Christmas.

"Evie!  Baby girl, is today your first Christmas?"

"Uh Oh!  Where did Evie go?!"

"Ah!  Dada?!" Evangeline fusses and kicks her legs.

Jessica laughs and lifts her hat up.

"You get scared and call for Dada?  What?!  What about mommy?  What about mommy?!" Jessica tickles her making her giggle uncontrollably.

Evangeline then falls backwards and starts crying for her father.

"Ahhhh! Dadaaaaa! DADA!" She screams.

"Oh my goodness! Sam!"

"What's wrong?"

"The Princess wants you." Jessica picks her up and hands her to Sam.

"Dada!"

"Hi, baby!" He smiles.

Evangeline smiles and slaps her hands her hands on Sam's face.

"She is such a daddy's girl!"

"Yes she is!"

"Mommy!" Theodore runs to Jessica.

"And he is a momma's boy!" Sam says.

"Yes he is! Come here, my little bitty man!"

"Mama! I-I-I wan uh uh uh pu-puppyyyy!"

"You want a puppy?"

"YA!" He claps his hands and nods his head.

"Well you're getting a baby brother or sister instead!  How fun is that?!"

"Me wan puppy ma-mama!" Theodore pouts.

"Aw Jess! Look at his face! Let's get him a puppy!"

"What? Sam!" Jessica laughs. "No!"

"I'll work on it, Theo. Don't worry." Sam smiles.

"Work on it? Oh what are you gonna do?"

"Hey, I know how to make you change your mind!" He playfully nudges her.

"Oh gosh!" Jessica laughs and shakes her head.

"Daddy's crazy! Say daddy's crazy, Teddy!"

"Daddy Cwazyyyyyyyy!"

"What?! Oh Theodore!"

"Dada!" He laughs and and reaches for him.

"No, you're with mama! I want my Teddy cuddles!" Jessica hugs him.

"No! Stop, stop!"

"Theodore! You don't want mommy to hug you?"

Theodore looks at Jessica and smiles.
"No.."

"You are a stinker!"

"You tinky, mama!"

"You got that right, Theo!" Sam high fives him.

"You two are mean boys!"

"No mama, I no mean!" Theodore nods his head and gives her such an innocent look on his face.

"Oh that's right! You're my perfect boy!"

"Yeah!" He says puckering his lips.

"Muah! These little lips! You have your brothers lips, Theo."

"Baby Simba!" He smiles.

"Yeah!  Simba!  You look just like him, only your hair is blonde and his was dark dark brown. You're both gorgeous little men."

"Yeah, mommy."

Jessica chuckles and kisses his chubby cheek.

***

January 26th.
Autumn's 12th. Birthday.

Sam and Jessica laid in bed before the kids woke them up to start their day.

"Sammy, our baby girl is twelve today.  TWELVE! That is insane!"

"I can't believe she's so old! We're gonna have a teenager next year!"

"I'm not ready for that, Sam."

"I'm not either. She's growing up so fast."

"I'm gonna cry." Jessica pouts.

"Aw, baby!  Don't cry."

"It's just so crazy.  She's like a little lady now!"

"I know.."

Jessica grabs Sam's arm and says, "When she turned one.. I remember that was the day she first said mama and dada.."

"Really? Aw, that's cute."

"Yeah.. she said mama first though! I was First!"

Sam chuckles.
Jessica then lays her head on his shoulder, and squeezes him a little tighter.

"I pray everyday that you remember all of our wonderful memories. There's so much that made us, us."

"I will one day."

Jessica smiles and kisses his arm.

"Jess, can I ask you something?"

"Of course.."

"Why did we break up? We seemed so in love.. what happened?"

"We grew apart. We'd get into fights all the time for no reason.. but when it was over.. it was the hardest thing I ever went through. Well before Simba, of course."

"Yeah.."

"When you started dating Megan.. I was SO jealous."

"Aw."

"I didn't have anyone.. after you two got engaged, I started dating this guy named Nick.. but it wasn't special. I felt nothing with him like I felt with you.
So I broke up with him.."

"Wow.. no one compares to Sammy, huh?"

"Haha! Nope! No one!"

Sam chuckles and softly pats her thigh.

".. The day you got married, I sent Autumn off with you.... You looked sooo handsome. I chose not to go to the wedding.. but instead half an hour before the wedding started, I got dressed and drove over to confess my love for you."

"Really?"

Jessica nods her head against his arm.
"Yeah.. I don't know what I was thinking.
That you'd hear what I was saying and call off the wedding? I don't know.. but after you thanked me for breaking up with you.. I knew I had lost you for good.  So I said congratulations and sent you down the aisle."

"Aw.."

"It's okay. I just had to be patient."

Sam looks down as Jessica looks up to him with tears in her eyes.

"I miss Megan so much, and I wish she were still here.. she is an incredible woman. The most amazing mother and friend.
Before she passed, she told me Danny wasn't the one. She also told me you never stopped loving me.. it's so crazy how she was match making just before leaving this world."

Sam wiped Jessica's tears and kissed her nose.

"She knew we were made for each other."

"Yep." Jessica smiles through her tears.

"I love you, babe."

"I love you more, Sammy."

The two then share a kiss just as their bedroom door swings open.

"Good morning!"

"Hey! Happy Birthday, Auttie!" Both Sam and Jessica say.

"My big girl! Come give me lovies!" Jessica moves off of Sam and lifts her arms.

Autumn hugs her mother, and Jessica asks, "What are we doing today, Princess?"

"I don't know.. I already have everything I've ever wanted for as long as I can remember." Autumn smiles.

"What's that?" Sam asks.

"My parents are together! I love waking up and having both my mom and my dad in the same house. I love you both!  And I love that you guys are back to being a couple.. Again!" Autumn laughs as she jumps on the bed and lays between them.

"Aw baby girl!" Jessica hugs her daughter.

"This is just how we spent your first birthday morning! Cuddling in bed." She smiles.

"Well.. not just like this. There's an extra little person between us and Mom." She chuckles and pokes Jessica's bump.

Jessica laughs and holds her belly.
"That's the only difference!"