Author's Chapter Notes:

JC & Ellie spend some time up at Makeout Point and JC teaches Ellie what a Cleveland Steamer is.

*AUTHOR’S BULLETIN*

As some of you know - if you follow the notes on this story - I suffer from depression. Due to some issues with medication this year and other life stuff like moving and shit, I have not written much since March. Because of this, our time with the JCHASSCAR universe may soon be drawing to a close.

I do not want this: but alas I have been finding it difficult in the last 8 months or so to find a way to continue this story. I feel like this is my fault for moving things along too quickly and wanting not only a happy ending for JC & Ellie, but one that involved marriage and babies and such. Since I have very little romantic experience myself, let alone experience as a parent, I’m falling short at being able to find new and exciting situations to write about, unless you want me to do a “Look Who’s Talking” type thing, and I think we can all say that we don’t.

As the 3 year anniversary of when I first wrote the epilogue draws to a close, I must thank you all for your readership, and give a very extra thank you to the few of you who took the time to leave a comment. I am eternally grateful. I would also like to thank my betas Elle & Elise for helping me make this crap a little more bearable. Thank you.

This is not truly goodbye yet: but, again, I am not sure if it will be soon or not. I don’t know. But I thank you for your understanding and patience regarding this.

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you have.

Chapter 37 - How To Nearly Get Arrested For Public Indecency


Tuesday, November 21st, 2006.

JC sat in the business lounge of JFK Airport. He leaned over an infant car seat, watching Charley as she gripped onto his right pointer finger. He occasionally glanced over at the row of pay phones where Ellie was on the phone with her mother.

Ellie hung up and walked over to where JC was sitting. “We have to call your parents.”

“Why?”

Ellie sighed. “What is the worst possible news we can tell them right now?” Unable to keep a straight face, she started laughing.

“What kind of harebrained scheme has your father come up with now?”

“What makes you think it was Daddy that came up with it?”

“Really now? Really?”

“Fine. You know how Daddy’s new truck seats six people?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, if it’s OK with your parents, Daddy thinks him and Pappy could easily make the trip from Baton Rouge to Orlando within 10 to 12 hours. My parents, grandparents and great-grandmother are driving down to Florida for Thanksgiving. They want to see the baby.”

“They do know that I can’t house eight adults and a baby, right?”

“They’ve already got hotel reservations. They’ve pooled together and worked everything out. Eliza really wants to go to the beach.” She rested her head on her hand. “Do you think your mom can cater for 12 people? Daddy and Grammy would be more than willing to help if need be.”

JC stood up. “I guess I’ll go call to see. When’s the flight?”

Ellie looked up at the flight times. “It’s still scheduled for quarter past noon.”

“I think I’ll have enough time.”


He went over to call his mother, returning as the first boarding page was sounded. He lifted his bag off the ground.

“She says it’s OK.”

“Great.”

He looked down at his phone. “It’s Alex. I’ll take this and meet with you on the plane.”

She flipped through the bundle of papers she was holding. “There’s your boarding pass.” She kissed him lightly on the lips. “See you on there.”


JC pressed the call button on his cell phone, waving to Ellie as she carried Charley through the gate. “I’m just about to board the plane home for Thanksgiving: whatever it is, it needs to be quick.”

“OK, I was giving you a buzz to ask how you would feel if we moved the album release date up to the 27th of February. I know it’s sudden, but I think we have more than enough time to get everything ready.”

“I mean, the album’s pretty much finished. We’ll just need to master the rest of the tracks and do the graphic design for the packaging or whatever. If you think it’ll be ready to go on the 27th, that’s your choice, man.”

“Great, great. Do you want to work with the designer, you know, get someone from New York or someone, or are you just OK with me just finding someone in Edinburgh?”

“Everyone I know in New York that does that kind of thing is with Jive, and frankly I found their designers to be a bit lacklustre.”

“I think I know just the person. I’ll email you some examples of his work, and you can tell me if he’s what you’re looking for. Tell me, is the album still called Kate?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, good. I’ll let you go. Have a safe flight.”


JC managed to board the plane just as the final boarding page was called. He inched through business class and thanked the stewardess for guiding him to his seat. He found Ellie sitting next to the infant carrier, checking her emails one last time before the plane took off.

"Did you get everything settled OK?" he asked.

"Yeah. What was your call about?"

"Alex just called to confirm the release date."

"What's he got it up to now?"

"February 27th."

“Are you OK with that?”

“Yeah. It’s only going to push everything up a week.”

“If you say so.”


She turned her phone off, changing the subject. “I conveniently just got an email invitation for my sorority’s annual Christmas ball and charity silent auction.”

“What are they auctioning off?”

“Usual stuff, mainly baked goods like pies and cakes or whatever, but, for the non-bakers of this world, they also auction off crafted items or services. Claire usually gets Diana to make a quilt.”

“So I’m guessing she doesn’t bake?”

“She gets it from her mama.”

“What do you usually do?”

“Don’t laugh, but because my family does cherry pie every year, we usually have cans of cherries coming out of our ears, so I usually fix up a black forest cake.” She paused. “Then proceed to spend around 25 dollars winning it back. It’s for a good cause and it’s chocolate cake doused in liquor.”

“Then why go? Just make the cake at home and donate $25 to charity.”

“For the single rose, or unmarried sister, it's a great opportunity to meet a future husband. I don't know if you remember, but the last Christmas I spent back home, I was very, very, very single.”

“I wouldn’t say single, more like destiny waiting to happen.”

“Awww.” She pulled him close, wrapping her arm around his shoulders, kissing his forehead. “I love you.”


Ellie lay face down on the elegant white cast iron bed of JC's Orlando house. She took a deep breath and exhaled, sniffing.

JC knocked lightly on the door. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah. I just needed a little while to decompress. Just everything with the flight and Charley's screaming fit. I know she can't help it, but going to an airport is hard enough without everyone judging you because your baby's the one screaming its head off."

"Is that what happened when I went to Detroit?"

"I don't know. She was fine, then we got home and it became too much." She turned over to her back. "Is she OK now?"

"Yeah, Mom's downstairs with her watching some cooking channel."


He sat down on the bed. "Your dad's been trying to call you."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just that your mother managed to talk him out of his plan and that they'll be flying in tomorrow.”

“Your mom must be happy about it.”

“Honestly, she told me that the only thing that changed in the last 10 hours is how long Dad and Tyler will be able to sustain themselves on leftovers. It went from two days, then down to one maybe two meals, then back up to two days. Tyler is very passionate about his turkey melts,” he joked.

"That explains Heather's continuous presentation of cheese to fairest Tyler," Ellie continued in a faux posh accent.


She lifted her arms up. "Hugs, please."

"OK." He lay on top of her, cradling her shoulders in his arms. She played with the curls at the nape of his neck. “I need to get a haircut” he muttered.

“Don’t. I like it long. When we met, you had these incredible long curls, and you cut them all off before we started sleeping together.”

“Eva didn’t like them.”

“Eva also like being gang banged by half of the starting line up of the L.A. Lakers whilst you were out of town doing promo, but that doesn’t mean it was right.”

“Please.” He lifted his head up. “Eva would never fuck a Laker. Texas teams only.”


He rested his head on her shoulder.

“What did you mean by ‘gravity and freedom?’” she asked.

“What?”

“In that ‘Build My World’ song.” She started to check off a list on her fingers. “Honesty, gravity and freedom, understanding, and, I quote: ‘a love best kept safe and sound,’ which I think is security. You said you want honesty, understanding and security. What did you mean by ‘gravity and freedom?’”

He was silent in thought.

“Did you want someone who kept you grounded but also trusted you? Or did you want an open relationship where…” she struggled to continue her sentence, “she continuously treated you like shit…Do you have a untapped humiliation fetish? ‘Cause I am NOT going to shit on your chest.”

He lifted his head up. “OK, firstly, I didn’t mean it like that. Secondly, I do not want that. Thirdly, why are you OK with fingering me, but you’re not OK with scat play? You will do anal play but not scat play?”

“I won’t do anal play,” she interjected.

“Then why did you offer to finger me?”

“Because it sometimes makes guys come quicker. Look, I spent a lot of the last few years around gay guys. Quite a large chunk of my sexual education comes from gay guys. A very large portion of gay sex involves anal sex.”

“Is that where you get the idea that humiliation involves Cleveland steamers?”

“What?”

“A Cleveland steamer is when you shit on somebody’s chest,” he explained.

“Eww!”

“You brought it up!”

“I did not bring it up!”

“You’re the one who said that you wouldn’t shit on my chest.”

“That’s because I won’t.”

“I’m not asking you to.” He rested his head back on her shoulder. “Are you angry at me?”

“No.”

“OK.”


He turned over and started to play with the material of her sweater. “I think what I meant by ‘gravity and freedom’ is someone who lets me be myself and trusts me, but also isn’t constantly going on about how amazing I am or just lets me do whatever.”

“Am I like that?”

“Kind of. I mean, you have some trust issues, but you don’t go through my phone or accuse me of sleeping with every girl I interact with. You do freak out here and there, but you’re not really a jealous, insecure type. You’re also encouraging whilst not acting like the sun shines out of my ass.”

She shrugged. “I’m just not as excited about pop music as you are. I like music, but I don’t feel like it needs to be an omnipresent force in my life. That’s probably the main reason I couldn’t be a musician.”

“That and your grave lack of musical ability.”

“Well, that too.”


Thursday, December 21st, 2006.

Ellie descended down her parents staircase in a long, slinky, black satin gown, her hair pulled up into a twist. JC looked over her, asking himself how her ample bosom seemed to be defying gravity itself.

“I have no idea how you’ve managed to pull this one off,” he commented.

“Duct tape,” she said dryly. “Lots and lots of duct tape.”

“Ever the resourceful one, aren’t we?”

She gasped in faux shock, placing her hand onto her chest. “Isn’t that why you married me?”


He pulled her close to him, kissing her ear. “You smell amazing.”

“Thank you, it’s that new Britney perfume I’m trying out. The dark blue one where she looks like a fairy on the poster.”

“She doesn’t look like a fairy.”

“I think she looks like a fairy.”

“You know, that photo was from the program of the tour I did with her just before I met you.”

“It would’ve been amazing to see you on tour.”

“I guess you’ll just have to wait until May then.”

“But I can’t wait.” She lightly kissed his lips, trying not to transfer her lipstick onto him.


“It’s such a pity this ball is on your anniversary,” Emily commented as she walked into the front passage of the house.

“The plantation where they’re holding it is doing a corporate Christmas party tomorrow night at a wedding on Saturday,” Ellie explained. “Anyway, it’s better than sitting at home watching old Christmas movies with the baby instead.”

“Don’t you sass me.”

“I’m not sassing you. It’s just…” Ellie paused. “When so many people predicted that we would barely make the New Year—“

JC interjected, “Yeah, cause everyone loves an annulment right before Christmas.”

“It’s nice to get dressed up and basically say to everyone: ‘Fuck you. We lasted and we’re more in love than ever,’” Ellie finished.

“OK, but I would prefer that you wouldn’t be rude to the person who gave you the body type that makes you look so good after giving birth three months ago.”

“Mama, this…”—she gestured over her midsection—“is a control slip made out of the same material as supportive bandages, not genetics. NASA probably had a bigger hand in making me look this good than you did.”

“How would I know that? I haven’t seen you in anything tight since you had the baby. It’s been oversized sweaters since you brought her home from the hospital.”

“Mama, it’s literally December. Everyone wears sweaters in December. And you know I prefer heavy materials loose.”


JC walked into the lounge room where John was trying to fix a hair bow onto Charley’s head.

“You know shit’s about to go down the thicker Ellie’s accent gets.” He sat down on the sofa. “You know, she’s only going to end up spitting up on that dress.”

“I know, but it’s nothing a bar of soap and five minutes with the kitchen sink won’t fix.” John tried to smooth down Charley’s hair. “You know, Ellie’s hair wasn’t this thick at her age.”

“Yeah, but Ellie also had wispy blonde hair. You probably think it’s thicker ‘cause it’s darker.”

“Was Heather’s hair this thick when she was a baby?”

“I don’t know. Heather had blonde hair, so it was probably closer to Ellie’s. Out of all of my siblings, I’m the only one with dark hair.”

“You must get it from your dad.”

“No, I’ve got my mother’s hair.”

“I thought your daddy looked like Alan Alda,” John commented.

“As much as you want to tell yourself how much Roy looks like Alan Alda, it’s actually because of how much you think I look like Alan Alda that you built this little theory in your head that my father must have as well, to the extent where you point blank told Kit this very theory. She only told you that you can think that if you want.”

John shrugged. “I just think you look like him, that’s all.”


“Just how much TV did your dad watch in the seventies?” JC asked Ellie as she walked into the room.

“A lot, why?” Ellie took Charley from John as he stood up.

“We’re having the Alan Alda discussion again.”

“Your father wouldn’t know Alan Alda from the back end of a cat,” Emily muttered as she entered the room.

“Mama.”

“Do you want this photo taken or not?”


After a quick photo, JC followed Ellie out the door, grabbing a black umbrella.

"Wait," he said as he opened the umbrella, shielding her as she started to go down the front steps into the rain.

She bundled her gown in her hands, hesitating before she stepped into the mud. "I'm probably going to ruin my shoes."

"Hold this." He handed her the umbrella and picked her up off the step, carrying her over to the driver's side door of John's truck. She opened the door and climbed in, kissing him as he sat in the driver's seat.

“Oh, wow,” he gasped.

She deeply kissed him again. “I’ve got, like, half a dozen condoms in my purse.”

“I guess you’ve got a plan for tonight’s outing, don’t you?”

“I just can’t help it. It’s our first real date since the baby was born and you just look so fucking sexy in a tux. It just drives me insane.”

He licked his lips as she hovered over him. “We need to get going if we’re going to make this ball…thing.”


They sat in silence as they drove the 20 minutes or so to the venue.

“I’m scared about this album,” he brought up suddenly.

“Why? I thought you were proud of it?”

“I was proud of my first album, but that doesn’t make it a commercial success.”

“I thought it was. Plus your last single did rather well and it seems that the new one is going to do well, too. It debuted top 40.”

“That doesn’t mean the album’s going to do well.”

“Yeah, but—“ She sighed. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Tell me you would be with me if I wasn’t who I was. If I wasn’t in *NSYNC.”

“I don’t give a flying fuck about *NSYNC. I don’t give a fuck about the Backstreet Boys or New Kids on the Block or any of that bullshit. I fell in love with you, Joshua, not some fuckface that sings about the right stuff or any of that bullshit.”

"Well, what if I give a fuck? That's literally who l am."

"That's who you were. You don't have to be that anymore. If you want to be that, fine. If you want to make neo-modernist jazz, fine. If you want to quit the industry and become a wheat farmer or something, whatever, because I'm gonna be right there with you. I fell in love with you." She poked him. "I married you. The guy who’s on my marriage license is called Joshua, not JC. If you wanted someone who was going to marry JC Chasez, firstly, you need to change your name to JC legally, and secondly, you probably should've thought through marrying me."

"OK, so if you didn't marry me because I'm that dude from *NSYNC, why did you marry me? It's our first anniversary; we should reflect on these things."

"Well then, why did you marry me?"

"I asked you first."

"I asked you more recently."

"Because you're my best friend.” He waited for her to respond as he pulled into the parking lot of the plantation house. “You know, not that I didn’t think you were cute or a great lover or whatever,” he continued, “but once I got to know you a little better, I started to come to the realisation that whatever journey I had to embark on, I wanted you there by my side. Like that Walt Whitman poem you keep quoting, ‘Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?’”


They sat in silence for a moment. In barely a whisper, she recited.

“Mon enfant! I give you my hand! I give you my love, more precious than money, I give you myself, before preaching or law; Will you give me yourself? will you come travel with me? Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?”


A knot formed in her stomach as she looked over the arrangement of cars around them, the soft murmurs of a live band playing some long forgotten one hit wonder.

“I don’t think I want to go anymore. I mean, it’s our first anniversary. Do we really want to spend it in a monument to Antebellum Louisiana, Miles, and a pack of bitches who are too good to come to my baby shower but still fight over real estate of your butthole?”

“Do you want to do something else? I would hate to waste our first date since the baby was born.”

She thought for a moment. “I know a little jazz club in the city that does a mean bacon cheeseburger.”


Ellie and JC quickly sprinted from the car into the jazz club, stealing a giggle-filled kissed as they stopped in the doorway. They spied and claimed a booth in the far corner.

“Don’t tell anyone,” she said as they settled in, “but this is my little special spot. No one else I know is cultured enough to like jazz.”

“You don’t even like jazz.”

“Well, considering that fact that it’s the only place within a 500-foot radius of town hall where you can get a $3 beer that’s too much of a dive for Miles to even consider stepping foot inside, you appreciate the ambience.”

He leaned his head on his hand. “Cheap beer makes you appreciate anything.”

“It does and you’re lying if you say otherwise.”


A waitress came over to the table.

“Aren’t you two dressed up,” she commented as she flipped open the notebook she took orders in.

“We ditched a Christmas ball last minute,” Ellie replied. “Some stuffy sorority thing. We’ll have two bacon cheeseburgers with fries and—“

JC cut off Ellie’s drinks order. “What’s your finest bottle of red wine?”

“We’ve got a 2005 Zinfandel that will set you back $23.”

“Do you know what vineyard?”

“Walkers up near Big Sur.”

“Alcoholic content?”

“12% on the dot.”

“We’ll take it.”

“Great. Special occasion?”

“It’s our first wedding anniversary.”

“Congratulations. Do anything exciting in the past year?”

“We had a baby.”

“Congratulations on that, too. I’ll run your order by the kitchen and get your wine.”

“Thanks.”


JC noticed Ellie’s coy smile as the waitress walked away.

“What?” he asked.

“I might be just a little turned on right now.”

“Good thing you’re packing half a dozen condoms then.” He slid out of the booth and held out his hand. “Since there’s no one in here, would you mind having this dance?”

She took his hand, making a small grunt as he placed his hand on the small of her back. She rested her head on his chest as they swayed to the old blues song on the jukebox. “Did you ever think being married would be so perfect?” she whispered.

“No. I never would’ve imagined being married would be this wonderful.”

“I love you.”

He never replied, only lifting her chin to press his lips to hers.


Ellie pulled the truck into park, taking off her seatbelt as the engine settled down.

“What do you think?” she asked JC.

He looked up from the packaging he was struggling with. “I can’t really see anything through the rain, but the city would look nice from up here.”

She took the package off him, ripping it open. “I’m really sorry that the only dessert we could find was a gas station moon pie.”

“I mean, it’s nearly midnight; nothing’s open.” He took half of the split cookie off her. “So, this is your school’s make out point.”

She snuggled into his chest, facing forward to watch the rain. “This is the public school’s make out point. Breckenridge’s is down near the river.”

He licked the last of the chocolate off his fingers. “Is this the only dessert you’re planning to have up here?”

She turned to look up at him. “I mean, if you want something more.”

“I would love to have something more.” His lips hovered over hers. “You’ve got a little chocolate—“


She sat up and kissed him. “Is that sweet enough for you?”

“Yeah,” he gasped. He helped her as she undid his bowtie, slowing undoing every button of his shirt. She ran her fingers across his chest, kissing him down his neck, chest and stomach.

With a devilish look in her eyes, she unbuckled his belt. “Would you mind if I was craving something a little more…” She unbuttoned his fly, gently teasing him through the fabric of his underwear. “Creamy?”

“If that’s what you want,” he responded, biting his lip as she opened the slit in his briefs. She bent down and softly kissed the hardening flesh hidden inside, tracing small strokes along what was exposed. She lay across the front she as she pulled his waistband down, kissing along his pubic hair, base, then the shaft of his penis, slipping her fingers underneath to pull him out completely. He reached over, slowly gathering the fabric of her gown’s skirt. With little to no surprise, he found that she wasn’t wearing any underwear. “You’re such a bad girl, going out dressed to the ball without panties on.” He purred as she traced her tongue around the head of his penis.

“It’s easier to fuck someone in stockings and suspenders without panties.”

He spanked her, grabbing her ass. “I’m almost coming to the conclusion that you brought me up here for more than just dessert.”

She took him into her mouth, inching her way down his shaft every time she took in and withdrew him from her mouth. “I would make some witty reply, but I’m too busy with your cock in my mouth.” She started to massage his taint as she licked, kissed and sucked his testicles, running her tongue along the underside of his cock before she started to deepthroat him, moaning as he started to run his fingers along her already wet pussy. He used his other hand to turn the dashboard light on, taking one look at her just before he came.


A red and blue light flashed behind them, a short siren blaring.

“Shit!” Ellie whispered as she turned the dashboard light off, sitting up and covering JC’s crotch with her gown.

A knock sounded on the window, followed by a flashlight.

JC rolled the window down. “Is everything alright, Officer?”

“Is this your truck, sir?” A policeman not that much older than JC peered through the window.

“It’s my father’s, sir,” Ellie explained in a naive sounding tone. “He let us borrow it for my sorority’s Christmas ball. You see, we live up north in New York.”

“Fair enough, but don’t you think the two of you are a little too old to be necking in the rain at night?”

“You see, we’ve got a little baby and it’s our first night out since we had her, since it’s our wedding anniversary and all. We’re just up here having a little snuggle alone whilst my folks look after the baby.”

“I thought it was your sorority’s ball?”

“The two just happened to fall on the same night.”

The officer shined his light onto JC. “Then why is he all pink and sweaty?”

“Asthma attack, sir,” JC responded.

“Which is why his shirt’s unbuttoned? You know, Louisiana has very strict public indecency laws.”

The air tensed with silence. “Why would we do that out here if we’ve got our own marital bed?” Ellie responded in a innocent Southern accent.

His eyes squinted. “I’ll let you two off with a warning, but when I come ‘round here in an hour, I better not find you two still up here doing anything unbecoming.”


The two of them sat frozen as he walked away, Ellie only turning her head to check to see if he drove away.

“Fucktard,” she said in her usual tone, winding up the window as she straddled JC as the rear lights of the patrol car vanished into the storm. “Almost makes you want to fuck just to defy him.”

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

She angled his head and looked straight into his eyes. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I haven’t come yet, and since you’re too drunk to drive home, and you’ve already gotten your dick sucked, I’m not driving home until I come the way I want to.” She bundled her gown and wiggled it over her head, revealing a black control slip with a lace trim, suspenders and matching stockings underneath. She reached down below and made him hard again, pushing him into her as she started to ride him. With one hand, she played with her clit as she pressed his head into her bosom with her other arm. After a few tense minutes, they had both climaxed and she covered herself back up before sitting back into the driver’s seat.

“You should probably get dressed,” she said, before she turned the ignition and started home.


JC carried Ellie in his tuxedo jacket to the front door. They silently went upstairs.

“Since you’re the one who’s still decent, you go into my parents’ room to get the baby whilst I change,” she suggested.

“Don’t you have to feed her?”

“I can’t ‘cause I’ve had the wine tonight. I’ll go down after I’ve changed to heat up some of the breast milk in the fridge.”

“We just broke public indecency laws and now we’re talking about breastmilk.”

“You’re just about to get someone’s granddaughter out of his bedroom not 20 minutes after his daughter fucked you in his truck. I can’t be anywhere near my parents after I did what I just did.”

“And it’s OK that I go into his room after I did those things with you?”

“Either that, or Charley has her first night not in the same room as us.”

He paused to weigh his options.

“Go get her,” she instructed.


He tapped lightly on the master bedroom door. He crept in and carefully lifted Charley out of the bassinet, holding her to his chest as she started to cry.

John sat up as he startled awake. “What’s happening?”

“Just getting the baby,” JC whispered.

“OK.” John lay back down.

“Did you have a nice night?” Emily asked as JC lifted the bassinet to take it up to Ellie’s room.

“Yeah,” JC responded.

“Where’s Ellie?”

“She’s just changing then getting some milk from downstairs. She had a little red wine tonight.”

“Do you need any help?”

JC folded the bassinet under his free arm. “We’re fine. Night.” He crept slowly out of the room.


JC sat on the bed, trying to calm Charley as Ellie emerged from downstairs, still in the control slip and suit jacket. She passed him a baby bottle.

“I thought you were getting changed?” he asked as he started to feed his child.

“I thought I should probably get the bottle first,” she said as she peeled her remaining clothes off. “One of us has to sneak out tomorrow before dad finds a gown in the cabin of his truck.” She changed into a sweatshirt and pyjamas, then placed a pair of his on the bed before she set the bassinet back up.

“You can do it; I got the baby.”

“I sucked your—“

He cut her off, making a feigned gasp. “Not in front of the baby.”


JC settled the baby down and then started to change into his bedclothes.

“Are we going to exchange anniversary presents?” Ellie asked from her perch on the edge of the bed.

“Why do I have a feeling it has something to do with you spending most of yesterday afternoon teaching your dad how to print out photos?” He sat on the bed.

She bent down and slid a white box out from under the bed. “No reason.” She climbed onto the bed and set the box on his lap. “You know that the traditional present for the first anniversary is paper, right?”

“I remember, yeah.” He opened the box, finding a scrapbook.

“I didn't want to do anything froufrou, but I think it works.”

He flipped through formal portraits and candid shots of their first year together, the pages of wedding, reception and honeymoon photos. Photos that showed the progress of her pregnancy and the first two months of their daughter’s life, each page dotted with paper mementos like movie tickets and the little love notes they had left sprinkled to each other over the last year, the most recent photo being the portrait her mother had taken that evening.

“I hope you like it,” she said.

“It’s wonderful. You really did a great job here.” He packed the scrapbook away, placing it onto the floor. “I’m sorry, but I forgot your present back in New York.” He got under the covers and settled into bed. “I would tell you, but I would ruin the surprise.”

She snuggled up to him. “Oh, I’ve already been peeking in your sock drawer,” she joked. “I would tell you what it is, since I know what it is, but that would ruin the surprise.”

Chapter End Notes:
Originally posted November 15th 2017


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