:: JJ’s POV ::

“How about this one?” I called out to Emma as I came across yet another tree meeting her size requirements.

“No, it’s too bare.” She shook her head as she looked it over and continued down the path, Noah in tow as he followed behind her stopping to look up at all the trees as if he was in awe of their towering size.

“Emma, we’ve easily looked at a few dozen trees. What’s the problem?” I continued to follow them down the path, what was it with women and shopping? The simple task of buying a Christmas tree was even monumental.

“I haven’t found the one I want Justin. That’s the problem.” I was taken aback by her use of my full name, it was something that I hated and she knew it. Her tone held a bit of an edge to it that I knew she was trying to camouflage it for Noah. We had never gotten in an argument in front of Noah and we promised to keep it that way, we were both believers that was the last thing any kid should ever have to be exposed to.

“You can go wait in the car if you want.” She added in, the same amount of bite in her words.

I let out a dry laugh as I shook my head, it was so hard to picture Emma being anything other than happy, and she was rarely ever upset so whenever she was, it was kind of amusing. I don’t mean it in a disrespectful way but her angry voice always sounded so forced. So unnatural, and it made me laugh. I found it to be kind of sexy, but I knew she meant business. She hated fighting and avoided it at all costs unless something was really bothering her. With that being said, I was not looking forward to the conversation that I knew would be coming later this evening.

“No tree is perfect, be nice. They all deserve some love.” I teased her knowing that my comment was going to irk her but I had to laugh at myself. I was proud of the unintended symbolism I had provided as I thought of myself being the tree in this particular scenario.

“Well, there’s one out there that’s perfect for me.” She called back and again I had to laugh, I was definitely entertaining myself in my own mind with this whole thing. At this point, I needed the laughs, even if I was laughing at myself.

We continued on a little while longer, stopping and looking at tree after tree. They were all starting to look the same to me and I was ready to settle for anything, but I knew that wasn’t happening. Noah had warned me that picking out a tree was quite the task with his mom, I was skeptical and I figured it was just being viewed through the eyes of a child, where every task is exaggerated and dramatized. It reminded me of my mom when we were kids, she always wanted things just so. I was beginning to understand why she and Emma clicked so quickly. They were practically one in the same in so many aspects of life, that’s one thing that helped me to see what a wonderful woman Emma really is.

“This is it.” Emma’s voice was filled with certainty as we all came to a stop. Noah clung to her side as they looked up at the tree.

“I’m sorry, did I hear that right?” There was no doubt there was some playful sarcasm in my voice as I looked up to see the tree that earned Emma’s seal of approval. The tree looked eerily similar to every other tree we passed, but maybe that was the male in me. We don’t have that eye for detail that women have but, if Emma says it’s the tree. It’s the tree, “I’ll go get someone up front to wrap it for us.”

“No. Stay here.” Emma’s response was abrupt as she began to walk, “If you go we’ll be waiting forever. I’ll go.”

Emma walked off and I was beginning to put the pieces together about what had her so upset. I looked down at Noah who was looking up at me with a smile on his face. He was such a cute kid, but that little smile of his was always so quick to make me forget what was bothering me. He was always so happy go lucky and was so easily pleased. For being a single mom I could only imagine how tough things had to be for Emma at times, but she had done such an amazing job with Noah. He was so bright and had a heart that was larger than life, and he rarely ever gave Emma any grief. I had never known a kid to listen so well.

Laughter had suddenly come into range and I looked to see Emma walking with a guy that was working the Christmas tree farm. If I had to guess I’d say he was somewhere around our age, maybe slightly older but the one thing I knew for sure was that he was flirting with my girl. Not that I could blame him, Emma’s beautiful but she wasn’t his for the taking.

“It’s this one, right here.” Emma pointed the tree out to the man and he smiled at Noah and me as he walked past us.

“Wow, that one’s a beauty.” The false excitement in his voice made me laugh, now he was trying too hard to impress Emma and she gullibly smiled, proud of herself for his acknowledgement in her tree choice, “You can head up to the front to pay then pull your car around and we’ll get it loaded for you.”

“Great, thank you so much.” Emma turned to me and I shook my head at her, I knew there was a smirk on my face. I just couldn’t get over the efforts tree man was putting in. Almost as if it hadn’t even occurred to him that Noah and I were with her, “Ready?”

“Yeah.” I nodded at her as we set off towards the front of the farm, bypassing row after row of trees. It was then that I realized just how many trees we had actually sifted through in order for her to find her perfect tree. If it had been anyone else, I don’t think I would have had the same amount of patience for a tree but it wasn’t anyone else. It was Emma. If she hadn’t found the perfect tree here, I probably would’ve gone and cut one down for her myself. Her happiness was critical to me.

I insisted on paying for the tree as much as Emma tried to assert her independence. I know she didn’t need me to, but I wanted to. Sometimes she made it so tough to spoil her, almost as if she let me I’d think that’s what she was after. I knew better with her, she was never comfortable with me paying for things, from day one. That right there told me it was never about money with her, maybe that’s what allowed me to fall for her the way I did. She was different. She never expected anything from me other than my company. It felt good to be wanted for who I am and not what I am.

I pulled the Tahoe up to the loading zone and helped the pine tree Romeo get the tree strapped to the top of the roof. Emma and Noah stood back and laughed at the fact that I was taller than the tree and that their normal six foot Christmas tree they were so used to getting suddenly seemed much smaller than they ever remembered. I even over heard Noah telling her we’re gonna need a bigger tree. The man that was trying to woo my girl just moments earlier joined me in laughter, turns out Noah’s words made us both think of the classic line from everyone’s favorite shark movie, Jaws; we’re going to need a bigger boat. Now that he wasn’t hitting on Emma he wasn’t half bad.

“Alright, y’all are all set.” He hopped down from the other side of the Tahoe and came around the front of the vehicle.

“Thank you.” I reached out to shake his hand and he obliged a smile on his face.

“You’re welcome Mr. Watt. Give us a call if there’s anything else we can help y’all with.” He gestured to Emma and Noah who had joined me at my side. I had no idea he had recognized me, he had never said anything until now, “Happy Holidays!”

"Same to you." I called after him.

He walked off and Emma helped Noah get buckled into the car. Sometimes I loved to just watch her and her motherly ways. Never in a million years did I imagine myself dating while I was still playing in the NFL, but I really never imagined myself dating a girl with a kid. The idea of a make shift family normally would’ve sent me in the other direction, but things were different with them. I couldn’t imagine my world without them. I couldn’t be more grateful for having found them that day. To think I almost had to cancel my appearance at the Play 60 event blew my mind; there was a reason I was supposed to be there that day. Emma and Noah are proof of that. I know it sounds crazy and I’m not one that ever believed in ridiculous things like fate but I was beginning to.