This is a sequel to my challenge story My Best Friend's Wedding. If you haven't read it yet, I definitely suggest reading it first. If you read this one before reading the first one, it will spoil some of the surprises of the first story. Plus, this one will make more sense if you've read the first story first.

This, of course, continues on with the same POV as My Best Friend's Wedding. I haven't written much of this story yet, and am still somewhat vague on exactly what all will be included, but things are slowly becoming clearer! Maybe I should wait to post until I have more of it written, but then I might decide not to post it at all! So, here it goes...

Be forewarned, posts may be short and not necessarily very often, at least for a while, until I write more of it.

Hope y'all enjoy!

Thanks for reading,
Tracy (tis*me!)

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Mission Impossible


Five months ago, at my best friend's wedding, I had labeled it an interesting mission. Jack, on the other hand, had deemed it a Mission Impossible. And I...well...I was out to prove him wrong!

As much as I love my husband, sometimes he can just be irritating! Not for extended periods of time, mind you, but every now and then. Sometimes I just want to wipe that smug look off his face when he's sure he's right and I'm wrong! Although, at the same time, I, somewhat shamefully, have to admit that I find it incredibly attractive, as well! No one else in the world can get away with some of the stuff he gets away with! What can I say? I'm head over heels in love with him! I can't imagine my life without him...or without our baby Matthew!

You may wonder why it's taken me five months to start this little mission of mine. Some might suspect that I've been avoiding it, anticipating that I might well be proven wrong and Jack right. But that's not it at all! I've been a little busy! At the time of my best friend's wedding, I was six months pregnant! Three months later, two months ago, I gave birth to baby Matthew. It's taken a while to get used to our new schedule, including midnight feedings, but things have finally started to settle down some, and we've developed a pretty good routine. I should have some time now to devote to this important mission.

a sequel

we'll be waiting for whenever you can post

cath

Great start

It will be interesting to see what this mssion is. Please continue, tis*me.

Tracy! a sequel!!!!! YAY!!!* jenny does happy dance* Tracy's done a sequel, Tracy's done a sequel, Tracy's done a sequel!!! YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!!!! This is great!!!!!! This looks great!!!

Tracy, I'm so excited!! I can't wait to see where you are going to take us!!!

Joy

I always enjoy a good sequel!

Thanks for the comments y'all! I'm glad y'all are happy I'm doing a sequel. Jenny, are you really THAT excited? I'm flattered...I hope I can live up to the hype.

QUOTE(JesusFreak718 @ Jun 9 2006, 11:34 AM)

I always enjoy a good sequel!

Oh, y'all want a good sequel? Not sure I can do that...I'll try my best though! I hope I don't disappoint...

On a slightly unrelated topic, as I was starting to write this, I had an idea for another urelated story for the challenge. Since I can't seem to get it out of my head, I've realized I need to start writing it down if I want to concentrate and make any progress on this story (Mission Impossible). Anyway, this other story involves a case, which I've never atttempted before, and not sure I can do so well. So, I was wondering if anyone would be willing to beta this other story for me. If you're interested, please PM me. Thanks!

I'll try to post some more to this story some time this weekend. But as I said earlier, I haven't written much of it yet and seem to be stuck for now, especially since I have the other story going on in my head right now!

I no longer need any volunteers to beta my other story for me. Thanks for the response, y'all.

Well, now I want to know what this impossible mission is? (but I think I have an idea)

kav

Well, I already tried once to post this, but I lost my connection with the server!

So, here I am trying once again!
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I'm currently on maternity leave from my job. And, to be honest, as much as I love my job as an Investigative Analyst for the FBI, I have to admit that I'm seriously debating giving it up to be a full-time mother and wife. Don't get me wrong, I greatly admire those women who can work a full-time job and be full-time wives and mothers. In fact, they amaze me! I'm just not quite sure how they manage! And, quite frankly, I'm not sure I'm up for that challenge!

Jack and I have discussed the issue many times since Matthew was born, even a little before he was born, and he has agreed to support me no matter what I decide. And I love him all the more for it! Though I think that he secretly hopes that I decide not to return to work. After all, though my job isn't as consistently dangerous as Jack's can be, he being a Special Agent, the job can be dangerous at times! I've had several close calls on several different cases, most notably the Simon case (which after all this time, still makes me shudder at the thought of it!). It's bad enough to have one parent working at such a dangerous job, but the thought of having two parents working at dangerous jobs...quite frankly, I don't even want to think of the prospects! Jack makes enough money at his job that we can afford for me to quit, if I want. There's also the possibility of me working part-time, once my maternity leave is over, or working on an as-needed basis, like a consultant of sorts. I would miss working with the team, but we still get together plenty outside of work.

At this point, just the thought of leaving my son Matthew to go to work, almost tears my heart out! I cringe at the thought of missing any important moments in his life, especially in his first year. I've taken so many pictures of him since he's been born, people are beginning to think I'm a member of the paparazzi! I'm like Lucy was when she first got her new digital camera, but WORSE! Matthew's going to start thinking it's normal to see flashes of light every 20 seconds or so! And I probably shouldn't even mention how many HOURS of video Jack and I have taken so far! Okay, maybe we're going a little overboard, but Matthew's our first child, and we are still amazed by every little thing he does! Just wait until he starts crawling, walking, talking, etc.!

that is so sweet

i took loads of pictures of both of my children when they were little

cath

First children always get the most pictures taken - and then a few later and you're lucky to get any at all it seems!

Love Sue as a doting mama, but what's the impossible mission?

JF, I'm guessing you're not a first child? Let me guess... 3rd, maybe 4th? I'm the 3rd of 4 children and that was not the case in my family. Well, yes, there are probably more of my older brother, partly because he's older and in a lot of the pictures with the rest of us, but my mom took a ton of pictures of all of us. And with my niece and two nephews, there are a ton of pictures of all of them. But maybe my family's just weird that way , because most people tell me that after the first there aren't near as many of the others.

QUOTE(Kav @ Jun 12 2006, 04:46 AM)

Love Sue as a doting mama, but what's the impossible mission?

Kav, I'll be getting to that here when I post more of the story, but it was sort of mentioned in the last story.

Maybe we need a further explanation, like another post????

Jenny *grins*

Tracy, I'm NOT the first child indeed. But I'm not upset about the pictures or anything. I've just observed before that in many families parents tend to go overboard on stuff for the first child but later down in the line it's not overplayed so much if you know what I mean. And yes, my older siblings have more baby pictures...

Anyway, back to the mission at hand...finding someone special for Myles. As I said, Jack thinks it's a Mission Impossible. I keep having to remind him that Myles has changed a lot over the last few years! He's definitely softened! Yes, he's still as sarcastic as ever, but there are actually some women who find that attractive. And it is my mission to find such a woman for him. Listen to me, I'm turning into Lucy "The Matchmaker" Dotson Thomas! Oh well, matchmaking seems to be pretty successful when it comes to our FBI team, even if it does sometimes take a long time!

Maybe I can enlist Lucy's help in this mission...hmmmm... Though with her being pregnant and suffering from mood swings of epic proportions, at times, I'm not so sure that's a great idea! My poor, poor brother Paul! Wonderful guy that he is, he's taking it all in stride! He's learned to not take it personally. Actually, now that Lucy's entered her second trimester, the mood swings are easing up. Plus, she's learning better how to manage them when she does have them. So, it's still a possibility. Her doctor told her one way to manage her mood swings is to do something that makes her feel good...and she does LOVE matchmaking! Believe me, I should know!

Maybe Tara could help me in my mission...though, with planning her wedding to Bobby, she may not have any available time. Perhaps, it will be a solo mission for me...we'll just have to wait and see!

Pfffttt...PLEASE...Mission Impossible...it's not like I'm trying to find someone for Randy Pitts!!!! Now that really would be an impossible mission! I still wonder what was wrong with that Hannah that she thought Randy could possibly be her soul mate. Of course, he did lie to her! Most women would probably be attracted to the Randy he pretended to be while online. It just proves the possible dangers of meeting people online!

loved it, someone for myles......... what about hannah, she might like myles since he's a real agent

cath

Very good idea. As you said, Myles has softened and can probably learn to sign.

Lovely post Tracy!!

Jenny

What happened to this story Tracy? Surely it hasn't actually turned into Mission Impossible?! Although you are trying to find someone for Myles... So are you going to create a new character for him or match him with someone we already know? What about Nora? I kinda liked them together.

Someone for Myles - not an easy mission, but maybe not impossible!!!

Joy

QUOTE(suethomasfan2468 @ Jun 14 2006, 10:51 AM)

QUOTE(learningtosign @ Jun 14 2006, 03:15 PM)

loved it, someone for myles......... what about hannah, she might like myles since he's a real agent

cath

Very good idea. As you said, Myles has softened and can probably learn to sign.

You've given me something to think about...
Hannah might be an interesting choice, though something tells me that Myles might scoff at dating someone who had the audacity to date Randy Pitts!

QUOTE(JesusFreak718 @ Jun 19 2006, 02:23 PM)

What happened to this story Tracy? Surely it hasn't actually turned into Mission Impossible?!

JF, well, you see, I seem to be temporarily (hopefully, it's only temporarily) stuck. I didn't realize when I started this story that the title, Mission Impossible, would describe the process of me writing the story! In hindsight, I realize I probably shouldn't have started posting until I had more of it written, but what can I say?
In my defense, JF, I have had the idea for and written two other stories (You've Got Mail, which is posted and complete, and Ransom, which is almost completely written and in the process of being posted) in the Challenge, and that's one of the reasons I haven't made much progress on this! I might also point out that it took a while for anyone to notice that it's been a while since I've posted to this; there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in it. But, I do hope to be able to get more written sometime this week, for those of you who are interested; hopefully, I'll receive some sort of inspiration! Thanks for hanging in there with me!

QUOTE(JesusFreak718 @ Jun 19 2006, 02:23 PM)

So are you going to create a new character for him or match him with someone we already know? What about Nora? I kinda liked them together.

That's a good question, JF! If you find out the answer to it before me, could you let me know?

In the meantime, here's my next post... I hope y'all like it!

Thanks,
Tracy
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Though I'm on maternity leave and haven't been in the office for a couple of months now, Jack keeps me informed of what's going on in the office. Lately, Myles has been...well, for lack of a better word, grumpy, and he's driving the whole team crazy! It's been hard on him. Jack and I got married. Then Lucy got married to my brother Paul. Now, Bobby and Tara are engaged and getting married soon. With D having been married for years, that leaves Myles as the only unattached one in our group.

He's happy for all of us, but, he confided in me, it's hard to watch all of us so happy when he's got no one special in his life. He's reached that point in his life when he's ready to settle down with a wife and, possibly, children. Yes, there is the possibility of a Myles Leland IV in the future! I know that idea is scary to some, specifically Jack, but I think it's sweet. Though it might surprise some, Myles is really good with babies, at least he's good with Matthew. I know it surprised me at first, too! He's even, hold on to your hats, changed a few diapers! I know, I know, you're thinking are you sure you have the right Myles Leland III? As I told Jack, Myles has changed a lot!!!! Myles adores Matthew, though he doesn't necessarily readily admit it! He likes to call him a rugrat! But when no one's looking, I've seen the look of joy he gets on his face as he holds Matthew, and I've seen him kiss his forehead a time or two! And once, I even caught him playing patty-cake with him. Though, I'm sure if confronted about it, he would deny even having knowledge of something as "inane" as patty-cake!

I'm following through with the point about Myles learning to sign - if he does learn, perhaps Sue's friend Carol might be a good candidate. She's artistic and Myles (while we've never actually known him to create anything) appears to appreciate the artier things in life.

Carol could do with someone who appreciates her gift, after that no-good husband of hers. Myles dotes on his roses so he might as well have someone to give them to and he has shown his sensitive, loving side through the posts so far ...

Just random thoughts. Sorry - taken up too much post.

Toodles!

Tracy, I'm sorry to hear that you're temporarily mind blocked, but that was really good!!! I hope it clears soon!!

Jenny

Tracy, I remember you mentioning before about being a little stuck on this story so I figured it was nothing more than writer's block. But I sure am glad for a little more because I'm really interesting in getting Myles hooked up with someone. Hang in there girl, the inspiration will come to you. And I for one will still be around and keeping up with this story.

QUOTE(JesusFreak718 @ Jun 20 2006, 10:48 AM)

Hang in there girl, the inspiration will come to you. And I for one will still be around and keeping up with this story.

Thanks, JF! I appreciate that!
Sorry, y'all, I'm still a little blocked on this story, but I managed to write up another post. It's short, I know...sorry! I want to thank you for being patient and sticking with me on this. And thank you for the comments.


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Oh, did I happen to mention that Myles is learning sign language? Yep, after all these years, he's finally taking some classes! Several months ago, before Matthew was born, Jack and I had mentioned to the team how we (well, mainly me) were planning on teaching our baby sign at about six months old. I think Myles took it as a challenge of some sort -- if an infant could learn to sign, then certainly he, Myles Leland III, a Harvard-educated adult could! Plus, I think that an attractive Deaf woman that he met at one of the Deaf poetry readings that he attended with me and Jack might have had a little something to do with it, as well. He really was quite taken with her! Later that night, he asked me for recommendations for an ASL class. He started taking classes right away. He's actually been picking it up quite quickly! Once he sets his mind on something, he really goes after it with gusto! Unfortunately, the woman he was quite taken with became engaged to someone else about a month later. It was a real blow to Myles, I think he actually thought she might be "the one" when he met her.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, no, Jack still isn't overly crazy about the Deaf poetry readings, but being the wonderfully supportive husband that he is, he attends them with me anyway. Have I mentioned how much I love my husband?

i love this

i always thought myles would be able to learn signing really easily since he obviously has a gift for languages.

i know he told someone he spoke 3 or 4 languages fluently, might have been norah allbright

cath

Today is mine and Jack's wedding anniversary -- our second anniversary, to be exact. I still marvel at the fact that I am his wife, that he's my husband, and that we have the most beautiful baby boy in the world! I am indeed very blessed, and I thank God every day for it!

The time since we finally admitted we loved one another has truly flown by! Jack proposed shortly after, and we had a fairly short engagement. We didn't really see the need for a long engagement, seeing as how we already knew each other so well. Let's face it, we "dated" for three long years without even realizing it -- going out to lunch, dinner, talking, watching movies, etc.

You know, it really is true what they say, friendship is the best foundation for a good marriage. Well, we're not exactly experts at this marriage thing yet, having only been married for two years, but the first two years have gone fairly smoothly. That's not to say there haven't been any fights, because there have been (usually stemming from my stubbornness and/or his overprotectiveness) -- however, because we know each other so well and are still the best of friends, we tend to resolve our conflicts rather quickly. I truly can't imagine my life without him!

loved it

cath

Perfect tracy!!!!! i loved it!!! I was rereading this and noticed this bit:



Yep!!!!!! I love your stories and can't wait for more!!!

Jen

Caught up again, Tracy!!

Sue sounds so happy!! Marriage is good for her, especially marriage with Jack!!!

I think it would be good to find someone for Myles!! I love the fact that he is learning sign!! I think if he truly loved someone he would be a great husband!!!

Yhm, I like your idea about Carol!! I think they would make a cute couple!! Ted was so bad, and I think Myles would treat her like a queen!!!

Joy

Thanks for the great replies y'all!

As I said, two years ago today Jack and I were married. It was a Christmas wedding -- the fulfillment of a childhood dream! Actually, it was even better than I had ever imagined! Standing before God, our family, and friends we became husband and wife in a beautiful Christian ceremony. The reception which followed was a huge party! I think everyone in attendance was as glad we had finally gotten married as we were! Well, not really, but you get the point! They had all waited, not so patiently, for us to finally admit what they all had known for three long years, and, as I mentioned months ago, Lucy and my brother Paul played an active role in getting us to admit it!

We returned from our honeymoon in Hawaii just in time to celebrate our first Christmas together as husband and wife in our new home! It was my absolute favorite Christmas to date. However, something tells me that this Christmas will top even it! After all, it is our baby Matthew's first Christmas! I can hardly wait! You know Jack and I are going to go overboard with the gifts! We just can't help ourselves! I know, I know alot of people ask, what's the point? It's not like he's going to remember it, but WE will!

Anyway, with today being our anniversary, Myles has very graciously offered to babysit Matthew, and Levi, so that Jack and I can celebrate the occasion! This will actually be the first time we've really gotten to spend much of any time alone together since Matthew's arrival. Jack has a romantic dinner planned. He made reservations a week ago at Two Quail Restaurant, considered by many to be the "Most Romantic" restaurant in Washington, D.C. Ooh la la! I can hardly wait!

I can't wait either! I love getting all of Sue's thoughts about Jack, her married life, Myles, etc. This is great Tracy. So do these posts mean you're unblocked now?

cath

Myles graciously offered, huh?

I love Jack and Sue married!!!

Joy

Myles is babysitting????? And he even offered to do so????? ACK, what is the world coming to???!!!!! Hehe, just kidding, I like how Myles is showing a different side of his personality here... you big softie!!

How experienced a diaper changer is he?
kav

I enjoy reading how happy Jack and Sue are.

QUOTE(Kav @ Jul 6 2006, 04:11 PM)

How experienced a diaper changer is he?
kav

I actually had to go back and check on this myself, but...

QUOTE(tis*me! @ Jun 19 2006, 08:45 PM)

He's even, hold on to your hats, changed a few diapers!

QUOTE(JesusFreak718 @ Jul 6 2006, 12:52 PM)

So do these posts mean you're unblocked now?

JF, unfortunately, not exactly, as you can probably guess from the fact I haven't posted in over a week. I've been having some intermittent spurts of inspiration! I'm back now with another post, a pretty long one at that...

Thanks for reading and replying everyone! Now that all 5 of my other stories are completely written and posted, hopefully I'll be able to make more progress on this one! Not a lot of time left! Thanks, Cath, for beta'ing!

Hope y'all enjoy!

Tracy
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Myles arrives at our house approximately thirty minutes before Jack and I are set to leave for the restaurant. Jack lets him in, as I finish getting ready.

I am wearing a new, red dress that I bought especially for the evening. It is quite similar to the one I wore years ago at the Bachelor auction, when Jack and I first danced. Jack loved that dress and wanted me to wear it tonight, but I still haven't lost all of my pregnancy weight quite yet. I needed a size larger, which is a little discouraging. But, I have come to the conclusion that even if I don't ever lose the added weight, it's a small price to pay for having the most beautiful baby boy in the world!

You know, if I hadn't been in love with Jack before the night of the Bachelor auction, I would have been by the time the night was over. When he held me in his arms to dance, I knew that's where I wanted to spend the rest of my life -- in his arms. It really is amazing it took us so long to admit to one another that we loved each other! When all is said and done though, I think it worked out exactly the way God intended it to. We were able to develop a much stronger friendship, which I believe has translated into a stronger marriage.

After I finish getting ready, I go to check on Matthew, who is currently asleep in his crib in the nursery. He is sleeping peacefully. I quietly lower the side of his crib, so I can give him a kiss on the cheek. I whisper to him "Mommy and Daddy are going to go out for a little while to celebrate our anniversary, but we won't be too long! Uncle Myles is going to take care of you! I love you! Goodbye!"

After kissing Matthew goodbye one more time, I quietly lift the side of the crib back up and go to join Jack and Myles in the living room.

"Wow!" Jack exclaims, as I enter the room. "You are simply breathtaking!"

"Thank you! You, too!" I respond with a wink.

Jack is wearing a black suit, white dress shirt, and a red tie that matches the red of my dress. By the way, did I mention how wonderful my husband looks in a suit?

"Well, well, well, Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, aren't you the elegant looking couple tonight?" Myles exclaims.

"You're beautiful!" Myles says to me, as he signs.

"Thank you!" I say and sign in response.

"You're welcome!" he says and signs back.

"You're getting very good at signing!" I say with a grin.

"Thank you!" he says and signs, returning a grin. "And Sue..." he continues.

"What Myles?" I ask.

"I'm...sorry!" he says and signs.

"For what, Myles?" I ask, taken slightly aback by an apology from Myles.

"For not learning sooner...for not deeming it more important...for being stubborn...for not taking your feelings into account..." Myles says awkwardly.

"Thank you, Myles! I appreciate that!" I say, still stunned. I look over at Jack, who is obviously even more stunned than I am, his mouth gaping wide open.

"Honey, you really need to close your mouth before a fly flies in!" I say with a giggle.

"D-D-Did Myles Leland the Third just apologize to you?" Jack asks.

"Yes, he did" I whisper to him. "I told you he had changed, but I don't think even I knew how much!"

"We really should be going in the next 10 to 15 minutes." Jack says, after finally overcoming the shock of Myles apologizing.

"Okay! Myles, I have my blackberry and Jack has his cell phone. You have our numbers, in case anything happens or you have any questions. There's also a list of emergency numbers on the refrigerator, as well as instructions on what to do in case an emergency arises. There are a couple of bottles of milk in the fridge, remember to heat it in the microwave for a while, but test the temperature on your wrist before you try giving it to him. There are instructions on the fridge, in case you forget. Oh, and don't forget to burp him. Right now, he's peacefully asleep. He'll probably sleep for at least another hour. And he'll probably need a clean diaper when he wakes up. There are diapers and wipes in the nursery on the changing table. I'd suggest actually changing him on the changing table. We don't want another incident like the one the last time Uncle Bobby tried changing his diaper on the carpet. I still haven't managed to get that stain out! I had to get Jack to rearrange the furniture to cover it up!" I ramble on before being interrupted by Jack.

"Sweetheart, you need to take a breath!" Jack says.

"Okay,...and remember, when you change his diaper, you need to try to do it fast, or he might just..." I say, as Myles then cuts me off, putting his hand up in the air with a flourish.

"No need for a reminder, Sue, the little squirt got me once, I'm not about to let it happen again!" he says with a smirk.

"Okay, and Levi will probably need to be walked at least once while we're gone, which means you'll have to take Matthew out in the stroller."

"Really? I thought I'd just leave him here all alone, while I walked Levi." Myles says.

Let me just say, if looks could kill, Myles would be dead on my living room floor right now!

"Jack, maybe we should just stay home!" I exclaim.

"Dear, he was just being sarcastic! We aren't staying home! We're going to go out and enjoy a romantic dinner together to celebrate our anniversary! Matthew will be in good hands, right Myles?" Jack says, glaring at Myles.

Clearing his throat, Myles says "Right! I'm sorry, Sue! Sometimes I really just can't help being sarcastic, it's in my blood! I'm trying to curb it, honestly!"

"Okay, the stroller's in the closet over there. Actually let me just get it out and set it up for you." I say as I proceed to do so. "There, all ready! Now, it's really cold outside, so you need to put Matthew in this baby bunting and cover him with this blanket, too.
Are you paying attention, Myles? Because if my baby gets sick, I will have to hurt you, you know?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Myles says, trying to suppress a laugh.

"Sweetheart, we need to go soon! Matthew will be fine! We're only going to be gone for a few hours, not overnight!"

"Overnight...overnight...there's no way I could leave my baby overnight!" I say slightly hysterical at the thought.

"Sweetheart, we're not, come on!" Jack says as he leads me out the door.

By the time we have gotten in the car and are heading to the restaurant, Jack has managed to effectively and sufficiently calm my nerves, in a very appealing way, I might add.

I like Overprotective Sue!
Great long post!

And glad to see that Jack hasn't lost his touch

kav

Great post Tracy! Hope you get another spurt of inspiration soon.

Thanks for the replies y'all! Hope you enjoy!


Okay, I didn't think it was possible to be more in love with Jack than I already was, but apparently I was wrong! I swear I'm falling in love with my husband all over again! It's no wonder they call this place the "Most Romantic" restaurant in Washington, D.C.

We are led by the hostess to a private little out of the way curtain table. On the table sits a vase holding a dozen deep red long-stemmed roses, with a card that reads "Sue, Happy 2nd Anniversary to the most wonderful wife, and mother, in the world! I love you with all my heart! Forever and always, Jack"

"Thank you, Jack! They're beautiful! And the card is beautiful!" I say.

Taking my hand in his, he looks intently into my eyes and says "You're welcome! You deserve them! I love you, Sue!"

"I love you, too, Jack!"

After finishing our fabulously delicious dinner, the waitress brings us an anniversary cake and a box of gourmet chocolates. After enjoying some of the cake and a few chocolates, Jack pulls a ring box from his pocket and presents it to me saying "Your gift, Mrs. Hudson!"

"Oh, Jack! The dinner, the roses, the cake, and the chocolates were plenty! You didn't have to get me anything else!" I say, truly touched.

"Don't be silly, my dear! Maybe I didn't have to get you anything else, but I wanted to get you something else! And you're really going to like it!" he says with a huge grin.

As I open the box, my breath is taken away by the beauty of the ring inside.

"It's your birthstone on one side, mine on the other, and Matthew's in the center." Jack says.

"I noticed!" I say. "It's beautiful! I love it!" I say as I slip it on to my finger.

"It looks great on you, too!" Jack says with a grin, as he leans in to give me a kiss.

"I have something for you, too!" I say as I reach into my purse to pull out his gift, then hand it to him.

"Wow! VIP tickets to a Washington Capitals hockey game? Great! I love it!" Jack exclaims.

Speaking of hockey, Jack doesn't know this yet, but I happened to find an infant-sized replica of the hockey jersey that he and I gave each other for Christmas several years ago for Matthew for Christmas! Okay, it's actually waaay too big for Matthew now (size 18 months, the smallest size it came in), but he'll grow into it! I just couldn't resist! I can just picture a family portrait with all three of us wearing our matching hockey jerseys!

"Are you ready for your next surprise?" Jack asks me, as we start to head out of the restaurant, after paying the bill.

"There's more?" I ask, surprised.

"Yes!" he responds, as we exit the restaurant. In front of the restaurant is a beautiful horse-drawn carriage.

"How does a moonlit, horse-drawn carriage ride through historic Capitol Hill sound?" he asks with a huge grin and a wink.

"Wonderfully romantic!" I say.

Jack gets in first, then gallantly reaches for my hand to help me in. We settle in for the ride, snuggling under a warm blanket, as a light snow begins to fall. We spend the carriage ride kissing, coming up for air only occasionally to admire the beautiful moonlit sky and the sites of historic Capitol Hill.

Tell me, what more could a wife ask for? I mean, unlike some husbands, he not only remembered our anniversary, but he spent quite a lot of time and money planning the MOST romantic night ever!

I knew that when he finally got around to proposing to Sue, he'd get the whole marriage thing right!
kav

Nothing, Sue, absolutely nothing ... except to be the best possible wife? Which you are.

Lovely.

cath

Jack sure has been paying attention as to what a woman expects for a romantic night out!!! And I absolutely adore the idea of little Matthew in his little hockey jersey!!!

We've always had overprotective Jack - now we also have overprotective Sue!!!

The night out was just perfect, as only Jack can do it!!!

Joy

What a treat to read this gentle story. I am enjoying this.