.
"The mobile." Jamie suddenly breathes out "I'll build it around the mobile she wanted."
"See there you go." Danny proudly commends.
"K meet me at the baby boutique in two hours." Jamie suddenly states "I'll text you the address."
"Wait, what?" Danny protests "No, I…" but Jamie just hangs up on him not letting him finish that sentence.
Hearing the phone disconnect, an annoyed look appears on Danny's face "The things I do for you Kid." he grumbles when true to Jamie's word, Danny's phone dings with a text of the address so Danny opens and reads it but then gets a thought "Well if I have to do this then so. do. you…" he mutters as he copies Jamie's text, opens a new text window and pulls up his sister's name…
E put J in charge of nursery. J freaking out so nursery shopping – here. he types as he pastes in the address two hours don't be late.
A couple of seconds later Danny's phone dings with a reply from Erin – all it is is hearts and smiley faces.
….
Still standing in Eddie's old room, Jamie pockets his phone then continues to look around the room "Don't panic…" He reminds himself "Think." and the more he stands there thinking an idea begins to formulate in his head so he makes a beeline for the door, throws it open and heads down the stairs "Hey have we unpacked the photo albums yet?" He asks as he heads back towards the kitchen and Eddie, Rosa and Mia "Where are those?"
"No, I think those are still in boxes." Eddie replies "Why?"
Jamie looks at his wife "Just to be 100% clear here, you want me to create the nursery with no input from you right?"
Rosa and Mia curiously look over.
Eddie nods "Yes." She confirms.
Jamie shrugs "Okay well then you just never mind why I want those photo albums but I want those photo albums – where are they?"
"Um I think I saw a box labeled photos in the dining room." Rosa offers as she starts to head that way "Here I'll show you."
"Thank you." Jamie accepts as he moves to follow and the second they get out of ear shot, Rosa glances back towards Eddie to be sure she couldn't hear before looking at Jamie "YOU'RE creating the nursery?"
Jamie sighs "Looks like."
"What's your plan?" Rosa tentatively inquires, she herself not at all sure this is a good idea either…
"Well there was this one mobile in the store Eddie liked the last time we were in there so I was going to try to maybe built it around that but then I thought since we are turning her old room into our nursery I want to look through the photo albums to see if there are any old pictures of what her nursery used to look like – maybe I can incorporate some of that into it too – kind of like a nod to the two generations."
For a moment Rosa just stares at Jamie in awe "Yup let's find you those photo albums." she insists now knowing the nursery is in excellent hands.
"What are we looking for?" Mia curiously inquires as she walks up to see Jamie and her Mom moving boxes.
"Your Uncle is looking for photos of what your Aunt's nursery used to look like so he can maybe incorporate some of that into the new nursery." Rosa explains.
"Cool." Mia quips as she watches her Mom find the box.
"Here it is." Rosa announces.
Jamie reaches and grabs the box but then suddenly stills his movements and looks between Rosa and Mia "But you can't tell her that okay?" He reiterates "She wants me to surprise her."
A big grin appears on Mia's face "COOL! I like surprises!"
Jamie huffs out a laugh as he lifts the box out of the pile and moves to place it a few feet away before opening the lid "Should be a 2nd box too though." Jamie tells Rosa so as Jamie starts taking photo albums out of the box, Rosa keeps look.
"Me help!" Mia insists as she holds her hands out gesturing with 'grabby' fingers so Jamie hands her a photo album. She moves to sit cross legged on the floor, puts the album in her lap, opens it and begins slowly flipping pages "Boy people sure did look and dress funny back then."
"Every generation says that about the previous generation." Jamie points out as he picks up an album and begins flipping through it at more then triple the speed Mia is going "No not that one." He rejects as he closes the book, sets it aside and grabs for another one.
"Ms. Lena has funny hair." Mia giggles "It's all poofy!" She adds as she picks up the album and turns it around to show Jamie and her Mother.
Jamie looks over and sees a photo of Lena and Armin standing side by side with a baby dressed in pink in Lena's arms. It's clear the photo is not taken in the nursery but Jamie tilts his head and studies it anyway.
"Okay we are looking for another photo now too." He announces "I want one similar to this one." he states as he walks over to Mia, picks up the album from her then turns it around and points at the photo showing Mia and Rosa "But of me and my parents."
Rosa looks at Jamie and thinks about how he phrased that "Does one like that exist?"
Jamie shrugs "Honestly no idea but I would hope so…"
"Why?" Mia questions.
"I'm thinking I'll frame a photo of Eddie and her parents, then a photo of me and my parents and then a photo of me, Eddie and the baby after its born and hang all three together on the wall.
Again Rosa – and now Mia – just stare at Jamie in awe.
Suddenly Eddie walks in the room "Everything okay in here?"
"Yup!" Jamie quips as he slams the album in his hands shut "All good." he adds as he smiles sweetly at his wife.
Eddie eyes her husband – an amused smirk playing on her face "Don't throw us into debt by buying out the baby store." she warns him.
Mia's eyes light up "Are we going shopping?!"
"Oh yeah take her." Eddie states "She's very good at carrying packages."
Again Jamie eyes his wife "You really don't want to come?"
Eddie shakes her head no "Truthfully I might have waivered a bit but now I'm really curious to see what you come up with so no, I'm good staying right here with my feet up sipping non-alcoholic margaritas!"
"When are we going?" Mia excitedly prompts.
Jamie looks at his watch "Um we actually have to leave in 30 minutes."
Eddie laughs "Wow you certainly don't mess around do you? But you did say you could do it in 2 day so I shouldn't be surprised."
Jamie looks over at his wife "Oh are you seriously going to hold me to that?"
Eddie shrugs then smiles sweetly at her husband "You said two days, not me." She cheekily points out "Are you now saying you can't do it in 2 days?"
Jamie eyes his wife "You're enjoying this aren't you?" He suddenly realizes.
Eddie nods "Very much so, so don't let me distract you oh and here…" She adds as she lifts her hands and holds the SUV keys out to Jamie "You'll need these. Try not to burn too big a hole in the credit card!"
Jamie takes the keys "Rosa…" He hesitates "…while we're gone can you…"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep looking." Rosa finishes but then she gets a thought "Or you could just…" but her voice trails off as her eyes drift over to Eddie "Um…" she hesitates not wanting to say her idea in front of her so she pulls her phone out of her pocket and quickly begins to type something.
A second later she hit send.
And a second after that Jamie's phone dings with a message.
Eddie watches as Jamie pulls his phone out, read the message Rosa clearly just sent to him and then point and snap his fingers back at Rosa "That's a good idea!" He quips.
"What is?" Mia questions as she gets up and moves to stand next to Jamie wanting to see his phone so Jamie's lowers it down to her level in order to display her Mom's message to him "Oh yeah that should save time." the young girl states after reading.
"Right?" Jamie agrees as he moves to put the album still in his hands down on top of a stack of boxes, flip it back open to the page with the photo of Armin, Lena and baby Eddie and hold his phone up to snap a picture of it.
Really curious now, Eddie tries to lean over and see what he's doing but Mia catches sight of her actions.
"NO!" The young girl immediately protests as she jumps in front of the boxes and album and holds her arms out waving them blocking Eddie's view "No peaking!"
Eddie chuckles while Jamie takes the photo he just snapped a picture of and attaches it to a text he composes to his father
u got anything like this of me u and Mom?
A moment later Jamie's phone dings with a reply
Should. Would have to look. Why?
"Yes!" Jamie declares in triumph "He says there should be one." he announces to Rosa and Mia as he leans over and gives each of them a high five.
"Nice." Rosa commends while Mia makes a fist, bends her arm and pulls it back in triumph "Yes!"
Again Eddie eyes them all "Okay tell me." She finally relents.
"NOPE!" Jamie rejects as he types a reply to his Dad "You wanted a surprise and you are getting one!"
Need 2 make copy 2 frame 4 nursery
"No, come on." Eddie whines "I changed my mind!"
"Too late." Jamie counters as again Jamie's phone dings with a reply
On way out door but will have Pop look
…
With briefcase in hand, Frank is just about to exit his kitchen when his phone dings with another message from Jamie.
Forthwith if possible, I promised Eddie I'd have nursery complete in 2 days…
For a moment Frank stares at the message then just shakes his head "POP!" he calls backwards as his fingers fly over his phone keyboard "I'm forwarding you some messages from Jamie! Can you help him out?"
Sitting in his easy chair reading his paper, Henry calls back "SURE!" as a flurry of multiple messages pop up on his phone. He picks it up from the side table, adjusts his glasses on his nose and reads "Oh sure, I can do that." He mutters as he gets up and moves to the bookcase "Now let's see…" he muses as he pulls out a photo album and starts looking…
….
"You know." Jamie states as his mind thinks "I could just ask the other side it they have one of the first photo we are looking for." He announces as once again his fingers compose a text message but this time to his Mother in Law.
"Perfect!" Rosa quips.
"Ooohh yeah!" Mia agrees while Eddie once again stands there trying to figure out what they are all talking about.
"You know this is a lot of fun keeping her in the dark." Jamie laughs at seeing the look on his wife's face "Mia come on we have to go! I want to make one more stop!" he adds as he starts to move past his wife to exit the dining room and as he does, he leans over and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek "Later!"
Eddie purses her lips together trying to decide how she now feels about everything.
"Eddie." Rosa tries to sooth with a little chuckle at seeing her look "Trust me, it will be worth the wait. He's got some really good ideas."
"2 days huh?" Eddie muses pondering that's how long she'll have to wait to see the finished product.
"Oh if he can do all that in 2 days." Rosa admits "I'll be super impressed." she adds causing Eddie to huff out a good laugh.
"Oh if he says he'll do it. He'll do it." Eddie simply reaffirms "He's Jamie. Once he sets his mind to something there is no stopping him."
"I'm starting to realize that." Rosa returns.
….
Jamie is backing the SUV out of the garage when the Bluetooth activates "Incoming call… Lena." so he hits a button to answer it "Hi Lena."
"Jameson." Lena returns "What's this about needing a picture of what Edit's nursery looked like?"
"It's so we can recreate it!" Mia excitedly quips from the passenger seat.
"Milagro darling is that you?" Lena queries.
"It's me Ms. Lena! We're on our way to go baby shopping!"
"Nursery shopping." Jamie corrects "We are on our way to the store to go shopping for items for the nursery and I just wanted to know if you had a photo of what Eddie's nursery looked like. I wanted to see if maybe we could incorporate some similar items or features into the remodeled version seeing as it will be the same room."
"Edit you don't remember what your room looked like?" Lena questions.
"She's not here." Jamie explains.
There is a slight pause of silence over the phone "Why not?" Lena then inquires.
"Long story short?" Jamie counters not wanting to repeat the reasons behind everything yet again "It's a surprise for her."
Another pause…
"And you're sure she'll be okay with that?" Lena presses.
"Was her idea." Jamie tosses back.
"Interesting." Lena ponders "Okay I'll look but where are you going? Maria and I have been talking and don't forget she's got stuff you two can use."
"Oh right." Jamie breathes out as Mia is already reaching for Jamie's phone sitting in a cup holder "Did forget about that actually."
"I'll text you the address." Mia states as her fingers are already flying over Jamie's phone.
Jamie does a double take at seeing her actions "Wait how did you get in there and how do you know the address of where we are going?"
"Uh cuz I know your password." Mia simply replies like it's nothing "And you're going to tell me the address."
"Perfect." Lena quips "I'll meet you there." She adds before hanging up.
Jamie just continually glances between the road and Mia a bit speechless "How do you know my password?"
Mia nonchalantly shrugs in deflection "Come on." She prompts instead "What's the address?"
Jamie frowns "Well after this I'm changing it." he point blank tells her "But for now pull up the text chain with your Uncle Danny - I sent him the address this morning."
"Oh is he coming too?" Mia questions in surprise.
Jamie nods "Yup."
"It's gonna be a party!" Mia happily quips as again her fingers fly over the keyboard copying and pasting the address for Lena.
….
Jamie pulls the SUV to a stop outside the baby boutique to see not only Danny, but Erin waiting outside for him.
"Oh Ms. Erin is here too!" Mia quips as she undoes her seatbelt.
"Um… I see that." Jamie notes in surprise as both he and Mia get out.
"Oh we mean business today don't we?" Danny laughs as he gestures to the SUV "Nice wheels by the way."
"Very nice." Erin confirms impressed to her younger brother.
Danny leans towards his sister "Power Couple." he reminds her.
"Oh enough of that already." Jamie chides "Didn't know you were coming." he then states to his sister.
"Oh if I'm getting dragged into this…" Danny explains "… she's getting dragged into this. Besides she's the expert in these places not me."
"Yeah." Erin tacks on "Who do you think helped Linda pick everything out? Certainly wasn't him!" She adds as she points at Danny.
"Yeah I was just the muscle and the one doling out the cash." Danny chimes in.
"Are we just going to stand out on the sidewalk all day or are we going to go inside?" Mia prompts.
"Waiting for one more." Jamie reminds the young girl.
"Oh right." Mia remembers.
At seeing the curious looks on his brother and sister's face, Jamie offers "Lena."
"Oh this will be a hoot now for sure!" Danny quips before looking at his brother and smirking "Do you have a list?"
"No." Jamie admits.
"Money flying away!" Danny laughs.
"Shut up." Jamie grumbles back.
"I have a list." Erin interrupts as she pulls out her phone "Whipped this bad boy up in 10 minutes flat!"
Jamie turns to look at his sister "Clearly I should have just called you first."
"Ya think?" Erin tosses back as suddenly the boutique door opens and Lena appears in the doorway.
"Well what are you all doing just standing outside on the sidewalk?" she admonishes "Chop! Chop! Let's go people!"
"Wait… how did she?" Danny wonders in awe.
"Because she's Eddie's mother?" is all Jamie can toss back as he starts for the door first with everyone falling in behind so Lena turns and walks back inside first and as Jamie enters behind her he hears a familiar voice…
"Oh has your party arrived now?"
He looks up to see the same woman that 'helped' him and Eddie pick the napkins. The sales associate looks over and sees Jamie. Her face falls "Oh it's you."
Lena looks between the associate and her son in law "You know each other?"
"We bought the 'Congratulations it's a baby' napkins here." Jamie explains before looking over at the associate "I brought the SUV today." He announces as a signal he's ready to spend money.
A big bright, happy smile appears on the associate's face "Well right this way then!" She eagerly quips as she begins to lead the group in one direction and they all begin to follow her – all except Jamie.
"Yeah uh huh, thought that would make your day." Jamie counters as he turns to head in the opposite direction making a beeline to the display crib. He smiles when he sees the mobile Eddie was gushing over still there. "MOBILE!" he calls out with a point of his finger.
Danny, Erin, Lena, Mia and the associate all stop walking and turn to look backwards at Jamie.
"Start with this." Jamie explains as he watches the associate hurry over and flick it on for the group to see.
"Oh that's cute!" Mia gushes.
"Eddie thought so too. Now Lena…" Jamie continues "…you find any photos like we talked about?"
"I did!" Lena quips as she opens her purse to pull out a few and hand them to Jamie.
Jamie looks them over and smiles "Okay I want elements of this room..." he explains to the group as he holds up the photos "… mixed in with that." he adds as he points back to the mobile "Can we do that?"
"Oh heck yeah!" the associate giddily quips as she sees dollar signs in her eyes.
"Let me see." Erin requests as she holds her hands out for the photos.
"I already pulled a few items I think will work." Lena offers.
"Oh and um Erin…" Jamie continues "…talk to Lena – go over your list with her – she reminded me Maria has some stuff we can use."
"On it." Erin accepts as she and Lena head off to put their heads together.
"And what about us Uncle Jamie?" Mia questions.
"Yeah Uncle Jamie…" Danny repeats in amusement "What about us?"
"We get the hard part. Trying to get your Mom…" he tells Mia "…to somehow get your Aunt Eddie to make decisions on colors without knowing she's making the decisions."
"You sneaky dog you!" Danny quips in approval but then his fall scrunches up "How are you going to do that?"
Jamie shrugs "The same way we trap a perp."
"Except Eddie's a cop and she knows all the tricks." Danny points out.
"Ah, but will she see it coming from Rosa?" Jamie challenges before looking up in thought "This would have been a lot easier if I had brought the earbuds home and just given one to Rosa."
Danny turns to look at his brother in surprise "That's not official police business your talking there Lieutenant."
"Neither was drag racing the cars while using them and the radar guns." Jamie points out.
"Point taken." Danny accepts.
"But it doesn't matter anyway because I didn't so I don't have them."
All this time Mia had been standing there looking back and forth between her two uncles "What are you talking about?" she asks confused.
Jamie and Danny both look down at her "Never mind." They say in unison as Jamie's phone dings with a text message.
He pulls it out to see a message from his grandfather and attached is a picture of Mary holding baby Jamie with Frank standing beside her.
For a moment Jamie just stares at the photo and then a small smile grace's his face as he realizes he can actually pull this off "Mia…" he prompts as he turns the photo around to show her "We're going to need picture frames. Three of them please."
"Oooooooooh!" Mia excitedly quips in understanding as she looks at the photo "All the same or different?"
Jamie ponders that "All the same."
"On it!" Mia announces as she takes off for the sales associate "Excuse me? Where are your picture frames?"
The associate points to a section.
"Thank you." Mia quips as she heads over.
"Um actually." Jamie states as he gets yet another idea and walks up to the associate "I told her I wanted three frame but I actually I want four. At the end, can you make that happen without her knowing I wanted a fourth one? What I have in mind is actually a surprise for her."
"SURE!" the associate easily accepts.
Lena, Erin and Danny all curiously look at Jamie
Jamie takes a deep breath to once again explain what he wants
"Going through photo albums this morning we came across a photo of you, Lena with Armin and baby Eddie in your arms so I had Dad get Pop to look for this." he states as he again turns his phone around to show them all the photo he just received. "So I'm going to frame those two photos plus one of me, Eddie and the baby when it comes and now I just decided I want a 4th photo that will be Mia and the baby."
Danny, Erin and Lena all stare at Jamie the exact same way Rosa and Mia did earlier.
Suddenly Lena moves towards Jamie "You Jameson are the best son in law ever!" She announces as she cups his face and smooshes his cheeks together.
"Oh she's doing the grandma thing!" Danny laughs.
Lena turns to glare at Danny.
Danny immediate drops the laughter from his body "Well you are." he instead tries to pragmatically defend.
"And it's Grand MaMa." Lena flatly corrects.
"My bad." Danny immediately relents.
"Eddie's going to love that." Erin notes impressed to her younger brother as she tries to move the conversation along.
Jamie lets out a heavy sigh "That's the goal." he admits before another thought pops in his brain "Actually make it 5 frames and throw in another package of those napkins."
Erin looks over at Jamie "Wait are you?" she realizes.
Jamie nods "Yup might as well frame a napkin too."
Danny blows out a breath of air "Wow. Kid. You're going to knock Eddie's socks off!"
At hearing that phrase, an arrogant smirk plays on Jamie's face "Wouldn't be the first time." he admits at the thought of coming full circle back to the moment where he and Eddie first decided to try and have a baby.
"Okay too much information." Erin decides again realizing what her brother meant by that.
Lena also knowingly looks up at her son in law "Yes. I agree."
Jamie gets a slight blush to his cheeks at realizing what he insinuated right in front of his Mother in Law "Well how do you think we got here?" Jamie challenges back in an attempt to reason his way out of the situation. "You want a Grandchild right?" he tells Lena "And you want to be an Uncle and Aunt again? Well that's how you get that!"
Lena tosses that around "Alright fine." she accepts.
Danny leans over to his brother "Nice save." he lowly whispers.
"Thank you." Jamie mutters back in relief.
"Okay I picked these!" Mia announces as she comes running back with 3 frames "I know you said all the same but look at these! They are so cute!"
All the adults all look over and Jamie can't help but laugh – they were all different Disney themes.
Again Danny leans over to his brother "You really should have known that's what she would pick."
Jamie smiles "Maybe I did." He admits as he takes the frames from Mia and hands them to the associate 2 more. he mouths to her.
"Got it." the associate agrees.
"Okay room color!" Jamie decides as he pulls out his phone to start texting with Rosa.
...
