ellie reynolds (elliereynolds) wrote in hotelcali, @ 2015-01-11 22:00:00 |
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Entry tags: | ellie reynolds, jesse rivers |
Who: Ellie and Jesse
Where: Big Bear
When: December 26 (backdated)
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Ellie had been a little bummed that she wouldn’t see Jesse on Christmas Eve, after all it was technically their anniversary. It couldn’t be helped though. they’d gone their separate ways the Sunday before Christmas to spend time with their families. Ellie had enjoyed the last few days in Big Bear for the most part. She loved the house they rented, and seeing all her family, and playing in the snow,however she missed Jesse (face time wasn’t the same as seeing him) and her Mom was driving her nuts with wanting to talk wedding plans.
So she woke up bright and early the day after Christma in anticipation of Jesse arriving soon, and when the time came for him to get there, Ellie was waiting by the window for his car to appear. She leapt to her feet and rushed for the door before anyone else could answer it. “Hey.” She greeted him warmly as she opened it, before wrapping her arms around his neck for a tight hug. “Thought you’d never get here.”
Jesse had wanted to spend Christmas Eve with Ellie but with his grandmother’s recent death, he’d felt like he should be at home with his family. Now though they had their trip to look forward to and spending New Year’s in Paris with Ryan and Becca. He still couldn’t believe that it had been a year since he and Ellie had gotten together but it had and Jesse couldn’t be happier.
He was barely in the door before Ellie grabbed him and he put his arms around her, laughing at her enthusiasm. “Well hi there,” he said. “and I didn’t think I’d ever get here either.” He pulled back and kissed her softly. “Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary.”
“Happy Anniversary.” Ellie smiled as she repeated that, kissing him again. “It’s been the best year ever, by the way.” She added as she kissed him once more. “Come on, let’s get you settled before anyone else realizes you’re here and we’re inundated with family.”
“It has been the best year ever,” he said. “and that’s a good plan. Show me where I need to go.” He took her hand and let her lead him back to the bedroom area. “Are we sharing or are we trying to pretend like we’re not engaged? More importantly are your parents planning to kill me? Because I should ask that first.”
Ellie laughed as she led him back to the bedroom she was staying in. “We are sharing, in fact our engagement secured me a room of my own which has never happened.” she explained as she pushed open the door to the room. Their family ended up renting about three houses that were all next to each other for this trip every year. that meant that cousins shared rooms and bunk beds, and only married couples, or serious couples managed rooms of their own. since they were getting married? Well Ellie was in that select group now. “No, they’re not planning to kill you, they love you.” And they did. It had taken her mom and dad a bit to get used to the news, but once Ellie had explained to them that she would finish school, and that things wouldn’t change future wise for her that much? Well they had come around. “And oh my God my mom is thrilled to plan a wedding.” She added as she waved towards the dresser. “I left a couple drawers for you, and there’s even room in the closet.”
Jesse breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Because my folks were thrilled. Judith said that she would make you a list of every annoying habit I had so you’d be fully prepared for marriage to me. Also my mother said she wanted to talk to your mother and I have no idea what about but it sounds complicated.” He laughed. “I think Mom is directing all her wedding planning energy toward us since she’s given up hope with Judith. She’ll never get married. Or if she does, get ready because it’s a sign of the apocalypse.”’
“Oh i could probably add things to Judith’s list.” Ellie pointed out with a grin. God it was nice to have Jesse there with her again. “remember I’ve worked with you for years.” She reminded him and then laughed. “Oh God, Mom is going wedding planning nuts too. They’ll either get along great or fight it out….she’s been driving me crazy the last few days Jesse, crazy.”
“What does she want to do?” he asked, putting his suitcase on the bed and opening it. He had promised himself he wouldn’t make a mess but that probably wouldn’t last long. “We haven’t even set a date yet, how can she plan anything?” Maybe it was a female thing because his mother had asked him questions about colors and flowers and Jesse had had to admit that he had no earthly clue.
"Everything" Ellie sat down on the edge of the bed with a with as Jesse began to unpack. "Like she's excited, I get that, but we haven't even set a date yet." And besides that they were both fairly simple people. "I was kind of thinking a simple, maybe beach wedding. Small. She's got a hall picked out, and a church, and wants to know about flowers and colors and... A date. She thinks May would be great." And it would be since Ellie would be done with school probably by then, but Ellie wanted to chose the date
The beach sounded perfect to Jesse and there was certainly enough of it right outside his back door. “I like the beach idea. Maybe late in the day so it can be at sunset, it’s beautiful then.” He smiled at her. “I’m surprised she didn’t latch on to you being a June bride. Isn’t that tradition? But I just kind of figured we’d get married later in the summer, I don’t know why I thought that because it doesn’t matter to me.”
"I think I'd prefer later in the summer too." Ellie admitted. "and the beach and just close friends and family, not a huge spectacular." She shrugged as she looked over at Jesse. At least they were on the same page. "I get the feeling it will be a fight to get that. "
“Neither of us really wants a big thing,” he agreed. “this is why I love you. Well not the only reason but you know how I am. I’d show up barefoot for the wedding if I could get away with it and I’d let Henry and Flash be in the wedding party. I’m sure we can’t get away with that either though.”
“They could be the ring bearers.” Ellie smiled at that thought, honestly she kind of thought that would be adorable. “Yea, neither Mom is going to let us get away with that.” She agreed with a sigh as she reached for his hand, pulling him down on the bed to sit beside her. “So I suppose we prepare to let them have their way? It’s just a day, right?”
“It’s just a day,” he agreed. “you’re right. We’ll be married no matter what they want to do and that’s all that matters. We get to spend the rest of our lives together so we can let them have one day.” Jesse wondered if he was trying to convince himself that he didn’t care and realized that he was. He truly didn’t want a fancy wedding, he just wanted something small with as few people as possible but he understood that his mother and Ellie’s mother wanted more. He’d just had to deal with it.
“Yes.” It was true, and Ellie was grateful that Jesse was reassuring her, even if she didn’t like the idea. “It won’t be too bad. We’ll figure out colors, and really we can probably just let the moms plan it, right?” that might be a blessing really if she could be hands off in the planning.
“Save you money on a wedding planner, too,” he said. “and besides the whole ceremony is really for them. As long as I get you, that’s all I care about.” Jesse leaned over and kissed her. “I’ll happily wear shoes as long as I get to see you coming down the aisle.”
“It would.” Ellie agreed and then laughed after he kissed her. “Well if that’s all it takes to get you to wear shoes.” She teased as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I will definitely be coming down the aisle.” She wanted to marry him, that was it, and if she had to deal with this to get there, she would. “I missed you, you know.” she tilted her head up to look in his eyes.
“I missed you too,” he said. “I wanted to be here but I felt like I needed to be with my family this year. Grandma was always such a big part of Christmas. It was weird not having her there.” Even though she’d lived a long and happy life, Jesse missed her. She’d been ninety and had no regrets but it still wasn’t the same without her.
“You did need to be there.” Ellie agreed. ‘And starting next year I guess we’ll alternate years or something? We’ll have to work that out.” She loved Jesse’s family. so she had no worries about figuring out a Holiday schedule that would work for both of their families. “I can’t imagine how that was for you guys. “
“We’ll figure it out, you’re right,” he said and smiled at the idea of them being married next Christmas and having to plan things out. “It was hard but we still did the things we always did and it was like having her with us. I think she was in a way. I really do.”
"She was" Ellie smiled as she said that. She believed it. "She loved Christmas she used to talk about it. " Ellie had always loved talking with Jesse's grandmother.
“She’d be happy that we’re getting married too,” he said. “Hell, she kept asking me why I didn’t go after you way before anything happened between us. She told me that you loved me because of the way you looked at me but I kept telling her she was seeing things.” He kissed her. “Guess she wasn’t.”
“No, no she wasn’t.” Ellie agreed, smiling after she had returned his kiss. “She knew before we did. and you’re right she would have been happy.” She mused. “She probably would have asked what took so long!”
“I don’t doubt that for a minute,” he said. “and she’ll be there even if we can’t see her.” Jesse wasn’t a religious person but he did believe that there was some kind of an afterlife and if anybody made it to Heaven, it was his grandma. “Well enough sad stuff,” he said. “so I guess we go back out there and let your mother tell us all about our wedding?”
“She will be.” Ellie agreed and then sighed. “Yes, yes we do.” She knew their window of sneaking him in wasn’t going to be long, and they’d be bombarded with family and wedding plans the moment they walked out the door. “First though.” She paused to kiss him thoroughly, enjoying what she’d been missing over the last few days before pulling away to catch her breath. “Ok now, now we go.”
“Back to that later,” he said, standing up and taking her hands. “so let’s go face the insanity, shall we?”
Ellie nodded and stood up. “Let’s go.” She kissed him once more and led the way out the door.