Chapter 99: The Jewels Of Our Hearts
That night Jamie is in the bathroom brushing his teeth while Eddie sits on her bed scrolling through her phone "Uh oh!" She suddenly laughs out "We have to get rid of Reagan!"
"What?" Jamie calls through the foam confused as he takes a step towards the shared doorway between the bathroom and bedroom.
"According to Irish folklore…" Eddie begins "…having a cat in the house while pregnant is dangerous – they want to steal the baby's soul!"
Jamie looks at his wife in disbelief "What?" He repeats.
"You heard me." Eddie replies.
"That's ridiculous." Jamie mumbles.
"Hey it's your kinfolk superstition not mine." Eddie flippantly points out with a shrug.
Jamie eyes his wife, then turns heads back into the bathroom. He spits, rinses his mouth puts the toothbrush down then comes back out into the bedroom. where he grabs his phone on the dresser and begins typing…
And searching…
And typing and searching…
Finally, he huffs out a grunt as he gives up and simply walks over to his side of the bed to sit down and swing his legs onto the bed.
"What were you searching for?" Eddie inquires.
"Ridiculous Serbian pregnancy rituals." Jamie begrudgingly states "But of course there are none."
Eddie lets out a boisterous laugh before reaching over and patting her husband's arm "At least you have rainbows and pots of gold."
"Don't forget Leprechauns and the luck!" Jamie arrogantly boasts.
"Ah yes that luck." Eddie agrees.
Jamie raises an eyebrow suggestively at his wife "Am I feeling lucky tonight?"
Again Eddie laughs "Hmmmmm." She ponders "Are you feeling lucky…" but then she shifts uncomfortably "Oh you want to weigh in too huh?" She inquires of her baby.
Jamie leans closer to his unborn daughter "Tell Mommy yes." he prompts.
But instead Eddie mimics a little girl's voice and says "No." before laughing in amusement.
Jamie lifts his head to look up at his wife and frowns.
"Oh don't look at me." Eddie innocently deflects "Your daughter is the one that said no."
"Right. Talking while still in the womb huh?" Jamie challenges.
"Well she is your daughter so we knew she'd be hella smart." Eddie laughs.
Jamie shakes his head at his wife "What is with you tonight?"
"I'm getting my entertainment any way possible." Eddie explains.
"What does that mean?" Jamie prompts.
Eddie flashes her husband a smile "Never mind forget I said anything."
Jamie looks at his wife and can see right through her façade "Eddie…" He prompts in concern "What's going on?"
Eddie sighs "I hate that you can do that you know."
"No you don't." Jamie counters.
"It's nothing." Eddie promises before pausing "I mean it's just..." but her voice trails off.
"It's just what?" Jamie finally prompts.
Eddie once again shifts uncomfortably.
Jamie frowns in realization "You're uncomfortable aren't you?"
Eddie lets out a heavy sigh "Pregnancy is supposed to be this joyous thing but man I sure don't feel joyous. I mean…" but then a look of annoyance appears on Eddie's face "There she goes again." She mumbles "Hang on." She instructs as she makes her way off the bed and into the bathroom "Having to pee every 5 minutes is NOT fun!"
Jamie cringes slightly wishing he could help "Sorry." He apologetically offers.
"There should be some pregnancy ritual about that!" Eddie declares from inside the bathroom.
Jamie's face scrunches up in confusion "How would that even work?"
"I don't know!" Eddie tosses back frustrated "I just keep trying to remind myself that it will all be worth it one she's here but that's really hard to do when she keeps pressing on my bladder!"
"I wish I could help you." Jamie sincerely offers.
"You wanna help?" Eddie challenges as the sound of the toilet flushing is heard "You can rub my feet and you can sit there and listen to me vent."
Jamie nods his head as running water is heard "I can do that."
"Good." Eddie accepts as she washes her hands "Because otherwise I might scream."
"Would not want that." Jamie admits "You'd scare the poor cat."
"You mean the evil cat out for our baby's soul?" Eddie mocks as she walks out of the bathroom.
"Yup." Jamie confirms as he pats the spot next to him before getting up.
"Great well let's start there." Eddie grumbles as she walks to her side of the bed at the same time Jamie rounds the foot of the bed to come to her side as well "I miss Jamko." Eddie declares in a huff as she sits down "And I know its not really Reagan's fault I mean he didn't mastermind this evil plot to make Jamko leave…" Eddie rambles as she lays back on the bed and Jamie helps her put her feet up "But I guess I do still kinda blame him which just makes me feel worse because I love that cat too it just… I wanted them both you know." She whines as Jamie sits down at her feet.
He nods in understanding as he picks one of his wife's feet up "I know." He reassures her as he begins to massage the ball of her foot.
"Oh yeah." Eddie moans out in relief "That's it."
"You've got like a knot right here." Jamie tells her as he works one spot in particular.
"I have knots everywhere." Eddie tosses back "Feet, legs, back."
Jamie frowns "Why didn't you say something sooner?"
"Oh yeah right there!" Eddie instead encourages "Keep working that kink out!"
So Jamie answers his own question "Because you are independent and stubborn."
"And don't pretend those are qualities that you don't love about me." Eddie defends.
"Independent, yes." Jamie agrees "The stubborn one…"
"That's kind of like the pot calling the kettle black no?" Eddie challenges "But aren't you supposed to be sitting there listening to me rant? The operative word being LISTEN…"
"My apologies." Jamie simply relents with a slight tip of his head "Please continue."
"Thank you." Eddie accepts.
Silence as Jamie waits for Eddie to continue.
"Okay well now that you're just sitting there waiting for me to rant it's throwing off my ranting mojo!"
"So I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't." Jamie notes in thought "Understood."
"See there you go!" Eddie rants.
"There I go what?" Jamie questions.
"You're interjecting again!"
Silence as Jamie says nothing.
"Well?" Eddie finally prompts in frustration.
"Okay do you want me to talk or to stay quiet?" Jamie queries in slight confusion "Because you're kinda giving me mixed signals here."
Eddie drops her head back onto the pillow and stares up at the ceiling "Shut up." she mumbles out in defeat so Jamie remains silent.
Beat.
"Okay I didn't mean shut up…" Eddie clarifies "…as in stop talking. I meant shut up as in you're right."
"Oh." Jamie notes as he puts the one foot down he had been working on and picks up his wife's other foot.
"What, that's it?" Eddie challenges "No oh my god Eddie say that again? Say I was right!"
"No I heard it the first time." Jamie simply accepts "You have even worse knots in this foot." He adds as he focuses on working them out with his hands.
Eddie looks at her husband and smiles a little knowing his is purposefully deflecting in order to let her take the win on this one "God how did I luck out with you?" she seriously wonders.
Jamie smirks "Right back at ya - Edit."
Eddie's smile turns into a super emotional pout "Thank you." She sincerely offers "This is exactly what I need right now."
Jamie shrugs "Acts of Service." He offers causing Eddie to laugh
"Um except that's supposed to be the other way around!"
"So we're mixing it up a little." Jamie states "Variety is the spice of life you know."
"Except if you could do the exact same thing everyday for the rest of your life you would!" Eddie points out "You like routine!"
"Yes routine is nice." Jamie agrees "But adding some spice every once in a while shakes things up – you taught me that… and…" Jamie slowly adds "I have to get used to the fact that once she's born any thought of a routine like I… we…" he quickly corrects "…are used to will likely be tossed right out the window."
Eddie nods her head in agreement "Because our routine will now be whatever her routine is."
"Yup." Jamie agrees.
Eddie smiles "I wish she'd get here already."
"She'll be here before you know it." Jamie promises.
But then the smile drops from Eddie's face "No seriously I wish she would get here because I gotta pee again." She announces as she removes her foot from Jamie's hands, begrudgingly gets off the bed and heads for the bathroom leaving Jamie sitting there looking after her "Don't go anywhere!" Eddie demands "You're not done and I'll be right back!"
"Copy that." Jamie dutifully sighs so he leans back on the bed and simply waits. After a while his eyes begin to absently drift around the room and they land on the little black jewelry box containing his mom's pearl earrings now sitting on his wife's night stand so he leans across the bed, swipes the box up then moves back to rest his back against his pillows. He cracks the box open and smiles a little as he looks at them again.
"Do NOT swallow those!" Eddie's voice commands as she comes out of the bathroom and sees the box in her husband's hands.
"Funny." Jamie tosses back as he glances up "Are you really going to wear these?" he curiously inquires.
"Damn right I am!" Eddie enthusiastically replies as she heads back to the bed "Your sister gave me something of your Mother's and I know how much your Mother means to you. I will proudly wear these!"
Listening to his wife's words, Jamie scrunches his nose up suddenly second guessing himself as his eyes shift down to his wife's bought engagement ring on her finger.
"What?" Eddie questions at seeing his look and following his eyes "Why are you looking at my rings? I mean other then the miracle that I'm still able to wear them." Eddie notes "I thought for sure my fingers and hands would be too swollen by now."
"You like your rings..." Jamie cautiously inquires "Right?"
Eddie looks at her husband in slight confusion "Yes, I love my rings, why?"
Jamie simply nods his head in acceptance but doesn't offer any further explanation.
Recognizing Jamie's trademark silence Eddie slowly warns "Jamie, you might as well tell me what you're thinking because you know I won't let it go until you do. I will just keep needling…" She begins as she reaches over and begins to poke him in the side "…and needling…" She adds as she repeatedly pokes at him causing Jamie to begin to squirm "And needling!"
"ALRIGHT!" Jamie finally relents "But I need you to promise me that if I tell you this it will not result in divorce."
Eddie immediately stills her poking, leans back to her side of the bed and raises her eyebrows at her husband "Okay now you better tell me." She seriously warns "And fast!"
Jamie sighs "Listening to you just now say how proud you are to have a piece of jewelry that was my Mom's well… I could have given you Mom's engagement ring instead of the one you currently have." He explains "Mom wanted one of us to use it."
Eddie looks at her rings then up at her husband confused "Then why didn't you?"
Again Jamie heavily sighs – this time in complete defeat "Because I gave it to Sydney first."
Eddie's eyes go a bit wide "O…Oh."
"Yeah." Jamie flatly confirms "And it just… just felt weird." He admits "So I went with a new one but now sitting here listening to you talk about the earrings maybe I should have given you Mom's ring I mean…"
Eddie reaches over and puts her hand over her husband's mouth to shut him up "It's okay." She reassuringly promises.
Jamie raises a hopeful eyebrow at her.
Eddie nods in confirmation.
"Really?" Jamie still mumbles unsure under her hand before he starts to pull it away from his mouth "Because you just said 'it's okay', not 'it's fine'. I know I'm in trouble if you say 'it's fine' but are those words interchangeable?"
Eddie laughs "No, they are not the same." She reassures him.
"Positive?" Jamie checks one more time.
"Positive." Eddie definitively confirms.
"Okay." Jamie breathes out in relief.
Silence.
"You still got it?" Eddie nonchalantly but curiously inquires a moment later "Your Mom's ring I mean."
Jamie shakes his head "No. I gave it back to Dad after Syd gave it back… and well now that you mention it…" he notes as he thinks "…that was another reason for the bought ring – I would have had a LOT of explaining to do if I asked for it back while we were NOT dating."
For a moment Eddie looks at her husband then simply drops her head onto his arm laughing in complete understanding before lifting her head to look at him "Hi Dad…" She begins pretending to be Jamie "Can I have Mom's engagement ring back? I'm thinking of marrying my partner - we haven't even outright said we love each other yet but hey just want to be prepared. PS, don't tell the Commissioner or any of our direct bosses k?"
Jamie huffs out a laugh "Exactly."
"Yeah." Eddie agrees as she lifts her left hand out in front of her "Good call on the bought ring. Besides…" She adds as she reaches over to again pick up the earring box "Now I have these." She adds as she reaches in and takes an earring out. She puts it on, then reaches in and takes the other one out and does the same. Once done she turns to face her husband and tucks her hair behind her ears out of the way "How do they look?"
Jamie looks at his wife wearing his Mother's swallowed earrings and he can't help but get a little emotional because based on the story that goes with them - for him, Eddie wearing them has more meaning then her wearing the ring "Perfect." He simply states before leaning over and placing a soft kiss on her lips "Just perfect."
Eddie pulls back and smiles from ear to ear "Great." She accepts before her eyes start to dance a little "Now should you ever get stuck on what to get me as an anniversary gift…" She suddenly prompts "Just know I would be open to more jewelry from my Mother in Law."
Jamie's mouth drops slightly open "Oh really?" He challenges.
Eddie nods "Yup!" She sings in reply.
Jamie tosses that around in his head a moment before he reaches for his phone "Okay, I'll text Dad now."
"Wait what?" Eddie breathes out in surprise.
"Well we are coming up on officially five years together now but 10 years total knowing one another…" Jamie begins to reason "I know it wouldn't be your typical kind of anniversary ring but…"
Eddie raises an eyebrow and grin creeps up on her face "An anniversary ring huh?"
Jamie shrugs "Only if you want it."
"I do!" Eddie giddily replies.
"Okay." Jamie agrees as he starts to compose a text.
But then Eddie's face falls "But do I have to actually wait until our anniversary to get it?"
"Well that is usually how these things work." Jamie points out as he hits send.
"Ah come on." Eddie whines as she plasters on her sweetest looking face "I promise I won't divorce you."
"Well I'd hope not." Jamie tosses back "You just said I do again!"
"You know…" Eddie coyly begins as she thinks about her husband's latest words "Maybe now would be the right time to renew our vows – like you previously mentioned when we were stuck in that elevator." She quickly points out.
Now a little grin creeps up on Jamie's face "Edit Marie Reagan will you remarry me?"
Eddie purses her lips together and taps her finger on her lip as if seriously pondering the answer to that question.
Jamie rolls his eyes "You did just bring it up first." He reminds her.
"Okay yes." Eddie laughs "Yes of course I'll remarry you."
"Okay good." Jamie states before getting a playful little look of his own in his eyes "Because things would have gotten really weird fast if you'd said no." he tosses at her for the hell of it.
Eddie lightly jabs him in the arm causing Jamie to laugh in amusement "How long have you been waiting to reuse that line?" She challenges.
"It literally just popped in my head." Jamie admits.
"Hmmm." Eddie muses "So when?" She prompts.
"When what?" Jamie counters.
"When are we getting remarried?" Eddie clarifies in exasperation "Keep up!"
"Oh. Um on our anniversary?" Jamie logically replies "Nothing big like last time though – just something small – in the backyard maybe?"
Eddie nods her head "Agreed." She accepts before airily throwing herself across her husband's lap "I'm getting remarried!" She overdramatically sings as she looks up at her husband's face – her eyes dancing in delight and amusement "Mia is going to love being a flower girl."
"And maybe we can attach the rings to Reagan's collar and then throw a line of treats down the aisle to the alter." Jamie jokes.
"Oh that would be so cute!" Eddie agrees.
"And maybe…" Jamie slowly offers "Your Dad can actually walk you down the aisle this time."
Eddie stares up at her husband a moment at the thought "Help me up." She seriously requests so Jamie helps her sit up and she turns to face him "You've really thought about this haven't you?"
Jamie shrugs "Yeah."
Eddie smiles adoringly at her husband but then bites her lower lip as she tentatively inquires "So um same vows or can we revise them?"
Jamie looks a little sideways at his wife "Revise them how?" he suspiciously queries.
"Oh things like 'I promise to not leave the toilet seat up and do my share of the laundry." Eddie flippantly offers.
Jamie bursts out laughing "Oh so the more practical side of things this time." he agrees with an up and down nod of his head "Should I get a pen and some paper?" He tosses out in amusement.
"Oh hell yeah!" Eddie enthusiastically agrees "This is going to be so much fun!"
...