Christmas Day

...

Emily smiled as she snuggled into the warmth of her girlfriend's side, resting her head on the younger woman's shoulder and watching the kids open up the last of their presents. The kids had opened most of their gifts that morning, but the adults had wanted them to wait until the evening to open the best of the presents that they had gotten them.

Jennifer and her parents had even come up for the day to see the children. The ex wives had done their best in the time after Emily's birthday and before the holidays to get to all the co-parenting therapy appointments that Emily suggested they take, and they had even went to dinner twice to talk about the boys.

No fighting whatsoever.

Jennifer had begun to understand that she and Emily had no longer had a future and she had given the obviously in love couple their space; no more talking behind their backs and trying to break up their relationship. She knew they belonged together.

"Mommy! Look what Nana and Pop Pop got me!"

Emily smiled down to her eldest son as he came running up to them, and her eyes widened as much as they could when she saw the play kitchen set sitting by the tree. "Wow buddy, look at that! Its so big."

Henry nodded his head, his eyes just as wide. "I know!"

The brunette mother of two gave a laugh. "Well did you say 'thank you'?"

"I did mommy."

Emily smiled wide and pulled the five year old to her, setting a kiss to his button nose.

"Emily do you want me to start setting the table?"

She shook her head, sharing a kiss with her girlfriend before she stood from the carpeted floor. "That's ok, I'll do it."

Jason Jareau stood from his spot on the couch, Conner clutching to his legs. "I'll come and help you."

The three made their way into the kitchen, and Emily quickly pointed to the turkey that sat on the stove. "If you can take that out, I'll get the fruit salad and regular salad from the fridge."

The sixty year old quickly nodded his head. "And maybe we could sit down for a minute? I'd like to talk to you Em."

Emily looked to her father-in-law and gave a small nod, her heart immediately beginning to race. She took both bowls from the fridge before making her way out into the dining room. "What would you like to talk about?"

Jason smiled to the brunette, the woman who was a second daughter to him, and waved to the seat beside him and little Conner in his lap. "Sit down, darling."

The mother of two nodded after setting the salads onto the table, sitting down beside the older man. "What's up?"

"That brunette in there sure is a looker."

Emily felt her jaw drop, her brown eyes widening as she looked to the older man. "What?"

Jason let out a laugh, holding his grandson closer to his chest. "Oh relax honey, you know I've said worse." The smile left his face, his posture straightening as the seriousness started to float into the conversation. "So Jenny told me everything that happened."

The brunette mother looked down to her hands in her lap, her teeth biting hard into her lower lip. "Before or after the divorce?"

"Both."

Emily groaned just as her head fell to rest in her hands.

Jason looked to the young mother with sympathy. "Oh come on now, pick up that pretty face. Annie and I know that you are gonna move on from Jennifer and that's completely ok. Its normal."

Emily let out a small sigh, tears quickly welling in her eyes. "If you don't want to think of me as a daughter anymore, I understand sir."

Jason immediately shook his head. "Oh sweetheart." He smiled, putting his warm hand over hers. "If you think you can get rid of me and Annie that easily, you've got another thing coming."

The brunette mother of two looked up to her father-in-law with confusion, seeing love hiding weakly behind his dark blue eyes. "But I'm no longer married to Jennifer. Why would you still think of me like that?"

"Emily, you got our daughter out of one of the roughest spots she had ever been in. She loved you so much, and I know you loved her too. You gave her a family, sweetheart; our beautiful grandsons. I couldn't stop loving you if I tried." He smiled, wiping the tears from the young woman's face. "You will always be my daughter."

Emily let out a cry before moving to the edge of her seat, letting the older man envelope her in the biggest hug she had ever received. She pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek, smiling when he squeezed her tighter. "I love you, dad."

Jason smiled, moving back as he felt Conner squirming on his lap. He pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose, his hand moving to cup her cheek. "I love you too pumpkin. Now let's get everyone in here. The food looks amazing."

"Thanks." She stood from her seat, wiping under her eyes before glancing into the living room. "Ok guys, time for dinner!"

Olivia quickly got up from her mother's lap, leaving her new barbie laying on the ground before she ran over to the brunette woman that her mother was dating. "Emily?"

The mother of two smiled down to the young girl in her new white dress before kneeling before her. "What's up munchkin?"

The brunette girl blushed at the name that the older woman had for her. "Can I sit with you?"

Emily felt her heart melt at the sweet words that came out of her girlfriend's daughter's mouth. She brought the young girl closer to her, her hands holding Olivia's smaller ones. "I would love for you to sit with me. Next to me or on my lap?"

"Lap!"

"Ok!" The mother of two pressed a kiss to Olivia's cheek before picking her up in her arms. She smiled as Annie and Jason pushed the piano bench to an open spot at the head of the dining room table, thanking them quickly before setting herself down with the young girl on her lap, Henry immediately jumping up beside them. "Get the napkin, ok?"

Michelle smiled at the brunette pair on the bench, watching as her girlfriend helpfully instructed her how to unfold the napkin and lay it in her lap so nothing got on her pretty new dress.

The mixed, makeshift family talked and laughed during their Christmas dinner, sharing stories and even listening to the children singing their favorite carol, Conner repeating the last word of each verse just after it was said. Michelle and Jennifer had even held a small conversation laced with smiles, surprising the rest of the adults in the room when no insults were thrown.

After dinner was finished, Michelle took the opportunity to grab everyone's attention while they cleaned off their hands and mouths with their napkins. "I'm sorry to steal everyone's attention but I'd like to make an announcement."

Everyone at the table looked up to the brunette, watching as she stood from her chair and made her way over to stand beside her girlfriend, picking her daughter up off of the older woman's lap and sitting her beside Henry.

"As you all know, Emily and I have been dating for a couple of months and we spend almost every second together that we can." She felt herself smile at the grin that was spreading over her girlfriend's cheeks. "We've shared everything with one another, and I feel like my beautiful girlfriend deserves to know what I've been thinking about us and our relationship."

Emily laughed nervously as her girlfriend kneeled down before her. "What are you doing?"

Michelle smiled up to the brunette mother of two, taking her hand in hers. "Emily, I know from experience that if you wait too long to claim your love for the one you never want to let go of, they'll go off and find someone else that will do it faster. I know that we belong together, and I want us to be with each other forever."

The older woman's jaw dropped. "You love me?"

The mother of one let out a gentle laugh. "I do."

Emily's eyes filled with tears, a grin immediately hitting her face. "I love you too."

The younger woman's smile mirrored her girlfriend's, her hands tightening around the older brunette's. "Now don't worry, I know neither of us are ready for the most serious of commitments, but," she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a blue box, "I do want you to be mine forever."

Emily gentle shook her head. "Is that...?"

"Its only a promise ring." She smiled wide at the older brunette. "I want you to be my wife, Emily. I can't imagine spending my life without you, and if you let me, I promise to spend every moment at your side and trying to make you happy."

Jennifer grinned wide at the couple, tears welling in her eyes as Emily looked to her with the question of approval dancing behind her dark eyes. She nodded her head, biting her lip as her father's hand held hers. "Go ahead."

Emily looked back down to her girlfriend, loving the feel of the younger woman playing with her ring finger. "I will."

Michelle's grin wdened, immediately slipping the diamond laced ring onto the older woman's finger. "You will?"

Emily let out a watery laugh before nodding her head, weaving her fingers into her girlfriend's curled hair and capturing her lips in hers. "I will."