Like everyone predicted, Violet's new book proved to be a success. Perhaps it wasn't nearly as successful as her first book since it didn't have the same wow factor as getting a baby literally cut out of her body, but it was still a moderate success. It brought in some good new business to the practice and gave Violet some newfound confidence. Enough to give most of her wardrobe a much-needed update and enough for her to join an increasingly popular dating app called Tinder.
Cooper was thrilled and helped her fill out her profile. And Violet, who went back and forth with her feelings over the app, enjoyed the action of swiping left or right on prospective hookups. She wanted more eventually, but she was content with the occasional hookup here and there, which was why she agreed to sign up for this new Tinder app in the first place. The real driving factor for not wanting something too serious yet was Lucas; she wanted to protect him from any potential suitors getting involved with his life only to leave soon after. Tinder, for now, let her do just that.
As the year went on, Angela spent more time working at the office, earning an official part-time job as the practice's receptionist while continuing her schooling at UCLA. When it came to Thanksgiving, Angela was just glad to get even a brief break from working and school. Addison wasn't hosting the holiday for once, which meant Angela could relax even more. Instead, Sam and Naomi decided to host everyone this time around, and even Maya came back for a visit.
When it came to the food, Sam handled roasting the turkey and Naomi tossed some vegetables into the oven to roast alongside it. Charlotte, to no one's surprise, brought her family's famous cornbread muffins and Cooper made mac and cheese with help from Mason, who insisted on making it the way his mom used to. It wasn't an exact replica, but according to Mason, it was as close as it would ever get to his mother's recipe.
Amelia made stuffing and sweet potato casserole, and she even called her mother for the recipe, who wanted her to come back to the East Coast for the holiday. However, she declined and opted to spend time with the family she built here in L.A. Even Angela and Henry helped, turning it into a sleepover at her apartment. Amelia and Angela weren't the best cooks, though, so Amelia FaceTimed Carolyn to help throughout the cooking process. The fact that it was three hours ahead for Carolyn didn't phase her, however, because, as she put it, she would've been awake cooking, anyway.
Meanwhile, Jake and Addison got some alone time that night, learning how to make cocktails. Jake started mixing drinks after watching a YouTube video a few weeks prior and trying it for himself. Addison inevitably became his taste tester and started helping him perfect his craft. After a fun drunken night (while Angela and Henry were at Amelia's place) of experimenting with different alcohol and flavor profiles, testing recipes, and laughing over Addison's poor cutting skills, they decided on ginger-cranberry whiskey sours for the party. Plus a few bottles of sparkling apple cider for Amelia and the kids for Thanksgiving dinner.
Violet brought mashed potatoes and gravy, and since Lucas was a little older, she thought it'd be fun to get him to help. Unfortunately, they made a mess in the kitchen, mashing the potatoes in the bowl, as Violet let Lucas go ham with the potato masher. Luckily for them, Violet had decided she would embrace the mess and joined along with him.
As for the Montgomery-Reillys, Jake asked Sam if he could invite a few more to dinner. Namely, his sisters and his brother-in-law, Zeke, and Sam had no problem extending the invite to Jake's family. Sofia and Zeke, much like last year, brought an assortment of homemade dishes, many of which reminded Jake and his sisters of the Thanksgiving dinners they had at home in the past with their late mother. Luna and Grace also brought a side dish each, but nothing even remotely close to how elaborate their older sister made. And lastly, Sheldon and Miranda, who was now his wife, also came by with fresh bread rolls and pumpkin pie from a nice local bakery.
"I can't believe it's already almost December," Amelia commented, leaning back after they'd finished eating dinner but were all still sitting at the table while the kids played inside the house. Betsey's dollhouse was a particularly big hit with the kids, in addition to a few other toys scattered around the living room.
"I know. The girls might actually remember Christmas this year," Charlotte said.
"You guys doing anything special?" Sheldon asked.
"Yes! Elf on the Shelf, eggnog, ugly Christmas sweaters, matching pajamas - all of it," Cooper said. Charlotte rolled her eyes.
"Aren't you Jewish?" Violet asked.
"Yeah. So?" Cooper asked, which made everyone laugh along.
"Look, we're still going all out for Hanukkah like lighting the menorah and everything, but we agreed we'd celebrate both," Cooper added, shrugging.
"So, what you're saying is, this isn't just their first Christmas. It's yours, too," Amelia chuckled.
"Pretty much," Charlotte answered for her husband.
"What'd you guys do for Henry last year?" Cooper asked, changing the subject.
"We watched A Charlie Brown Christmas and showed him how to put the ornaments on the tree. And in the morning, we helped him open presents for the first time. He was very excited about the Tigger stuffed toy I got him," Addison recounted. Everyone smiled. They'd all seen him carry it around over the past year, but now they knew it'd assumedly been his first Christmas present.
"I don't even think we've ever had eggnog," Luna commented, still thinking back on Cooper's earlier answer and looking over at Sofia, Grace, Jake, and Zeke, who nodded in agreement.
"Hot cocoa's better anyway," Addison chuckled, to which they all smiled back.
"But you can add alcohol into eggnog," Miranda pointed out.
"Yeah, but it's also drinking eggs and milk," Violet said, making a slightly disgusted face.
"It's sweetened cream. The eggs just make it thicker," Cooper argued playfully.
"Hot chocolate doesn't need eggs to make it thicker," Amelia pointed out.
"And hot chocolate has chocolate," Naomi added, chuckling.
"How have you had eggnog but we haven't? You don't even celebrate Christmas," Grace asked playfully, making everyone laugh.
"Because everyone throws Christmas parties," Cooper replied, chuckling.
"Remember when we used to go up to the roof of Presbyterian and drink hot chocolate?" Addison asked.
"Oh, yeah. That was forever ago," Sam commented, thinking back.
"Why'd you go to the roof for? Isn't it cold in the winters over there?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes. Very," Sam confirmed.
"We went up to the roof to meet our friends, Weiss and Savvy. When we were still residents, we usually worked Christmas day and night, but they came by and we just went up to the roof with some hot chocolate for our 15-minute break. And we'd just…sit up there and look out into the night sky and talk about how our Christmases would look once we got out of residency and could actually do something for Christmas instead of working all night," Addison reminisced.
"It was also our good luck charm. The hot cocoa, I mean," Naomi added.
"How?" Violet asked, intrigued.
"It was a little…ritual we had in New York. Any time we had a bad day, and by bad I mean, losing patients kind of bad, we'd just get some hot cocoa," Naomi replied.
"Oh yeah, Addie told me about that. That's the whole good juju thing, right?" Amelia asked. Addison, Sam, and Naomi nodded and smiled in confirmation.
"Wait, but what makes it lucky, then?" Charlotte asked.
"Don't question the cocoa," Addison replied.
"Alright, all in favor of eggnog over hot cocoa, raise your hands," Cooper said, clearly a little tipsy from the drinks Jake and Addison had brought earlier, as his hand shot up immediately.
Alongside Cooper, Charlotte, Sheldon, and Miranda raised their hands. Upon looking around, it looked like there were more people not raising their hands versus those who did. They all laughed and were content with everyone having their own opinions on what their holiday drink of choice was for the Christmas holiday.
"You guys are missing out," Cooper shook his head.
"What about everyone else? Any traditions?" Miranda asked, curious.
"Our mom used to make these cookies. They're called Mexican wedding cookies, but she'd make them around Christmas time, and now Sof makes them for us because none of us can make them," Grace recounted.
"I don't know how she gets them soft enough. Mine always come out so dry," Jake chuckled.
"Mom gave her the recipe before she died," Luna added.
"And this is why we stick with Snickerdoodle," Amelia joked.
"At least you guys can bake; I want Lucas to still have these great holiday memories, you know? Decorating the tree, listening to Christmas music, baking cookies, but I don't know what to give him other than watching Christmas movies. I can't bake, I can barely cook; what do I have to offer him?" Violet asked.
"Christmas movies are great. Cheesy, sure, but sometimes that's exactly what we need during the holidays," Sheldon said.
"I remember when I saw It's a Wonderful Life for the first time," Amelia started.
"Ugh, that's such a good movie," Naomi commented, briefly interrupting her.
"Was it with your family?" Zeke asked.
"Um…technically? It was with Addie. And Derek," Amelia said, to which Addison smiled.
"We all grew up watching White Christmas, but I had just gotten out of my first stint in rehab and wanted to stay out of everyone's way when I came home for the holidays, so I hid in my room after dinner," Amelia continued.
"I didn't want her to be all alone up there, so I went up to see her," Addison added.
"I was hiding in my room and Addie came up with a present and she made me open it even though we're supposed to wait until Christmas morning. It was a tape, which was probably before your time, of It's a Wonderful Life," Amelia recounted, directing her joking comment about it being a VHS tape toward Angela sitting across from her at the table.
"I remember tapes! I'm not that young," Angela giggled.
"Everyone else was downstairs playing with the kids or talking around the kitchen while cleaning up, and Derek and Addison stayed upstairs in my tiny little room, watching this movie with me," Amelia said.
"Derek came up a few minutes after she started the movie, but apparently, neither of them had seen the movie before," Addison added.
"I think that was also the first time I was ever you guys' third wheel. The first of many, I might add," Amelia joked, as she and Addison giggled.
"I remember my first time watching that movie; it was at a movie theater with my parents. We didn't really have very many traditions growing up, especially once I left and went off to college, but going to the movie theater on Christmas day and getting a big thing of buttered popcorn was one of them," Violet said.
"See? You do have a tradition to pass to Lucas!" Cooper pointed out. Violet smiled and nodded.
"My mom and I used to do that, too. I think Home Alone was probably my favorite over the years," Sam commented.
"My mother used to make us go carolin'. I hated it; mostly because I can't sing, but my brothers are practically songbirds. Thankfully, there were enough of us that I figured I could just mouth the words instead of actually sing," Charlotte said as everyone laughed along.
"Oh, I'd pay good money to see that," Cooper joked, earning a swat from Charlotte but a chuckle from everyone else.
They spent the rest of the night talking until it started getting late and the kids were getting sleepy. Everyone thanked Sam and Naomi for hosting before going their separate ways. Jake's sisters stayed for Henry's bedtime story, which Henry was very happy about, and after he fell asleep, Jake and Addison walked them to the door before saying goodnight.
"So, what do you want to do for Christmas this year?" Jake asked, curious after his sisters had left.
"I don't know. I…I love this time of year, but I haven't really celebrated Christmas the way I used to. Not since I got divorced," Addison admitted.
"Why not?" Jake asked as they sat down on the couch.
"I don't know. I guess I just…got used to being alone during Christmas over the past few years. Minus last year with you and Henry, but even then it was just us. I grew up celebrating Christmas on the East Coast, and after Derek and I got married, it wasn't just about the cold weather and twinkly lights; there was this warmth. This…family. Christmas used to be my favorite time of year, and a big part of that was seeing Amelia and the rest of the Shepherds, and walking into the door and…smelling cinnamon. Even before Derek, I've always loved this time of year. There's just something in the air over there, you know? L.A. is great, I mean, I love it here, I do, I just…it's just not the same over here during the holidays," Addison replied, trying to verbalize how she felt while feeling like whatever she said didn't measure up to how she really felt.
"I get that. I mean, I was born over here, but I went to school on the East Coast. Money was tight, so I drove all the way back here for winter break, but I'd be there long enough to get what you mean," Jake smiled, putting a hand over his wife's, who entangled her fingers into his and squeezed.
"Do you miss it?" Jake asked.
"What? The East Coast?" Addison asked, giggling.
"No. Well, yes and no," Jake chuckled. Addison laughed and gave him a confused look.
"What I meant was Christmas. Big Christmases and…cinnamon in the air," Jake chuckled as he said the first thing he could think of.
"Yeah, I do," Addison smiled, snuggling under Jake's chin as they sat on the couch.
"Well, then I think we should go big this year. Get Henry to pick a tree out at a Christmas tree farm, the lights, the…cookies; all of it. What do you think?" Jake asked.
"I would love that," Addison said, touched as she looked up at him before he leaned in to kiss her.
Over the next few week, Jake made good on his promise. He went and got Christmas decorations galore, including twinkly lights, a wreath for the door, a few little trinkets to go around the house, and even a mistletoe to hang over his and Addison's bedroom door. For the exterior, he roped Sam into helping him hang up the lights outside the front of the house and even hung up a few in their backyard. Addison was impressed, and it felt more and more festive as the days went on.
By mid-December, their house was tastefully festive for the holiday, and they started introducing Henry to some of their favorite Christmas traditions. Jake even taught Henry how to say Feliz Navidad. Amelia joined in the fun by accompanying them on frequent family movie nights and showing Henry one of her favorite Christmas songs growing up, The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late), which quickly became his favorite song. After Angela finished up her finals for the year, they all went out to a Christmas tree farm, which was miraculously less than an hour away.
Henry ran through the farm with everyone following closely behind, looking for the perfect tree, since Jake and Addison said he'd get to pick one all by himself. About halfway through the farm, he found one he wanted and pointed it out to everyone. They all chuckled, glad that he hadn't picked a bare-bone, small tree and instead found one that was pretty luscious and green. It was only slightly lopsided, but Jake said the guys at the farm could fix that when cutting the base. And he was right.
When they got home with the tree wrapped in Jake's truck, they brought the tree in together (minus Addison and Henry, who stayed back and helped keep the front door open) and set it down in the stand Addison had gotten and set up before they left. The tree, despite its previous slant, looked perfect. Everyone looked at Henry, who was now in Addison's arms, as he looked at the big tree in their living room in awe.
In addition to the tree stand and skirt, Jake had pulled out some of his and Angela's old Christmas ornaments from storage and picked up a few new ones at the stores while shopping for Christmas decorations the week before. Amelia had even brought over a small box of ornaments that her mom had shipped over (after she'd asked for them, of course), and after Jake wrapped the tree in lights, they all began decorating the tree.
It was a mismatch of colorful ornaments alongside a few trendy baubles. Once they'd put up all the ornaments, Jake lifted Henry to help put the star up on the top of the tree, with Addison supervising to make sure he wouldn't drop it (not that it would break it since they'd gotten a plastic topper as well as another identical star topper just in case, but it didn't dissuade her from worrying regardless). Then, Angela plugged in the lights and they all watched back in awe at their new family Christmas tree.
Alongside decorating the house for Christmas, Jake and Addison juggled work over the next week, their parenting duties, and present shopping as it got closer to Christmas. Jake invited everyone to their Christmas party after Addison announced they would be closing the practice on Christmas day, giving everyone a much-needed break. There was still the possibility one of them would get called in for an emergency at St. Ambrose, but for now, they could relax.
"So, any more surprises?" Addison asked as she leaned against the counter as Jake stood at the stove finishing dinner.
"Maybe," Jake teased, smiling.
"I don't know how many more I can take. Not that I don't love it because I do," Addison commented, smiling.
As Jake chuckled back, they heard a knock on the door. Addison squinted her eyes toward Jake, who teased her with a smile before she got up to get to the door. Her eyes widened and the corners of her lips turned upward as she saw Naomi alongside a familiar blonde woman, a man with tousled chestnut hair, and a four-year-old girl holding her father's hand.
"Surprise!" Naomi and Savvy said in unison before Addison pulled her friends in for a hug.
"What are you doing here?" Addison asked as she pulled away from Savvy's embrace before hugging Weiss afterward.
"We're here for Christmas!" Savvy said as they all followed Addison inside the house after Weiss picked up his and Savvy's luggage.
"Jake asked for my help for a big Christmas surprise, and we were just talking about the old days in New York, so…," Naomi started, both of them smiling at each other before Addison looked over at Jake, who smiled widely back.
"And you must be Ava," Addison said, looking over at the little girl peeking out from behind Weiss's legs. Weiss chuckled and picked up the girl for Addison to get a better look.
"Ava, this is your Auntie Addie," Weiss said, introducing the two.
"Hi," Ava said shyly before snuggling her head on Weiss's shoulder. Weiss kissed her forehead before letting her back down.
"I can't believe you guys are really here," Addison remarked as she motioned for everyone to sit down on the couch together. Near the Christmas tree, Henry and Angela were sitting on the floor on his playmat, watching on curiously.
"Henry, can you say hi to Mommy's friends?" Addison asked, smiling at her son. Henry gave her a shy smile back.
"Guys, these are my friends: Weiss, Savvy, and their daughter, Ava," Addison said, introducing them.
"I'm assuming this means you're Angela. Unless Amelia got major plastic surgery," Savvy joked.
"You would be correct. About me being Angela, not about me being Amelia with Botox," Angela joked, making everyone laugh along. Henry got up from his spot and walked over to his mom after Addison encouraged him to.
"Henry, this is Uncle Weiss, Aunt Savvy, and Ava," Addison said with Henry now in her arms. Henry gave them all a shy smile and a small wave.
"He's so cute. Ava was just a year younger than him when we got her," Savvy said, cooing over the little boy.
"She's pretty cute, too," Addison cooed as the little girl sat on Weiss's lap.
"Dinner's almost ready if you guys wanna freshen up or something," Jake called from the kitchen.
"Nai, you staying?" Addison asked as she looked over at her friend.
"I should probably get back home. Sam's at the hospital tonight, so Betsey and Max are with a sitter right now," Naomi replied.
"Bring them over. We've got plenty of food," Jake said as he grabbed some plates from the cupboard.
"Are you sure?" Naomi asked.
"Positive," Addison said, grabbing hold of one of Naomi's hands and smiling.
"Okay. I guess I'll…go get them then," Naomi chuckled before heading toward the backdoor.
Weiss left their bags near the stairs since they'd come straight from the airport, while Savvy went to wash her face and hang up Ava's jacket before Naomi came back with Betsey and Max and they all reconvened at the dinner table outside. Jake's cooking, as Addison and Naomi knew, was exquisite, and they all caught up over dinner. Weiss and Savvy had adopted Ava a little over three years ago as a one-year-old, and she was exactly the kind of little girl they'd always wanted. Still living in Manhattan had been good for them as Ava had just started taking ballet classes and loved them.
As for Sam and Naomi, Max was very close to walking on his own, according to Naomi, while Betsey was happily enjoying 2nd grade. Weiss and Savvy were particularly interested when Addison and Naomi told them everything about the drama that had ensued with their relationships with Sam over the years, but how they were all in a much better place today than ever before. As for Jake and Addison, Henry's speech pattern had gotten significantly better over the past year, and he marveled at all the Christmas decorations they'd put up. And Jake and Addison were both very proud of Angela, who was doing exceptionally well juggling her schoolwork during her third year at UCLA and working at the practice part-time.
"Did you ever think we'd end up here?" Savvy asked as everyone helped clean up after dinner.
"No," Addison, Naomi, and Weiss said in unison, chuckling.
"So, anything else on the Christmas agenda?" Weiss asked as they finished loading the dishwasher.
"I don't know. Is there?" Addison asked, looking toward her husband.
"He's really pulling out all the stops this year," Naomi commented, looking around the house at the numerous Christmas decorations as everyone did the same.
As they all sat down around the living room, they glanced over at the kids, who were playing near the Christmas tree. Henry specifically was very excited to show off the toy train that they'd set up to go around the tree.
"He really is," Addison said as Jake sat next to her on the couch. Jake smiled back as he entangled his fingers with hers.
"What about you and Sam? It's gonna be Max's first Christmas, right?" Savvy asked.
"Technically, it'll be his second, but he was so small last year that he probably doesn't remember anything. We're reading him Twas the Night Before Christmas and we have the Christmas tree up; you know, all the things," Naomi replied, smiling.
"I remember our first Christmas with Ava. We brought her to Rockefeller to see the tree lighting," Weiss remarked.
"She must've loved that," Addison commented, smiling.
"Yeah. It was the best thing; seeing her face light up like that as a baby. Now we go every year," Savvy said. They all laughed along.
"I think Henry's favorite part so far was getting to pick the tree," Addison remarked.
"Well, he picked a very nice tree," Savvy said loudly, loud enough for Henry to hear. He perked up and gave her a toothy smile back before running over to sit on Addison's lap while holding one of his car toys.
"Did you have fun picking the tree?" Addison asked after placing him on her lap. Henry nodded his head with a big smile on his face.
"You're so stinkin' cute, aren't you?" Savvy said as Addison handed him over to her. Henry smiled and let Savvy coo over him.
"Mommy?" Ava asked innocently, walking over to the adults on the couch.
"Yes, baby?" Savvy asked, looking over.
"Can we get a kitty, too?" Ava asked. Savvy arched an eyebrow before Milo walked over from behind the couch arm.
"Who's this?" Weiss asked, reaching down to pet the orange tabby.
"This is Milo," Addison said, chuckling.
"I want a kitty, too, Mommy!" Ava said excitedly before going over to snuggle with the cat.
Savvy looked to her husband for help but found him picking up the cat and sitting him on his lap before scooting over to let Ava sit beside him. She rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Thanks a lot, Addie," Savvy commented through her teeth, which made Addison and Naomi laugh.
"Tell you what, honey. Daddy and I will think about it, okay?" Savvy tried.
"Please, Mommy?" Ava asked, giving her mom her best puppy dog eyes.
"Your mom said she'll think about it," Weiss stepped in, moving some of the girl's brown hair behind her ears.
"Well, for the next few days, you can play with Milo. I'm sure he doesn't mind getting a new playmate," Addison smiled, hoping it'd help. The little girl's face lit up.
"Can you say thank you to your Aunt Addie?" Savvy encouraged.
"Thanks, Auntie Addie!" Ava grinned at her.
"You're very welcome, Ava," Addison said as Milo walked over Savvy and Addison's thighs before settling on Jake's lap.
"Why don't you move over here, sweetie?" Savvy suggested before picking Ava up and positioning her between Jake and Addison so she could continue petting the cat. Ava pet Milo's head as he purred back before he got up from his spot on Jake's lap and climbed into hers. She looked up at her mom with a big smile on her face.
"I think he likes you," Jake commented.
"Milo likes everybody," Betsey said, holding Max as the other kids walked up.
"He does," Addison confirmed.
The rest of the night went on as everyone reminisced about their college days, with Jake and Angela learning more about Addison's past. As it got later in the night, it became time to tuck the kids in for the night. Naomi told them all goodnight and brought Betsey and Max home. Angela let Weiss and Savvy use her bed for Ava until they went back to their hotel, letting Addison catch up with her old friends for a little while longer.
"So, why the cat, Addie? I always thought you were more of a dog person," Weiss asked playfully.
"No, Derek is more of a dog person. I was fine with either," Addison replied, matching his playful mood.
"Wasn't this your patient's cat? The one you told me about?" Savvy asked, remembering when Addison called her about how her patient had given her a cat years earlier.
"Yup," Addison confirmed.
"And I'm assuming this means you guys are cool with the cat?" Weiss asked as more of a statement, directing it towards Jake and Angela. They both looked at each other and shrugged.
"He's pretty quiet," Jake commented, chuckling.
"Plus, he'll stay up with me when I'm cramming for a test," Angela added playfully as she picked the cat up from the floor and onto her lap. He responded in kind by walking into her midsection and snuggling his head into her chest, purring, before resting on her lap.
"Henry must love it," Savvy commented.
"He does. Milo's like his little play buddy," Addison commented, smiling.
"He used to, um, throw this…what was it? Was it that blue teething toy?" Jake asked, looking over at Addison.
"No, it was the, um…fake keys," Addison recounted, laughing.
"Right, right. Henry threw this fake key ring toy like…maybe a foot away and Milo would walk over and pick it up and bring it back. It was like he inadvertently taught him how to play fetch," Jake recounted, chuckling. Everyone laughed along.
"That's adorable, Addie," Savvy commented.
"Too bad he wouldn't do it on command. I tried to get a video of it and either Henry wouldn't throw the toy or Milo wouldn't go to get it when I tried to throw it," Angela added playfully as everyone smiled.
"We should see if he'll do it again," Jake joked, petting Milo's head.
"So, you guys all met in college? You guys aren't doctors, too, right?" Angela asked, changing the subject after a lull in the conversation.
"Yes. And no. I actually met Addie before we ended up at Yale together. We went to the same boarding school for a while. And you're right; Savvy and I aren't doctors. Savvy's in corporate law and I teach history at NYU," Weiss replied. Angela nodded, impressed.
"Boarding school? Really?" Jake asked, intrigued. Weiss didn't seem like the type.
"I was only there on scholarship, believe me. I didn't grow up like Addie. Not even a little. But St. Lawrence was one of the best schools in the country, and my parents were academics," Weiss laughed.
"And he clearly followed in their footsteps," Savvy teased playfully.
"Wait, so you guys just met and became friends at boarding school?" Angela asked.
"Kind of. It was more like my friends were dating her friends," Weiss said, making Addison chuckle.
"Yeah, and he dated one of my friends, too, so we crossed paths on more than one occasion," Addison said playfully.
"So, what about Savvy?" Jake asked.
"I met Savvy in a poli-sci class at Yale. My second ever class at Yale, too. She made some joke while the professor was going over the syllabus, and I don't even remember what it was, but I laughed in the middle of the lecture," Addison recounted.
"She was also the only person that laughed," Savvy added.
"I was so embarrassed," Addison laughed.
"Yeah, well, I knew she was my kind of person after that. I found her after class and we went and grabbed coffee at the cart. And the rest is history," Savvy said.
"What about Weiss, then?" Jake asked.
"Oh, yeah. Weiss and I were in the same Conversational French class the next semester," Addison informed them.
"And I'm terrible in French. But I knew Addie was good at it," Weiss chuckled.
"I introduced them when I decided to just make the three of us a study group instead of scheduling two separate studying sessions on different days…it was just easier that way, but these two met and then our little study group just became me being a third wheel," Addison added.
"I thought you dated Derek in college?" Angela asked.
"I didn't date Derek until I went to med school at Columbia," Addison informed her.
"I also didn't meet Sam and Naomi until I got to Columbia," Addison added.
"You didn't date anyone at Yale?" Jake asked. Addison gave him a look, and he gave her another, and it was like the two of them were silently but playfully flirting with each other with their eyes.
"I tried setting her up. There was that one guy. What was his name? Nick! I liked that guy," Savvy said.
"Who's Nick?" Angela asked, intrigued.
"Just some guy I dated in college. It was nothing special. We were never serious," Addison laughed it off.
"But, moving on from my love life, we all transferred to Columbia after getting our undergrad at Yale. I got into their med school, Savvy got into their law school, and Weiss went to get his teaching masters," Addison continued.
"And that's where you met Derek," Angela gathered.
"Yup," Addison confirmed.
"You know, we always thought it'd be the four of us forever. Well, technically, the seven of us when you add Sam, Naomi, and Mark," Weiss said. Savvy and Addison nodded, simultaneously recalling Mark's memory. It was still so weird that Mark was gone. Sometimes they forgot.
"But, you know, I will say, Addie…you seem very happy here," Weiss commented, changing the topic to something happier.
"That's because I am," Addison smiled, blinking away the somber mood.
"Yeah, I mean, getting us out here like this? Very romantic. I just hope you can top it next year," Savvy said playfully. Jake chuckled.
"Well, we should get going. We don't want Ava to be up all night. She's a pretty light sleeper, so the second I go up to get her…," Weiss said, offering Savvy his hand before they stood up.
"Yeah, it's getting late anyway," Jake said, smiling as he and Addison stood up.
"We'll be back tomorrow. And the rest of the week," Savvy said, pulling Addison in for a hug.
"Good. You better be," Addison said, squeezing Savvy tight as Jake and Weiss shook hands. After that, Savvy hugged Jake, which surprised him as Weiss and Addison also hugged goodbye.
"It was nice to finally meet you guys, by the way," Weiss said, smiling warmly at Jake and Angela before waving and going upstairs to get a sleeping Ava from upstairs. Meanwhile, Savvy said her goodbyes to Angela, also bringing her in for a hug.
"She's a hugger," Addison said playfully.
"She's right; I am," Savvy laughed.
A couple of minutes later, Weiss came back downstairs with Ava in his arms. She was still half-asleep, snuggling under her dad's chin. Addison moved some hair out of the little girl's face before she, Jake, and Angela said goodbye. Angela went back to her room first, after saying goodnight to Jake and Addison. It was only after moving their wine glasses to the sink that the happy couple made their way upstairs.
When they got to the doorway of their bedroom, Jake stopped his wife, looking up to remind her of the mistletoe he had left up there. She just smiled and obliged by leaning in to kiss him before they stumbled into their bedroom and shut the door. In the morning, they returned to their normal routine as they got ready for work. They also made plans to meet Weiss and Savvy for lunch, bringing Amelia along with them this time.
Over the next few days, Weiss, Savvy, and Ava had fun going around Los Angeles and seeing the sights. They even managed to spend a day at Disneyland the day after when Jake and Addison were stuck at work with back-to-back appointments. Finally, Christmas Eve came and Jake and Addison's holiday party at home commenced. The house smelled sweet, thanks to the cookies, candy canes, and hot chocolate scattered around the kitchen. Not to mention the glazed ham Jake had just taken out of the oven.
The house was packed with people, including the doctors from the practice, a handful of doctors and nurses from St. Ambrose, Jake's side of the family, and everyone's kids. Just like they'd talked about during Thanksgiving, Zeke and Sofia had brought those soft Mexican wedding cookies, and they were light and buttery. Addison couldn't believe she'd never had them before.
Jake also had one more big surprise for Addison. When it arrived, however, she was too busy on the other side of the room playing with Max while talking to Naomi to notice that someone rang the doorbell.
"Oh, my God," Amelia said after opening the front door.
"Good to see you, too, kid," Archer smiled widely before pulling Amelia in for a quick hug before stepping inside while pulling a comically large rectangular gift behind him.
"Addie!" Archer called from across the room as soft Christmas music played throughout the house. Addison's eyes widened and her face lit up before handing Max over to Sam and walking fast over to Archer.
"What are you doing here?" Addison practically squealed as she squeezed her brother tight.
"I was invited," Archer chuckled as they pulled away.
"Hey, man. Glad you could make it," Jake said, shaking his brother-in-law's hand. Addison smiled at her husband and her brother.
"Now, what is that?" Savvy asked as she and Weiss walked up to greet Archer and referred to the big box behind him.
"It's a present from Santa!" Archer said playfully before hugging Savvy and giving Weiss one of those half-hugs.
"Hey, Rugrat!" Archer called over to Henry sitting near the tree with some of the other kids. He looked up and smiled before walking over to his uncle, who picked him up once he was within reach.
"Look, you're almost as big as your gift from Santa," Archer chuckled before sitting him on top of the gift he'd brought him, which made Henry laugh before looking down to look at the wrapped box.
As the party continued, they all caught up and/or got to know each other over various foods that took up the entire kitchen counters and dining table. The tree was full of gifts underneath them as they planned on everyone opening one gift that night before they all went home. The rest of their presents could wait to be opened in the morning with their immediate families. As it got later in the night, it was finally time to do just that.
Everyone cooed over the kids opening their one gift, especially the younger ones who needed a little help from their parents. Namely Max and the triplets. Since Archer came with a gift for Henry, they let him open his uncle's gift instead of the toddler tricycle Jake and Addison got him. They decided he could open that one tomorrow morning.
With Archer and Jake's help, Henry opened the present and found a cardboard box. After opening the box, Jake laughed upon looking inside, which only intrigued Addison as well as the rest of their guests. When he pulled the large yellow bear out of the box, everyone could see why Jake was laughing before. Archer, meanwhile, looked incredibly pleased with himself when he saw the little boy's eyes widen and his entire face light up.
"Pooh Bear!" Henry exclaimed, practically jumping with joy.
They all let Henry immediately run into the stuffed animal, filled with absolute joy over the new toy. The giant Pooh Bear plush was bigger than the toddler, with Henry's head reaching the bear's chin. It was, just as the wrapped box it had come in, comically large, but no one could deny how adorably happy Henry was.
"Can you say thank you to your Uncle Archer?" Addison asked.
"Thaints chu!" Henry exclaimed, giggling as he thanked his uncle in his best attempt at saying the words, thank you, before running over to hug his uncle. Archer smiled and squeezed the boy tight before picking him up.
"Uncle Archie's the best. Don't you ever forget that," Archer said playfully, bouncing the toddler in his arms before letting him back down. Henry immediately went back to his new Pooh Bear, letting the other kids get a closer look at the giant plush as well.
Everyone else got their turn, opening a gift near Jake and Addison's Christmas tree. Presents varied between numerous toys for the kids, some stunning jewelry between romantic partners, candles, sweaters, books, and other random items, gifted to colleagues, friends, and family members alike. Another sweet moment in the night consisted of Ava opening her gift from her Aunt Addie and receiving a soft plush toy of a gray cat. And Weiss and Savvy's promise to the little girl that they'd visit a shelter when they got back to New York only made it sweeter.
After Jake and Addison said their goodbyes to their guests, they tucked a very sleepy Henry into bed before checking in on Angela in her room. Her head was buried in The Age of Innocence, which also happened to be the book Addison got her for Christmas. Angela had said in passing months ago that she wanted to start reading some classic literature since there were so many she hadn't read before. It only got the bookworm in Addison excited about Christmas when she heard her, causing her to order the book a month earlier. When she heard them walk in, Angela looked up to thank her stepmother for the book.
After their almost nightly ritual of kissing underneath the mistletoe hanging over their bedroom door, Jake and Addison kept their arms wrapped around each other before falling onto their bed together, snuggling under the covers afterward. Upon glancing at the clock on the nightstand, Addison gasped.
"It's after midnight," Addison said, putting a hand over her mouth, giggling, as Jake tightened his grip around her and pulled her closer.
"I guess that means it's officially Christmas," Jake chuckled, kissing the top of her head, his arms still wrapped around his wife. From their bedroom, they could see the lights adorning the balcony, making the night feel that much more festive.
"Yeah, I guess it is," Addison smiled wider before looking back up at Jake and kissing him goodnight once more before they both drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, Addison woke up to the sun shining through the room, still feeling the warmth of their marital bed. After blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she saw the same twinkly lights on the balcony railing from last night, which only made her smile. However, when she turned around to where Jake usually slept, she found it empty, which was weird because she was usually the first one to wake up in their relationship. Not only was he not in bed next to her, but his side of the bed was cold, which meant he must've been awake for quite some time already.
Addison rubbed her eyes, yawned before getting out of bed, and grabbed a sweater from the closet before making her way over to Henry's room and finding him still asleep. She was still waking up slowly as she leaned against his bedroom door frame, watching her son sleep peacefully, when she heard a slight creak in the floor. When she turned around, she found a sleepy Angela behind her.
"Morning," Angela whispered, leaning against the other side of Henry's bedroom door.
"Morning," Addison smiled at her before seeing Henry stir in his sleep, signaling that he was probably about to wake up.
"Where's Dad?" Angela asked, curious.
"I don't know. I thought he might be out here with Henry or you, but I guess not," Addison replied.
"Mama?" Henry rubbed his eyes and saw his mother at the door.
"Good morning, baby," Addison chuckled as she walked over, picking him up when he held his arms out.
"It's Christmas, Henry!" Angela said excitedly, causing him to lift his head off Addison's shoulder and smile back at his big sister. As Angela smiled back and moved some of Henry's hair to the side, a waft of butter, sugar, and cinnamon entered their noses, which only made their smiles bigger.
"Let's go find Daddy," Addison said, kissing the side of Henry's head before they all left Henry's room.
"Santa!" Henry exclaimed, pointing at the toy sitting on the railing. Addison and Angela laughed before looking closer.
There was a small Santa and a small Snowman plush toy, each sitting on both sides of the stairs. After walking closer, they let Henry hold the toy before putting it back on the railing and making their way downstairs. They found gold tinsel with blue and white baubles wrapped around the rest of the staircase and three more plush toys at the bottom. Except this time, there was also a festive chipmunk plush, and all three animals had their arms wide open, making it look like they'd all sled down the stair railing. The chipmunk was a clear favorite for Henry, given how much he loved that Christmas chipmunk song Amelia introduced him to weeks earlier.
Along with the Christmas tree that they'd put up weeks prior, there were lights strung up on the kitchen counter and their stockings hung up over the fireplace. Jake had even put small tufts of fake snow (which were really just bundles of cotton) along some of the walls as well as in the living room corners. It was practically a Christmas winter wonderland in their living room, making Addison's heart flutter. In the kitchen, they saw Jake finishing off a small stack of pancakes and smiling back at them.
"Anyone hungry?" Jake asked.
"Me!" Angela and Henry exclaimed in unison before Angela got Henry out of Addison's arms and into his high chair.
Before Addison could say something to Jake about the extra decorations he put up this morning, she heard the doorbell ring. When she looked over at her husband, she saw him smile back at her before motioning for her to answer the door.
"Merry Christmas!" Amelia exclaimed before laughing and hugging Addison. Behind her were Weiss, Savvy, Ava, and Archer, alongside a few wrapped gifts.
"What are you guys doing here?" Addison asked as she went to hug every one of them.
"Free food," Amelia joked before picking up the gifts she'd put down before knocking on the door and making her way inside. Addison laughed as she let everyone else in. She couldn't help but smile bigger when she saw little Ava walking in holding the stuffed cat toy she'd gifted her last night.
"I brought Prosecco," Archer smirked, which earned him a swat on the shoulder from Addison.
"Hey! I got orange juice, too. You know, for the kids," Archer added jokingly, chuckling, before putting the two bottles on the kitchen counter. Addison just shook her head and laughed, knowing that he intended to mix the two to make mimosas.
"I figured breakfast was the least you could do since you convinced not only Ava but also Weiss that we needed a cat," Savvy said playfully, making Archer chuckle.
Addison squeezed her friend tight from the side before they all helped Jake set up everything for breakfast. Just as Addison predicted, Archer poured a few drinks into champagne flutes after Jake showed him where the glasses were, but he also poured two of just orange juice for Amelia and Angela and got out two plastic cups to do the same for Ava and Henry.
"I can't believe you did all of this," Addison commented as Jake got out of the kitchen, letting everyone grab more plates, utensils, and napkins for breakfast before moving everything outside to accommodate the extra people since their dining table was usually only big enough for the four of them.
"Well," Jake smiled, humble in his decoration skills.
"I love you. So so much," Addison said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," Jake said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Merry Christmas," Addison said, leaning in for a kiss before joining everyone else outside for breakfast.
A/N: Happy holidays everyone! Just as a few extra notes for this chapter: no the Captain didn't come, he's probably at some other Christmas party (so rest assured he's probably not alone), but I think the actor's basically ruined his character at this point (if you don't know what I'm talking about, just look him up and you'll probably find it), so I just left him out this time (he's in a few previous chapters - for anyone that hasn't read the rest of the chapters). I really just wanted Archer, Weiss, and Savvy in this chapter, and I have no doubt Archer would either be someone who is barely an uncle to Addie's kids, or he'd be the uncle that spoils them rotten, so I guess I'm leaning more towards the latter.
The other note I had for this chapter is that I thought of the whole Weiss-knew-Addison-before-Savvy part right before writing that section, and I just thought it'd make for an interesting twist. Usually, I've seen Savvy and Addison being anywhere between being distant cousins to them being roommates at Yale or something in that nature, so it felt more interesting to change that from the multitude of Addison and Savvy backstories. Also, this fandom is never letting Weiss and Savvy go despite Greysverse never bringing them back in again. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I just wanted to write something nice and fluffy for Jake and Addison this time around, so I hope I delivered. Happy holidays everyone!