Chapter 21-Thank You for Today

December 24th

Hank woke up before Jenna, early due to the time difference. After tossing and turning all night, he was glad she was finally getting a little bit of rest. He held her for awhile longer until she stirred in his arms, her eyes fluttering open.

A small smile crept across Jenna's face. "I love waking up next to you," she said sleepily.

Hank kissed her forehead. "Same here." He brushed her hair away from her face. "Want to just stay right here all day?"

Jenna giggled. "I think my girls would have a fit if they found out we stayed in bed all day."

Hank shrugged. "It was a nice idea."

"It sure was," Jenna said as she kissed him softly. "But I do have some plans for us today, if you're up for it."

"Whatever you want to do is fine with me."

"Good. I thought I'd take you around town, let you see a little more of my old life. I thought we'd start with breakfast at my restaurant, and then go from there."

"Sounds like a great plan. Will the girls be ok with us ditching them again?"

"Sara and Chloe are with their in-laws today. I told Paige and Taylor they could come over and hang out with us later. So we have the morning all to ourselves."

Hank kissed her again. "Let's go see this place."

[][][][][][][][][][]

They had a nice breakfast together at Jenna and Jake's restaurant. A few people stopped by their table to visit, friends of hers and friends of her kids. As they were preparing to leave, Jake walked in. When he saw them, he came over to their table.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning Jake," Jenna said.

"What are you two up to today?"

"Jen is showing me around town this morning. Breakfast was the first stop on our list. You've got a great place here," Hank said.

"Thank you," Jake said. "It's hard work, but it's a lot of fun too. So where are you headed next?"

"We're going to drive around a bit, go to the beach, maybe swing by the house if you're ok with it," Jenna said.

"Of course, Jennie. If you don't have a key with you, the garage door code is the same as always."

"Thanks Jake." She looked up at Hank. "Ready to head out?"

"Whenever you're ready," Hank said, squeezing her hand.

"We'll see you tomorrow for Christmas, right?" Jenna asked Jake.

"I'll be there. You two have a great day," Jake said, shaking Hank's hand and giving Jenna a quick hug.

"Thanks," Hank said. He took Jenna's hand as they walked out of the restaurant together.

They drove around for awhile, Jenna pointing out special places and telling stories about her life there. They ended up at the house she shared with Jake.

"Great house," Hank said, as they sat in the car in the driveway.

"It is a great house. I really loved it. It was definitely an adjustment going from this place to my Chicago apartment."

"How long did you live here?"

"We moved in a couple of weeks after we came out here, and Jake moved out when we separated. I lived here until I moved to Chicago. Paige and Taylor lived here with me most of the time, and we didn't want to disrupt them, so Jake moved back in here when I left."

"Do you want to go in?" Hank asked.

Jenna thought for a few moments. "No. There's no reason to go in. But will you come walk on the beach with me?"

"Of course I will."

They walked hand in hand around the house to the beach. Hank was amazed at the view behind the house. "You left this place to move somewhere with snow on the ground for most of the year?"

Jenna giggled. "That has probably been the biggest adjustment for me. I mean, it's Christmas Eve, and we're wearing short sleeves. Chicago is beautiful, but it's COLD."

She led him to a spot on the beach beneath a tree, sitting in the sand below it and pulling Hank down to sit next to her. He put his arm around her, gently resting his hand on her hip.

"Is this a special spot?" he asked.

Jenna nodded. "It quickly became my favorite place. I came out here for the first time a few days after we moved in. It was all so overwhelming for me, picking up my life and moving halfway across the country, and I struggled. I remember sitting down right here, sobbing for twenty minutes, and then pulling myself together and plastering a smile on my face. Chloe was so happy to have us here that I didn't want to spoil her excitement. But deep down, I was terrified."

"I can only imagine," Hank said. "I've lived in Chicago my whole life. Uprooting and going somewhere completely new must have been hard."

"I've done it a few times, but this move was the hardest, leaving the place I met Jake, raised our babies. This spot has helped me calm down or gain clarity. I practically lived out here during the divorce." She scooped up a bit of sand in her hand, letting it slowly slip through her fingers. "I've cried a lot of tears into this sand."

Hank leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "It's hard being back here, isn't it?" he asked softly.

"A little. I've only been gone a little while, and everything is pretty much the same, but for some reason things feel…unfamiliar. I guess it shows that Chicago is really becoming home for me."

"I'm glad to hear it," Hank said. They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the water. Finally, Hank broke their silence. "Does it bother you that he calls you Jennie?"

Jenna couldn't help her laughter, elbowing him. "Ugh, I hate it!" she said.

"Really?" Hank said as he laughed.

"We've known each other about 25 years, and he started calling me that almost immediately. I don't know why I let him call me that, but I did! I cringe every time he says that, but I have never told him."

Hank pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin as her arms went around his waist. "I promise never to call you Jennie."

"Thank you," Jenna said, giggling. She pulled back to look up at him. "Thank you for being here with me."

"Thank you for bringing me with you. I love you."

"I love you, babe."

[][][][][][][][][][]

After their morning adventures, Paige and Taylor came over to spend the rest of the day with them. Jenna loved getting to have extended time with her two youngest children, and Hank loved getting to watch Jenna with the girls. Based on how she treated Erin, he knew that she was an incredible mother, but seeing her with her daughters gave him an even deeper appreciation for her and her love for Erin. They were both so lucky to have her.

When Sara and Evan finished Christmas with his parents, they joined the others back at their house, where they spent a relaxed evening just hanging out. Jenna and her girls were caught up in conversations, so instead of just sitting back and watching, Evan approached Hank, handing him a drink.

"Step outside with me?" Evan asked him.

"Sure," Hank said, following him outside.

They both leaned against the balcony rail, overlooking the beach. After a few silent moments, Evan spoke.

"She seems really happy."

"I hope so," Hank said. "I'm trying to make her happy."

"She is. I haven't seen her this happy since back when things between her and Jake were good. I think you're good for her."

"I'm glad to hear that, Evan. It means a lot."

"She loves you. She wouldn't let you be here, around the girls, if she didn't. This step, bringing you out here to meet them, really shows that she trusts you, and she loves you."

"I love her too. A lot."

Evan took a sip of his drink. "She's pretty great, you know."

Hank smiled a little. "She's extraordinary," he said. "I'm lucky to be in her life."

"Just…don't hurt her, ok? We didn't know if she'd recover from what Jake did to her. She can't go through that again."

"I won't hurt her, Evan. I promise you. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her if she'll have me."

Evan whipped his head around to look at Hank. "You're proposing?"

"At some point. I want to, and I will when I feel like we're ready. I'd marry her tomorrow, but I don't think she's ready yet. I am hopeful that this week will help her be more ready to take that step, but I'm not going to rush her. I want it to be right."

"I hear you, but I think she's ready. I know I'm not her son, but for what it's worth, I support this, and I'll do what I can to help smooth things over with the girls when the time comes."

Hank studied him for a moment. "I appreciate your support, but what do you mean about smoothing things over?"

Evan chuckled. "Oh, you'll see. Let's just say that a couple of them, including my wife, are daddy's girls, and they will struggle with an engagement. I know for a fact that a couple of them were not-so-secretly hoping that Jenna would come home, fall into Jake's arms, and come back here permanently. Obviously that's not going to happen, but a couple of them are hopeful."

"Thanks for the warning, but I'm not going anywhere, and Jenna is definitely coming home with me."

"You have nothing to worry about. It's obvious you and Jenna are solid. I'm happy for her, for both of you." Evan extended his hand to Hank. "Hang in there."

"Will do," Hank said, shaking Evan's hand before following him back into the house.

When they got back inside, Hank walked over to stand behind the couch where Jenna was sitting with her girls. He leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Hey," Jenna said, tipping her head back to look at him.

"Hey. I'm going to head upstairs and give you girls some time alone."

Jenna got up from the couch, walking over and putting her hands on his arms. "Babe, you don't have to."

"I know," he said, smiling at her. "But you need alone time with them." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Then you can come upstairs and have alone time with me later."

Jenna blushed as he gave her a quick kiss. "Goodnight girls," he said, waving as he headed for the stairs.

When Jenna sat back down, Paige asked, "Mom, what did he say to you?!"

"Nothing you need to know about," she said, smiling as she watched him walk up the stairs. She knew she needed to give her girls her attention right now, but there was a part of her that wanted to rush up the stairs after him. But that would have to wait until later.

Sara watched her mom, a little uncomfortable with how close she and Hank were. She was surprised when she found out Jenna was bringing him, because she hoped that once Jenna was home with them, she would realize how much she missed California, her family, and her marriage. He was a nice guy, and she could tell Jenna was really happy, but she hoped that this trip would make her mom come home.

"Mom, please don't sleep with your boyfriend in my house," Sara said.

Jenna took a sip of her wine. "Too late," she said under her breath.

"Gross," Taylor said, covering her eyes.

"I'm glad you're happy Mom," Paige said. "He seems really great."

Jenna nodded. "He is. He's really good to me. We're really happy. I…I love him."

Sara and Taylor remained silent while Paige squeezed her mom's hand. "I'm glad you found him. As much as I miss you and wish you were here, I'm glad you've found love again."

"Thank you baby."

A little while later, they decided to head to bed. Jenna hugged her girls one last time before joining Hank in their room. He was already in bed, having just fallen asleep, but he woke when he heard her come in. He pulled back the covers for her and immediately pulled her against him as soon as she climbed into bed. Jenna settled next to him, her head on his chest.

"Thank you for today," she said softly.

Hank smiled, kissing the top of her head. "I didn't do anything except follow you around town. I was happy to do it, happy to be with you."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you Jen," he whispered back. They held each other as they drifted off to sleep.