"You just don't want to miss any opportunities for grandchildren." Jax winked at his mother.
"Can you blame me? They would be brilliant and beautiful, just like their parents." Jane smiled. She worried that her Jax and Alexis were too caught up in their careers to give any serious thought to having a family. It was nice to dream, though.
"Good Night, Mum." Jax felt no need to encourage his mother.
"Come John, it is time for bed." Jane always watched out for her husband's health. If she didn't, he wouldn't either.
"Jane, I am not tired." He tried. It never worked, but he always tried.
"We shall see." She took his hand and helped him off the couch. "Don't stay up too late, son. If Santa finds you up when he comes, he won't leave you any presents." She said with a soft smile as she and her husband left the room.
Jax laughed. They never failed to amuse him. He remembered thinking they were extremely corny when he was a kid. However, something about their relationship always appealed to him.
As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted a relationship just like theirs. He wished he knew where to find one. Chloe was fine. She was beautiful, funny, vulnerable, and cute. She just wasn't exactly what he wanted. She liked to think of herself as strong and imposing. In certain circles she probably was. That wasn't enough for Jax.
He wanted somebody who could hold her own in almost any situation. Chloe was great in a cocktail party. But, how would she do during a business meeting, or a natural disaster. He wanted somebody who understood him. She understood the side that liked to take spur of the moment trips and would fly half way around the world for a good piece of chocolate cake. However, the connection wasn't complete.
He wanted somebody who was tough enough to stand up to him but soft enough to know when he needed a friend. He picked up a picture of Jerry from the side table. "God, brother, where are you when I need advice? Hell, I would be happy if you could just keep my mind off my impeccably bad taste in women." He smiled. Great, now he was talking to himself. That would help.
Alexis got out of the tub and dressed for bed. After the long day she needed a nice, long, relaxing bath. After spending an hour sipping a glass of wine and soaking in a pile of aromatic bubbles, she decided that it was time to get out and dry off. Besides, Jax probably thought she drowned by now.
"Miss me?" She asked as she entered the bedroom. "Guess not." She answered herself when she found the room empty.
Normally when he wasn't at home he was with Chloe or Jerry. None of those seemed like possible alternatives. He might be missing them though. Deciding she should go check on him she changed, yet again, and went into the living room.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you tried to wait up for Santa he would skip your house?" Alexis asked as she sat down next to her husband. Jax laughed. "Actually she told me that less than an hour ago." He answered truthfully.
"And you decided to risk it anyway?" She asked playfully.
"I couldn't sleep." He said seriously.
Alexis ran a hand through his blonde spikes. She noticed one of the pictures of Jerry was out of place. "Miss him?"
Jax picked up the picture and studied his brother's smiling face. "He grows on you."
Alexis smiled. "You have to promise me that you will never tell him I said this; but I agree. Can I help you?"
"I don't know. Can you?" She usually managed to help whenever she found him up in the middle of the night. Hopefully she would today too.
"Funny." She said in a mock sarcastic tone. "I know I am not Jerry, but maybe I can help you with your annual prank." Alexis offered softly.
"You know about that? Is there anything my mother won't tell you?"
"Doubt it." Alexis pushed the coffee table away with her foot. "So what do you say? We will rearrange the living room, then I will make you some popcorn, and then if you still can't sleep I will think of something equally as brilliant to entertain us."
Jax smiled. It was worth a shot. "Where would you like to begin?" He asked as he got up and began moving the couch with her in it. Soon both of them were up trying to redesign the living room.
"God, that is hard work." Alexis sighed as they finished.
"I was a very hyper little kid. Jerry started it hoping that I would be so tired afterwards that I would go to sleep." Jax remembered.
"Great minds." Alexis mused. She had suggested resuming the prank for almost the same reason. "Did it work when you were a kid?"
"Sometimes." He said softly. "Why don't you go to bed. I will bring up some popcorn in a few minutes." As soon as she left he sat back on the couch and sighed. "How am I going to do this?" He asked himself as he considered the daunting task of trying to sleep next to Alexis without reaching out to hold her.
---
Alexis rose early that morning to make sure her present for the family was ready. She was so wrapped up in her work she failed to notice Jax absence. Finally she realized he was gone and went into the living room to look for him. "Did you come to bed at all?" The circles under his eyes concerned her.
"I slept in Jerry's room. I didn't want to wake you." Well that was at least partially the truth.
"Is that really it?" She asked still worried about him.
"Close enough." He didn't want to get into it. He prayed his parents would soon enter to save him from having to answer the more grueling questions that were bound to follow.
"Merry Christmas everybody." Jane sang as she entered the room. "Jasper Jacks.... Did you?" She looked at her living room. Every movable piece in the room was reversed in a mirror image of its original location. "You must have had help. Alexis?"
Alexis blushed. "I plead the fifth." She tried to hide her embarrassment. It hadn't seemed quite so silly the night before.
John laughed. "She is perfect for you, son. Let's get some coffee brewing before we open our gifts."
"I'll do it." Jane announced. She welcomed the chance to make sure her delivery arrived during the night.
John smiled as his wife left the room. "Your mum is very excited about the surprise she has planned for the two of you. I don't know if it is something that you will enjoy. But smile and go along with it, anyway. Planning this surprise has been all that has kept your mother going since...."
He didn't need to finish. "What is it?" Alexis asked nervously. She couldn't bare to disappoint Lady Jane. However, she worried it could put her and Jax in an uncomfortable position.
John tried to find a way to tell them. However, he was interrupted as his wife entered the room. "Is it time to begin?"
"Everything is ready." Jane smiled triumphantly as she reached for her stocking. "Jasper, you first." She instructed her youngest.
The group opened presents for almost an hour. Lady Jane and Alexis giggled knowingly whenever either one of them opened a rather mundane gift. John must have picked it out.
Although not all of her gifts were spectacular, Alexis enjoyed every gift. She received a new briefcase/laptop bag, a new planner, a lovely pendant that matched the tennis bracelet Jane bought her days before, and a fact-a-day trivia calendar. She was examining her gifts when Lady Jane handed her a small wrapped present.
"You forgot this one, Dear." She said with a knowing smile.
Alexis tried not to appear nervous as she twirled the box in her hand. She would bet money that it was a ring. "I don't need more gifts." She tried to stall.
"It belongs to you now. It has been in the family, forever. Please open it." Jane could hardly contain her excitement.
Alexis shook slightly as she tore open the wrapping and opened the ring box. Sure enough, she found a diamond and sapphire engagement ring. "I... I can't...." How could she accept a family heirloom?
"Of course you can. I had it sized for you. It should fit perfectly. And the necklace and bracelet match. Isn't it lovely?"
For once, Alexis was at a loss for words. "Jax, Honey?" Her eyes pleaded with him to find a way out of this situation.
"Is this the surprise Mum? Grandmum's ring?" Jax feared Alexis could not handle what he was beginning to suspect was coming next.
"Oh no, it is only part. Now would you be a darling and propose to your wife. You both need to get dressed for your wedding."