Ten years later.

The smell of Christmas tickled my nose. Filling me with the warm sensation of nostalgia. Christmas was a time of giving. A time of family. A time of holiday and joy. This Christmas was no exception.

"Theo no running in the kitchen please." Emeline, Jacob's wife calls out as their four-year-old son Theo screams as he's being chased by my dad. My dad had been living in our house with his dog Belly ever since he and mom got a divorce. They divorced at the end of my first year of college.

We don't see my mom anymore. She's probably off in Brazil with her younger Brazilian boyfriend of the month.

"Dad don't wind him up, please. He won't get to sleep." Jake says with a whine.

"Oh stop whinging. Your not even going to be the one putting him to bed." Emeline says smacking Jacob on the arm. Jakey grins and plants a kiss on Emeline's lips.

"That's because you read better stories than I do." He says with a grin.

"Would you like to cut up the turkey Bea?" Trina calls to Bea as she pulls the potatoes out of the oven.

"I'm on it," Bea calls making her way to the kitchen from where she was lingering talking to Luke. Yep, they managed to stay together. They broke up in our second year of college. But got together a couple years later. Let's just say Bea went through some massive character building in those years. For the better.

"Lacey Lacey. Sitting there watching the chaos of Christmas unfold all around you are you?" Luke asks as he slides into the seat next to me.

"Pretty much," I say with a small nod. Placing my hand over my stomach.

"Dadda!" A young girl's voice says. Suddenly a small child jumps up onto Luke's lap.

"Hey Rory," Luke says with a loving grin down at his daughter. Bea and Luke had a child three years after they finally tied the knot.

"Grant stop stealing pieces of the turkey!" Trina scolds slapping Grant's hand away from where he was snatching the best bits. He had a boyish grin on his face. A grin much like his son's.

"Where's Molly?" I ask Luke as I look around the room.

"Probably off with her bestie Cade," Luke says wriggling his eyebrows. I shake my head at him.

Molly had been dating this Cade guy for a little over a year now and things were beginning to look a little bit serious. They definitely still had the puppy-dog love and were sneaking off any chance they got. Molly graduated last year from Harvard Law and was now working at a large law company doing hotshot lawyer things.

"Oh my gosh, it's so hectic in here," Bea says fanning herself as she plops into a seat beside Luke. Rory who had been quietly muttering away to herself in her own imaginary world climbed into Bea's lap.

"Oh, also Lacey I was thinking. For the nursery, I was thinking the neutral colours." Bea explains.

"Yeah, that's also what I was thinking," I say running a hand over my swollen stomach.

"Belly. Don't eat that!" Leroy exclaims as he chases Belly, My dad's Italian mastiff into the living room where the sound of dance central emerges.

Leroy actually came out as bi-sexual in my second year of college. He and Dallas are becoming quite close but aren't disclosing any information about their friendship or relationship.

Which I totally respect. But could they please date? The audacity of them to be so adorable together and not date.

Callie had found herself a brilliant guy after graduating from Princeton with a law degree. She ended up using her law degree to help refugees in Europe sort out their legal affairs. She get's paid by the government. Her husband Trent is an accountant and sorts out any financial affairs of incoming refugees. Set's them up on payment plans, benefits, loans and things like that.

"Seth Tate Nixon!" Trina's voice snaps. My head snaps up and I see Seth, a mischievous grin on his face as he takes a bite into a piece of turkey.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Seth says chuckling as Trina thwacks him with a tea towel on his legs.

"You better be," Trina says eyebrows raised at him.

"How are you feeling?" He asks me, dropping a light kiss onto my lips. Which earns an 'Ewww' from Luke.

"Pregnant and whale-like." I say rolling my eyes as Seth plonks down into the seat beside me.

"Oh, who would dare put a baby inside you?" Asks Seth with a fake horrified face. "Must be a very sexy, handsome, amazing guy." He finishes before I can quirk a remark.

"I didn't know I got Lacey pregnant?" Luke asks in shock. I grin at the response and Seth shakes his head.

"I said handsome, Luke." He replies. Luke's jaw drops open.

"So rude." He says with a pout.

"C'mon go find mommy and daddy," Leroy says as he leads Seth and I's six-year-old boy, Hudson.

I got pregnant with him in the last year of college. My IED rod expired and my phone was stolen at the time and didn't get the email until it was too late. So on graduation day, a week before I was due, I fell into labour. I wore six-inch heels, walked across a stage, and sat through almost an entire graduation, in labour. Then Seth eventually dragged me into the car where I had a long delivery of one gorgeous baby boy.

After the birth, once Hudson was declared healthy. Seth and I rocked our boy, swaying to the soft music that had been put on during the labour, slow dancing around the hospital room watching our son as he began adjusting to the world around him.

Now I was pregnant with number two. A baby girl. Her name was going to be Isla.

Seth and I actually broke up in the first year of college. Right before I found out my parents were getting a divorce. We had a massive fight one night and I was really upset about it. He had been accusing me of sleeping with my neighbour Max. Who was one of my mates at the time. So I went home and my roommate Hayley was out of town. I wanted some support ice cream bit we were fresh out. I had messaged Max and asked him to drop some ice cream outside my door, I'd pay him for it of course. Well, he came over, figured something was wrong and comforted me. We fell asleep curled up on my bed. The next morning Seth came over to apologise and well, that was the end of Sacey. For a while. After a while, we both went home for spring break, and worked everything out, after a couple of mishaps. Seth finally understood that Max was just being a good friend. And our relationship was restored. We were healthier for it.

It taught us how to argue, healthily that is. It was us vs the problem not us versus each other.

We got married eight months after Hudson's birth and I was now Lacey Nixon.

"Where are your pants mister?" I ask Hudson as his bare legs and bright red bob the builder patterned undies are on show.

"Belly slobbered over him, I just cleaned it off his pants," Leroy answers with a small smile.

"Thank you so much, Roy." I say with a grateful grin.

"No worries." He says with a shrug.

"Alright. Dinner everyone at the table please." Trina calls as she places the platter of Turkey onto the food cluttered table.

I make a move to get up, Seth immediately holds out his hands and hoists me up gently.

"Thanks," I say with a grateful smile.

"Surely that deserves a kiss." He replies looking down at me. I roll my eyes and bring his lips to mine. Kissing him softly. I go to pull away but he pulls me back to him. This time he breaks away.

"I love you." He says kissing my forehead and hooking an arm over my shoulder as we make our way to the dining room table.

"I love you too," I reply hooking my arm around his waist. He pulls a chair out for me and helps me into it. Before shuffling into his own.

Everyone begins dishing up and I start to dish up for Hudson before Seth shakes his head and dishes him up for me.

"Mommy and Dad were kissing," Hudson says squirming in his seat, his nose scrunched up with disgust.

"Yummy," Seth murmurs to me. I chuckle and elbow him softly in the ribs.

The conversation harmonises in my ears. The sound of clattering of cutlery and plates fading into the serenity of the setting. Seth's phone vibrated on the table, the screen blaring COACH across it. Seth presses decline and puts his phone into his pocket.

Seth was playing for the national soccer team. He had been for the past couple years. I dragged Hudson along to every game, and painted Seth's numbers on his cheeks just like he requested. Hudson was always eager to support his dad.

"Why is your coach calling you at this time?" I ask Seth.

"Probably to remind me how amazing I am," Seth replies a lopsided grin on his face. I hear his phone buzzing again and I nudge for him to take it.

"I'll be quick." He says disappearing outside the patio doors. Bea flicks me a questioning look and I shrug.

"This turkey and cranberry is absolutely divine," Jakey says with a grin, his mouth full of turkey.

"Absolutely." Luke agrees.

"What's in the beef wellington? Like the sauce in it?" Molly asks as she takes a massive bite out of it.

"Dijon." My dad answers cutting up his honey roasted carrot and putting it into his mouth.

"This meal is delicious thank you so much," Cade says openly to the table. Too many chefs's to thank individually.

"Mmm thank you so much," Emeline says covering her mouth politely as she swallows her food.

I hear the patio door open and Seth's presence greets me again as he takes a seat next to me. I turn and see a massive grin on his face.

"What was it about?" I ask him curiously.

"He wants me to become Captain. Arland stepped down today, but because we have a boxing day match he had to call." He says with a grin.

"Oh my god that's incredible." I say with a grin, joy filling me. Seth links his hand through mine as he begins eating his dinner with his other hand.

***

Hudson, Rory and Theo were curled up in the guest, well now the kid's, double bed.

Us adults were lounging around in the kitchen.

"Watch the stars outside with me?" Seth whispers into my ear. I nod and our hands link together. We creep outside. Making our way onto the Nixon's trampoline which had been abandoned.

"Wow this brings back some memories." I say with a chuckle as we walk towards it.

"Caramello or white chocolate." Seth says with a light chuckle.

"The endless debate." I mutter as I struggle to get my heavily pregnant self onto the trampoline.

Seth helps me up before I gently lie back, I curl up towards Seth, our hands intertwining.

"We made it Lace." He whispers after a moment of comfortable silence.

"We did." I reply, my voice catching.

"We really did."