Chapter 36
"And where were you two?" Challenged Elizabeth. It was Christmas Eve and she was waiting for her parents to come home. They were supposed to leave in fifteen minutes for the company headquarters Christmas Eve party. Each department had their own party, and tonight was the party for the cooperate office. They said that they were running to the store to grab one last thing needed for the party. They were pushing for time.
"We had to run to the store."
"Father, you went to Marble Slab Creamery."
"And how did you know that?"
"You went where, dear." William turned his attention to Grace when she asked.
"I…uhm…"
"You went there when I was at the store? You said you needed to go somewhere for something important."
"When isn't ice cream important?" He defended himself. "And how did you know I went there?" He turned his attention back to his middle daughter. "You ratted me out!"
"I followed you on Life 360 app."
"Your mother didn't install that app for you to keep track of us, dear. She installed it for us to keep track of you in case something happened."
Elizabeth just stared at her father. She wasn't willing to forgive him for pushing them to be late. The party was to begin at two and end at four. That would give everyone time to have Christmas Eve with their families. She was to go to Jack's home at five for Christmas Eve with his parents. Then Jack was going to Elizabeth's home for Christmas morning and day. This was the arrangement for the holidays since Elizabeth went with Jack's family to Buxton.
"We are not late." William defended himself.
"You need to change your shirt."
"Why?" He questioned his oldest who just walked into the kitchen."
"It looks like you have chocolate syrup on it." Viola pointed.
William looked down and then back up at his girls. "I'll be right back."
"You need to hurry!" Julie stated.
"Are you still going to the Thornton's home with Tom?"
"Yes mother."
"I should be there a little early. I'm helping Mom with the food."
"You can cook?" Viola asked Elizabeth.
"Nana taught me a few things while I was there. Mom can't cook either, so I'm sure it isn't too big of a dinner."
"Tom said they usually buy something from a restaurant to take home. Evidently, Charlette can make a really good coconut cake."
"Come on girls…we don't want to be late." William stated as he walked back into the kitchen. Elizabeth shook her head. "What?"
"Those colors don't match. Wear your red vest. That will look better with your shirt and pants."
"Fine." He huffed. She always did that to him.
"Hurry up! We can't be late."
"I'm not late. You're making me change clothes."
"And you were the one at Marble Cream Ice Cream who dribbled chocolate syrup all over the front of your shirt."
"You need to stop stalking me on that thing."
"Hurry up!"
…
J – Are you here yet
E – Almost
J – Its been forever
E – Are you whining Jarrick
J – I miss my girlfriend
E – I miss you
J – Are you here yet
E – Five minutes
J – Please hurry
Elizabeth giggled. She loved that he missed her and wanted to spend time with her. She hadn't seen him in a couple of days. She was instrumental in her family's planning for the corporate party. Plus, their time together as a family. She usually didn't do her Christmas shopping until after the beginning of school break. She has always been that way. She thought about taking Jack with her, but she couldn't. She had to find and purchase his Christmas gift.
Elizabeth laughed when she pulled into Jack's driveway and parked behind dad's truck. Jack was standing on the front porch with his arms crossed in front of him. He didn't have a jacket on. She could tell he was cold. He quickly walked toward her car as she opened her door.
"Jack, you should have a jacket on. It's freezing out here."
"Let me help with your stuff."
"Jack…"
"Elizabeth, I have a mother." He sassed. "Now, a kiss please and what do I need to carry in?"
She huffed at his teasing. She tip toed for a quick kiss and turned to reach the bags in the back seat. As much as Jack tried, he just couldn't help himself. He patted her on the bottom as she was reaching for the bags and wrapped boxes.
"Jarrick!" She gasped and quickly stood up.
Other than the times he would pinch her bottom during selfies, he hasn't touched her bottom since the morning in the Duck Park just after that Monday morning.
She looked directly into his smirking grin. He looked like a little boy who just did something he knew he would get in trouble over, but he decided to do it anyways.
"Be nice." She stated.
He wasn't sure if she was playing with him or if she was upset. She giggled when his face didn't lose the grin. He placed his hands in his pockets and bounced on the ball of his feet.
Jack took his hands out of his pockets when Elizabeth turned around with a handful of boxes and gift bags.
"Thank you, Jarrick."
"You're welcome, Princess Beth."
"Jack, that's not my name. I thought we were past this."
"You shouldn't have been upset with me when I patted your bottom." He smiled.
"Who said I was upset?" She smiled.
"Your expression. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it. Now, Ma has your gift inside." Jack turned and began to walk toward the front door. He didn't give her an opportunity to say anything. She caught up to him when he reached the steps.
She admired the outside lights. They wasn't as many as her father's decorations, but she thought they were nice. She could see one Christmas tree lit in the center of the picture window in front. It looked nice from the porch.
They climbed the steps together and she reached for the door since his hands were full.
"Thank you." Jack stated as he walked in first. He stepped to the side toward the tree to allow her to walk in.
Elizabeth closed the door and turned around when she heard a voice that stopped her.
"Beth my dear…"
…
Rosemary walked over to where Lee was standing. He was waiting on his mother to pay for the last of the Christmas gifts for Cory. He was with Steph at her parents' home. Their mother was taking advantage of the opportunity to finish her oldest son's shopping.
"Hey." Rosey stated as she stepped toward Lee.
"This is a great surprise!" Smiled Lee. "What are you up to?"
"Finishing this." Rosey stated lifting two bags of items.
"Is one of those things for me?" Asked Lee, trying to peak into one of the bags.
"Leland Coulter! How dare you sneak a peek?!" Rosemary waved her hands and raised her voice. The theatrical side was coming out in full force.
Lee loved it when she did that. He found it amusing. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. He also leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. This was his normal reaction to her over the top responses. She secretly loved when he did that. They haven't kissed on the lips yet.
Kissing was the only part of Stan's attack on her last year before Jack stopped him. Every time she thought about kissing, she would see his angry face coming toward her. When Lee first came in for a kiss, she violently jerked back. She could only see Stan's face. She was battling an internal war. She did want to kiss Lee. She thought his lips looked soft and often wondered what they would feel like softly pressed against hers. But that was an issue, she couldn't imagine any lips softly pressed against her. She knew Lee wasn't Stan, but that awful image was still present.
After her initial reaction to Lee's attempt to kiss her, she initiated the first kiss on the cheek. While Lee was disappointed in her reaction, he was grateful she kissed his cheek first. She was trying to get over the aftermath of what happened to her. He was grateful for that.
Rosemary huffed at the instant calming effect that Lee had on her.
"Why yes, there is something in here for you…if you're good." She teased.
"I've been a good guy this year Rosey." He flashed her a huge smile.
"We'll see…" Her voice trailed off as she looked at his lips.
"My mom is coming. We have a couple more stores to go to before we're done. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon?"
"Sure." The disappointment was evident in her voice. She wasn't ready for him to leave. This was a nice surprise to run into him.
"If you're not busy, I'm sure mom wouldn't mind if you came with us."
"I would love that!" She exclaimed in an excited voice.
…
"Nana…? She turned around not believing her ears.
Nana and Pops were both standing in the living room facing her. They had huge smiles on their faces.
"Nana! Pops!" Elizabeth stated as she dropped the two gift bags she was holding and ran toward them. "You're here?!" She stated as she hugged Nana first. They held onto each other for several seconds. Then she turned her attention toward Pops. She hugged him as he gave her an extra squeeze. "What are you two doing here?"
"We wanted to come and visit. We loved having you all at our home during Thanksgiving." Nana stated as Elizabeth gave her another hug. "I think it made us miss you all even more. So, we decided to come for a visit." Pops stated.
"I'm so glad you're here."
"Let's not fool ourselves here…they missed you." Jack stated looking at Elizabeth.
Ignoring his sassy comment, Elizabeth smiled at this precious woman. "When did you get here? Was all of this planned?"
"We arrived about an hour and a half ago. Our plane landed and Thomas picked us up at the airport."
"You flew?"
"Oh yes, we're too old to drive that far."
"Jack…you didn't tell me they were coming. When was this planned?"
"About two weeks ago. Nana wanted to keep it a secret. She wanted to surprise you."
"Then I guess you are forgiven." Elizabeth scrunched her nose at Jack. He could only shake his head. That look… He thought. Elizabeth turned her attention back to Nana and Pops. "How long will you be here?"
"For almost a week. We want to watch JayJay play a game before we flew back home.
"Oh…that's great. I would like for you to meet mother and father."
"We would welcome spending time with you."
"Are you kidding me…that's why they came." Jack laughed until he saw Nana' and Elizabeth's expression.
"Enough from you." Both ladies stated at the same time.
"So, how have you two been?" Elizabeth asked as he took both of their hands and led them to the couch.
"So much for spending time with my girlfriend." Jack shook his head.
…
The evening with the Thornton family and Elizabeth was a perfect Christmas Eve. There was a lot of laughter and catching up. Elizabeth, Nana, and Pops sat on the couch for the first forty five minutes discussing everything. She shared with them about Bryan's and how that all played out. The laughter from the three individuals could be heard throughout the house. Jack even swore there were giggling from the two women. She showed them pictures of the college she took while on her visit.
Elizabeth loved Charlette's decorations. She had one Christmas tree that was adorned with many handmade ornaments. Jack made one when he was in kindergarten. Jack was embarrassed about it, but she adored it. There was a nativity scene sitting on a table close to the tree. She fingered the small figurines when Charlette told her that Thomas made them. The decorations weren't as many or over the top as the decorations at her home, but she loved them, nonetheless. They were just different, and she appreciated that fact.
The presents were passed out for everyone to open. Jack and Elizabeth previously decided to hold off on exchanging their gifts for each other. They wanted to do that with just the two of them. Nana and Pops gave Elizabeth a basket full of lotions, face masks, different colors of fingernail polish, and different smaller bottles of body washes. At the request of Jack, they held off on different shampoos. Jack loves her vanilla and lavender shampoo. Elizabeth loved all the items. They also gave her some gloves and a toboggan to wear. She had gotten into walking since her and Jack went out with his friends. She enjoyed the feeling from it. Nana also gave her a handwritten book that had some recipes in it. Nothing too advanced, but plenty for Elizabeth to try and challenge herself a little in the kitchen. Elizabeth loved the cookbook, but loved the fact even more that Nana wrote out the recipes by hand. On the bottom of each page, were small notes of encouragement or hints. There were even life lessons on some of the pages. She had a hard time putting the cookbook down.
"Beth, we have one more gift. One day before we leave, we are taking you to the local bookstore. You may pick out any two books you would like."
"Oh, that's incredible, Nana!"
Elizabeth gave Nana and Pops their gift. She brought it with her so she could get their mailing address from Charlette. She already had it in a box to be mailed after Christmas. Now she knew why Jack waited so long to get her the address. She gave them a photo album mostly of Jack. She had printed off several pictures and made a collage with them. At Jack's instance, she added several pictures of her and her and Jack. Elizabeth smiled as Nana took the time to look at every picture. She handed Nana a tissue and she graciously accepted it. True to Elizabeth's nature, the gift wasn't extravagant. That just wasn't her. However, Nana and Pops loved the gift. It was more a personal gift and they loved that.
Elizabeth had to leave earlier than she wanted to. To be honest, she didn't want to leave. Her Aunt Agatha was arriving, and she did want to spend some time with her. It was about nine thirty when Elizabeth left to go home. She and Jack spent a few moments by her car while it was warming up.
"It's nice to actually speak to you before you leave."
"Do you feel neglected?"
"A little." Jack whined. "We really haven't had much time together for a few weeks now. With finals to you talking to my Nana all evening." Jack emphasized the word 'my'.
"I'm sorry Jack. I was surprised Nana and Pops were here and we just talked."
"No kidding."
"I didn't mean to divide my time so much."
"It's ok. I just miss you and I was with you for a few hours. So was everyone else."
"We have had a busy few weeks haven't we?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe we'll have time since we are exchanging our gifts sometime tomorrow. My Aunt Agatha will be there. She's excited about meeting you, but we will work something out."
Jack nodded his head. He was a little nervous about meeting her family. He hasn't done this before. Now he knew why she was so nervous meeting his family. She saw the nerves in his eyes.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "It'll be fine. They'll love you just like your family loves me. I promise."
"I know you can't skype with your family in, but please text me when you get home."
"Jack…"
"Please…" She loved and hated that he would ask her to do that. She smiled knowing she did the same to him and he felt the same way about it.
"Now, be careful and have fun with your family."
"A kiss before I go?" She flirted.
Jack's lips crashed onto her lips as soon as she said the last word.
…
Jack watched Elizabeth back out of the driveway and head toward the stop sign. When her car was out of sight, he turned and hurried into the home. His mother and father were sitting in the living room speaking with Nana and Pops. He talked with them for a few minutes. He excused himself for a shower when he received the text from Elizabeth that she was home.
Around midnight, he came down to grab a snack and something to drink. He was a little surprised when Nana was sitting at the table with a snack and drink.
"Are you ok? Is the bed comfortable?"
"I'm fine…I always struggle the first night in a different bed."
"Do you need anything?" Jack asked as he opened the fridge door.
"No…I'm good."
Jack found the left over pizza and grabbed him a soda. He sat across from Nana.
"So…Bryan's University huh?"
"Yeah…I loved the school, and the full paid scholarship for four years was something I couldn't pass up."
"That's impressive Jack."
"It is…and no, I didn't pick the school because of Elizabeth."
"I know dear. I know you. I'm sure you're grateful she is attending and I'm sure that was part of the decision, but I know that's not why you choose the school."
"Thanks for saying that, Nana. I think some people think that way. We wrote down our decisions on a piece of paper. Then we spoke to our parents. They asked some questions. After that, Elizabeth and I stepped outside and spoke again. Then we shared our answers at the same time. We didn't want to influence the other person.
"People will think what they want to think no matter what the truth is. You two know the truth. Stand on that fact." She smiled at the relief on his face. She leaned forward and took his hand. "Now…talk to me about what you're thinking."
…
Elizabeth walked through the connecting door from the garage to the home. Aunt Agatha was standing by the utility room waiting for her niece. She wanted to see her and hear about this boy that made her break her steadfast rule of no dating while in high school. Elizabeth's two cousins were already dressed for bed, but they were staying up to see their favorite cousin. The seven year old boy and ten year old girl grew the last time Elizabeth saw them.
To Aunt Agatha's credit, she held back her questions until her children went to bed. William and Grace excused themselves to their room. Elizabeth knew her aunt wanted to speak to her. Of all the family members, they were the most alike.
"Sit…sit…" Agatha stated when Elizabeth walked into the kitchen. Her aunt was sitting at the kitchen island with a cup of hot tea in her hands and another cup beside her. There was a plate of a variety of cookies sitting between the two cups.
"How are you doing? I can't believe how much Jerry and Janice has grown."
"It doesn't take long. I'm doing well. Now…" Elizabeth smiled at her aunt's eagerness.
"His name's Jack…"
"My dear I already know that. Now…"
Elizabeth laughed. "Aunt Agatha…Jack isn't a perfect guy. He is perfect for me."
"Really?"
"Yeah…" Elizabeth took a few minutes to share the whole story from meeting at the beach until the evening with Jack's family just a little while ago. She shared the beginning hurdles and how they overcame them. She shared about the dreadful Monday morning and the aftermath of that experience. She shared basically everything except the fact that they were in love and have shared that with each other.
"Wow." Aunt Agatha leaned back a little. "And now you're going to the same college."
"We are."
"My brother told me about the whole process. I think it was a good idea to write down your answer on a piece of paper."
"I thought so too. We just didn't want to influence the other."
"How do you feel about that?"
"I'm grateful we are both going there. I didn't want to think about being away from each other for four years."
"Do you think you would have tried to the long distance dating?"
"Yes, we would have figured a way to make it work."
"I have no doubt." Agatha smiled. She knew how determined her niece could be when her mind was made up. It was as if she was looking in a mirror. "That brings me to my next question."
Elizabeth smiled. She knew the question that was on her aunt's mind. She has often thought about it. Late at night lying in her bed alone, she would think about it. She knew it was too soon and they were way too young, but she couldn't escape the thought if she tried. To be perfectly honest, she didn't try to escape the thought.
"Aunt Agatha…we're way too young for that question. We're just seventeen."
Agatha leaned back on her stool slightly. She looked at her niece. Her smile told Elizabeth that she didn't believe her.
"Tell me you don't think about it when no one is around." She challenged her younger clone.
"I didn't say that…and how did you know?"
"Elizabeth, we are too much alike for me not to know. I'm not too old to remember what it's like to be young and in love."
"Fine…I do think about it occasionally. Not as often as people think I do, but yes…I imagine Jack and I being married someday."
"My late Robert and I were engaged while we were freshmen in college. We were married after our sophomore year."
"Did you have family members that were against it?" Elizabeth asked as she took a sip of her tea. She was interested in the story.
"Of course. Some were saying we were too young, not mature enough, too much life to still live before settling down. If we get married this young, I wouldn't finish school because I would become pregnant. Everyone had an opinion."
"How did you handle it?"
"Robert and I spoke in depth about it. We wanted to be married. The courting was nice, but we wanted to be married. Everyone was telling us to wait, to make the best decision for us. But here's the odd thing, no one asked what we thought the best decision for us was. They all knew for themselves without ever speaking to us. Robert and I spoke about it for hours over a period of time. I told him what I wanted, and he did the same. We both wanted our relationship to turn into marriage. We were tired of saying goodnight to each other and watching the other one leave. He wanted to finish college as much as I did. Each person's story is different. This was what was best for us. We made a plan. That plan may change over the course of time, but the true essence of it will change for the both of you."
"That's what Nana said, we need to make a plan."
"Who's Nana?"
"Oh, that is Jack's grandmother."
"Yes, William told me you visited with them in Buxton. She sounds like a smart lady."
"She is."
"You and Jack need to talk about this. When you think you figured everything out, talk it through again. In some ways, marrying young will make things more difficult. It certainly changes things. In other ways, it also makes things easier."
Aunt Agatha was making sense. Elizabeth did think they were too young, but she couldn't get rid of the feeling in her heart. She knew Jack was meant for her. She was going to marry that man someday.
"Dear, have you and Jack spoken about this?"
"Kinda in a round about sort of way."
"Kinda? Elizabeth, what does that mean?"
"Two days after the kidnapping, we spoke about it for a minute or two. He told me that he wanted his first kiss to be his last kiss. That he wasn't dating to date someone."
"I have heard that one before." She smirked having that same conversation with Elizabeth before.
"Yes, you have." Elizabeth smiled and blushed. "I always stated that I was going to marry my first boyfriend. I just didn't want to date around."
"And Jack's the same way?"
Elizabeth blushed again.
"My dearest Elizabeth, you need much more than a one minute, coded conversation. With something that is truly life changing, you need to speak with him. Make sure you are on the same page. That way, life, or people can't just confuse you or toss you from one extreme to the other. Talk with people you trust. Talk with Jack. Make sure you two want the same things in life."
Elizabeth nodded her head. "We do want the same things in life. We want to teach children who may not have the best resources in life."
"That would be a noble profession for one's life. It's great that you have that in common. That's the starting point. I can easily see that love is there. Now, you two need to further this discussion over a period of time."
…
Elizabeth had a difficult time getting out of her bed. She was warm under the covers and very comfortable. She had already smacked her phone twice when the alarm sounded. As a child, she was always the first one up because she wanted to get downstairs to see what Santa brought. As a teenager, that desire was a long ago memory. She would rather sleep in longer under her warm blankets and Jack's red hoodie that she stole when they were in Buxton. His navy blue hoodie was hanging in her closet. She didn't sleep in that one.
She heard a light knock on her bedroom door. A moment later, the door quickly flung open and two smiling faces were staring at her.
"Come on E…Santa came last night." Jerry whined.
"Mother said we can't open presents until you are downstairs." Janice grumbled.
Jerry and Janice jumped on Elizabeth's bed. "Come on E…"
"Janice and Jerry, I said to wake her up softly." Agatha stated as she walked through the open door.
"We are mother."
"You're on the bed with Elizabeth. That's not softly."
"Yes, but we're not on her." Jerry defended himself.
"I'll be down in a couple of minutes."
"Come Jerry and Janice. We can't open gifts until Jack gets here."
Elizabeth instantly sat up with the mention of Jack's name. In her sleepy state, she wasn't considering Jack was supposed to be there soon. She looked at her phone and noticed that Jack should be there within thirty minutes. She began to undo her bun as she was kicking off the covers.
"I've got to hurry…" She stated as she ran toward her bathroom.
…
Twenty five minutes later, Elizabeth was properly dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a beautiful red sweater. Her hair and makeup were perfect, and she had a huge smile on her face. She knew she was going to see Jack soon. As she began her journey down the steps, she could hear Janice and Jerry talking a mile a minute. She wondered what had made them so excited.
Halfway down the stairs, she stopped on the steps and stared. Jack was sitting on the couch. Janice was pressed up against Jack's side. He had his arm loosely around her back. She was telling Jack about the Christmas play she was in at church the previous Sunday. Jack was intently listening to her animated description of her part.
Jerry was sitting on his lap. Jack would turn his attention toward Jerry when he would add something to the story or tell Jack about the small role he had in the play alongside his sister. Elizabeth noticed how happy Janice and Jerry were with Jack. Elizabeth also noticed how happy Jack was listening to the two kids. She could tell there was an instant connection between the three of them.
When Elizabeth stepped off the last step, Agatha met her. "They have taken a quick liking to him."
"How long as he been here?"
"He walked into the home when we left your bedroom. They have been sitting on the couch since. William barely got him to the couch before they latched onto him."
"I bet father isn't too happy about having to share Jack."
Both ladies looked at William sitting on a chair beside the couch. They couldn't tell if he was listening to the story or if he was upset about not sitting beside Jack.
"Your mother told me about their little bromance."
"It began early on in our relationship. It really grew over that truck."
"I heard Jack bought that old truck." She shook her head. "I can't believe he liked that old thing."
"You really need to see it. It looks nice. They did a great job in cleaning it up and getting it to run."
"Huh…" Agatha smiled at her brother. "I think he wants to be in the center of it all."
"I agree. I don't think I'll get to spend too much time with my boyfriend today."
"From what you said last night, he didn't get to spend too much time with you yesterday."
"Yeah…" She watched the group in front of them on the couch. "What do you think about him?"
"I haven't really said anything to him other than hi. He was quickly swarmed by William and then Janice and Jerry."
…
Abagail sat down on the couch and was staring blankly at the Christmas tree in the front of the big window in the living room. She was lost in thought when Frank walked in with a cup of tea for her.
"Hey, what are you thinking about?"
Abagail broke her trance from the Christmas tree. She loved Christmas. It was a great time in her opinion. The birth of Jesus, the lights, the decorations, and time with family all made the holiday special. She and Frank would always limit their gifts to each other to fifty dollars. Their reasoning was that if they wanted anything during the year, they would just purchase it. They just didn't feel that it was important to buy gifts for each other. That wasn't the reason for their happiness.
This year was different. There was an uneasiness in her spirit. This year she was just off. She shook her head when Frank stated his question the second time. She looked up at him as he extended a cup of tea to her.
"What is it Abagail? He asked as he sat beside her. "What's in that mind of your?"
She sighed. She looked into her husband's eyes. "I miss having kids around during this time. Christmas was just so special with little ones running toward the tree trying to find their gifts. Their excitement in finding their gift. I guess…I guess I'm just missing that this year."
Frank handed her a tissue. "Are you wanting to adopt?"
"No…maybe…I don't know." She stared at the tree for a few moments. "There is a children's home on the south side of Hamiton."
"Yes. I know the director there. Her husband and I have spoken a few times. They do tremendous work with kids. They are overwhelmed at times."
"They are…" She wiped a tear away. "What would you think if we took those kids on the weekends to give them a break?"
"All of them?"
"Yes. They usually have six to eight. We won't be adopting them, but we will take them from Friday to Sunday nights. They can stay here. This will give Ben and Anna a weekend off with no kids."
"Really?" Frank asked a little surprised. He knew Ben and Anna were very busy with those children. They ran a home with children that needed a home for various reasons. The home wasn't in the juvenile system. It was closer to the foster care system. Their parents were either incarcerated or have passed away.
"With my café schedule, I can rework it to where I can be here during the weekends. We can help Ben and Anna have a couple days for themselves to do whatever they want. We can even make a difference in those children's lives."
"I'm in. I'll call Ben tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Of course. We can check to see if we can have all of them over for special dinners like Thanksgiving and Christmas."
"Frank I would love that."
"I'll make that call tomorrow."
He smiled when the frown left her face and was replaced with a smile.
…
During the morning, it was just the Thatcher family, Jack, Aunt Agatha, and Jerry and Janice.
They all sat around the tree as the children handed out the presents. Jack sat on the couch as Elizabeth sat on the floor in front of him. She rested her elbows on his thighs. Jack would often play with her hair. She loved that feeling of his fingers running through her hair. She didn't know it, but he loved doing it.
Jerry and Janice finished passing out the gifts and immediately began to tear into the wrapping paper. Packing tissues quickly filled the air with everyone's laughter. The kids didn't waste any time opening their presents. Julie and Viola began with their gifts from their parents. Elizabeth was so engrossed in watching the kids and her sisters that she wasn't even opening her presents.
"Bethie dear…you need to begin to open your gifts."
"Yes mother." Elizabeth offered her mother a smile. She reached for a good sized box that was beautifully wrapped. Jack frustratingly watched Elizabeth slowly unwrap her gift. At his home last night, all of her gifts were in gift bags. This was the first time he witnessed watching her unwrap a gift. She methodically peeled back each piece of tape. She was doing it in such a manner that she wouldn't damage any of the wrapping paper.
"What in the world are you doing?" Jack asked with his head tilted.
"What do you mean?"
"Who in the world opens presents like that?"
"I do."
"Are you trying to save the wrapping paper?"
"No."
"For crying out loud…" He could only shake his head. "That's not how you do it!"
"Enough from you, Jackie Boy."
"Jackie Boy?" Janice snickered.
"Alright Princess Beth."
"Princess Beth?" Jerry laughed until he saw Elizabeth's expression.
"This is going to take you forever." He leaned back on the couch.
"You'll realize that once Elizabeth has her mind made up about anything, it's almost impossible to change it." William laughed. Even when his middle daughter glared at him.
"I already know that." Jack laughed when Elizabeth slapped his knee.
She continued to slowly open the gift from her aunt. Jack was certain she was going slower than before. Agatha had bought her a five book set of Jane Austin's books, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion.
"Aunt Agatha, I love this." Elizabeth clutched the gift to her chest. "Thank you!"
"Jack, open your gift from Elizabeth." Grace stated.
"Mother, Jack and I are exchanging gifts later." Grace returned the statement with a smile.
"Here mom. This is for you."
"Mom?" Agatha whispered. Elizabeth smiled discreetly at her. The look was understood.
"Jack, you didn't have to do that."
"Please, open it?"
Grace took the small rectangle box that was beautifully wrapped and began to open the gift.
"Good…grief…she's almost as slow as you are?" Elizabeth patted his knee. Grace only grinned. She didn't look up.
After unwrapping the small box, Grace opened the lid. There was a beautiful, thin tennis bracelet made out of white gold. In the center was 'MOM' in script font. Grace immediately reached for her eyes. "Jack…you didn't…it's beautiful." Her words were slow as she fought against the desire to cry. "Thank you, Jack." She stood as she spoke and walked over to him. He stood to accept the hug.
"You're welcome, mom." He whispered into her ear. "Thank you for being so kind to me."
…
It didn't take long for a few more people to come over to the Thatcher residence. They were all told to be there by noon, but they began to arrive around ten. They were also eager meet this young man who won Elizabeth's heart.
Jack was in the kitchen with Elizabeth helping Grace prepare lunch. While neither one was very good in the kitchen, they were willing to help. Secretly, they wanted to learn. Just before lunch, Sherry and her husband, John, came with their three children. Just like the time at Jack's grandparents' home, Elizabeth's extended family wanted to meet this guy. They wanted to meet the guy that captured the middle Thatcher's heart.
The extra three kids just gravitated towards Jack and Elizabeth, especially Jack. The three girls just thought Jack was dreamy. Elizabeth was always their favorite, but they thought Jack was cute. No matter where he went, the kids followed him.
John paid close attention to the boy. He was always protective of Elizabeth. It didn't take too long for Jack to win him over. Sherry would often slightly elbow Elizabeth with a large grin on her face. Elizabeth knew Sherry liked Jack.
"So…you and William fixed up the truck?"
"Yes sir. We did with my Pa's help."
"That's a nice looking truck." John stated. "It's been forever since I saw it."
"Jack here did a great job."
"Thanks William."
"Who calls their father pa?"
Jack smiled. He told John the story of how he came to call his father pa. The women swooned at his explanation. They could all see a little Jack sitting on his father's lap watching TV.
The dinner was a typical Thatcher dinner. The adults sat at the table and all the little ones sat at a children's table in the kitchen. The adult conversation was on the proper side, filled with a little laughter. Jack and Elizabeth shared the story of Bryan's University. They were impressed by how Jack and Elizabeth came to their own decisions. Everyone could see that William thought the world of Jack. There was definitely a bromance between the two.
The family enjoyed their time together over lunch and time spent in the living room. The family caught up with each person and laughed over Grace's description of William at Jack's games. Aunt Agatha couldn't wait to attend a game. She decided to stay and go with William and Grace. She also wanted to meet Tom and Charlette.
…
Later that afternoon, Jack and Elizabeth were in the den alone. This was the first time being alone in a while. They both missed this time together.
"Jack, did you really think I was upset with you yesterday when you patted my bottom?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Well, you gave me the look you usually give me when you aren't necessarily happy with me. We haven't done that in a long time." He shrugged his shoulders.
She scooted a little closer to him on the couch. "Jack, I wasn't upset. I liked it."
"You didn't act like you did."
"I guess we are still finding ourselves in this."
Jack shrugged his shoulders. "I guess."
"I know we have our limits, but I did like it."
"You just didn't seem to…"
"I did." She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss. "Now, I have something for you."
"Me too." He stated as he pulled out a small box. "Elizabeth, this is for you."
She gasped at the thought of the box. For some weird reason, she was hoping it was a box containing an engagement ring. She knew they were young, but she just couldn't keep her heart from hoping. Just because they were engaged, it didn't mean they would necessarily be married shortly after.
Jack huffed as she slowly opened the present.
"I will never wrap another present for you. Everything will be in gift bags."
"Hush you…" She sassed.
She smiled at the velvet box and stole a glance at Jack. He wasn't moving to his knee. She swallowed the disappointment and opened the box with a loving smile.
"Jack…it's beautiful!" She gasped.
Inside the velvet box was a beautiful white gold infinity necklace. Elizabeth gently ran her finger around the infinity symbol. She thought it was beautiful and full of meaning.
"Jack…I love it. It's so beautiful."
"I hope you like it. When I saw it, I instantly thought of you." He paused for a moment. He was trying to capture his words and emotions. He wanted to say it the right way. "Elizabeth, that infinity symbol is a gesture of my love for you. There is no end or beginning. I love you with all of my heart…and I always will."
She wiped a tear from her cheek. The words moved her to her soul.
"Elizabeth." He elongated her name. She loved it when he did that. "…turn the symbol over."
She looked at him for a moment. She took the necklace out of the box and turned the symbol over. She gasped when she saw the engraving.
On the back of the symbol, Jack and Elizabeth's names were engraved. Elizabeth's name was on the top on the right side of the symbol and his name on the bottom portion on the same side. On the other section of the infinity emblem, was 1 Corinthians 13 on the bottom portion and "Love is patient…love is kind…" on the top and side portion.
Elizabeth ran her finger over all the engravings. "Jack…it's perfect."
"I hope you like it."
"I love it. Would you please put it on me?"
Jack smiled and took the necklace. Elizabeth took off the one she was wearing and held her hair up to make it easier for Jack to place the necklace on her. When he was done, he kissed the back of her neck. She shivered as she placed her fingers over her new necklace. She was in love with it. It was so special to her.
She turned around and gave him a kiss filled with love. "Thank you, Jack."
"You're welcome."
"Now, I have a gift for you."
Jack accepted the small gift and immediately began to tear the paper off the box. He was flinging the wrapping paper in the air. She laughed. He looked just like a little boy who was very excited about opening his Christmas present. He finally got all the paper off the box and opened it.
Inside the box was a beautiful S-Force watch. "Elizabeth…"
"That watch type is known to be oversized. I hope you like it?"
"Elizabeth…it's gorgeous."
The watch was a gun sliver with a white face. It was very heavy, and everything was oversized in proportion to a normal watch. He really did love the oversize aspect of it.
"I love it."
"Turn it over."
He noticed her little smirk. He slowly turned it over to look at the back of the watch. The engraving was the one he had on the back of her necklace. I Corinthians 13 – Love is patient…love is kind…
Jack's smile was perfect in her opinion. She could easily see that he loved it. She was grateful.
Jack slowly put the watch on his left wrist. He admired it for a moment.
"Thank you, Elizabeth. I love it."
"Thank you for my necklace. I love it." Elizabeth gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. She wanted to do more. It has been forever since they were alone with each other. There was school or other family members present. She wanted time with her boyfriend. She could tell he was a little frustrated with that aspect just as she was too. "Jack, will you go out with me tomorrow?"
"Just us?" He asked a little surprised.
"Just us…I miss us."
"Me too. I love you, Elizabeth."
"I love you, Jack."