Emily's POV

I hear Jake sneak into our room when the sun is beginning to rise. He slips off his shirt before crawling into bed beside me. I'm half asleep but I feel his arms wrap around me as he pulls me into his chest. The tension from earlier seems to have disappeared from him, possibly due to his exhaustion. He's been out most of the night. He breathes me in before his body relaxes against mine. Within minutes, he's fast asleep.

Within a few hours, I'm woken to the sound of our bedroom door creaking open. I force open one eye despite my body screaming at me to continue sleeping. Sunlight streams in through the windows and I notice Tobias popping his head round the bedroom door with caution. Ivory is standing behind him and they're both wearing Santa hats. Tobias grins at me before pressing a button. His hat begins to flash with red and green colors and I stifle a laugh. Jake is sleeping soundly beside me, completely unaware of the Christmas cheer he's about to endure from his cousins.

"Merry Christmas!" Ivory and Tobias scream at the same time.

Jake's eyes spring open and he bolts upright in bed due the sudden intrusion. His eyes frantically dart around the room before they land on Ivory and Tobias. He lies down and glares at them before tossing a pillow in their direction.

"You're both adults!" Jake yells before slapping a hand over his eyes to shield the light. I giggle as Ivory tosses a Santa hat into my lap. I place it over my head before gently nudging Jake in his ribs. He groans and turns his head before opening one eye.

"Merry Christmas," I whisper down to him with a small smile on my face.

The aura between us is heavy with all of the conversations we need to have, but I'd rather avoid it for today. Jake's blue eyes linger on my face and he appears to be thinking the same. His features soften and he reaches for my hand before pressing a kiss on the back of it.

"Merry Christmas, beautiful."

My heart fills with warmth. It isn't exactly how I planned our Christmas morning, but I've learnt to not have any expectations when it comes to my life. It's one giant roller coaster but at least I have Jake sitting next to me. Tobias tosses a Santa hat at Jake and he's met with a fierce glare.

"There is no way I'm wearing that," Jake mumbles. Tobias rolls his eyes before dropping down in Jake's bean bag. Ivory walks over to take a seat next to him.

"We've had a rough couple of months. It hasn't been easy but we all have each other. Isn't that what matters? I thought we could use today to celebrate family," Tobias says quietly while looking around the room.

I gently squeeze Jake's hand with encouragement and he releases a soft sigh.

"Fine, but nobody is allowed to take a picture of me wearing this. I'll never live it down," Jake says with playful frustration. Ivory, Tobias and I watch as he slowly reaches for the Santa hat before placing it on top of his head. Ivory cheers and Tobias cracks a smile in response. My lips curl up into a grin and I lean forward to press my lips against the faint stubble on his sharp jawline.

"You're the most handsome Santa I've ever seen," I tell him. Ivory holds up her phone to snap a picture of Jake and I despite his request not to be photographed.

"Say Merry Christmas, you two lovebirds!"

I expect Jake to shy away from the camera but he swings one arm around my shoulder, pulls me into his chest and gives the camera his signature irresistible smile. Despite my pregnancy news, it's difficult for me not to feel joy when the people around me are filled with so much of it.

*

Christmas day in the Melvin household consists of opening presents followed by an elaborate Christmas Dinner. Jake's Mom and Tobias' Mom cook all morning to prepare for the mammoth feast ahead. The dining table is decorated in Christmas colors, fit to seat a member of the Royal family. Aunt Myra's best china from all of her travels around the world comes out for one meal only. Everybody is required to dress up and I'm embracing the tradition fully to immerse myself among the people I consider family. They took me in when I needed them the most, and I was a stranger to them at the time. They didn't have to show me kindness and grace. I'll never be able to repay them for their generosity and saving my life. The scent of warm Turkey and fresh-cut herbs floats up the stairs. I'd offered to help with the cooking but the two Mom's insisted I spend the day with Jake and relax as much as possible. Their Christmas Dinner routine in the kitchen seemed military like, beside the copious amounts of red wine flowing through their glasses.

I finish curling my hair in soft waves before I slip into a traditional red dress that hugs the curves of my body. My eyes linger on my stomach and I breathe in sharply as I place a hand over it. How long until I begin to show signs of being pregnant? I knew I was gaining weight, but I simply put it down to being away from Trevor and Mom...plus all of the triple cheese pizza we ordered religiously every weekend. There's a soft knock on the bedroom door before Jake enters. He's wearing a navy suit that fits him like a glove. It shows off his hard work in the gym and I pause to soak in the image of him. Jake Melvin on a regular day is a lot to handle, but Jake Melvin in a suit? Lock me up in a room with him and throw away the key.

He's looking down with frustration as he attempts to button up his crisp white shirt.

"Hey, Wentworth? Can you help me – " He stops talking when he lifts his head to look at me. A blush immediately crawls up my neck and cheeks when his eyes grow wide and he stops to admire me. It seems like I have the same effect on him as he does on me.

"Wow," he breathes out in awe. His ocean blue eyes slowly travel up my body before flashing with heat. When his eyes meet my face, a slow smile spreads over his lips. He looks at me with a twinkle in his eyes, but it's followed with a look of adoration.

"You look beautiful," Jake says quietly before slipping an arm around my waist. I giggle as he pulls me toward him in one swift motion.

"Thank you," I say before tilting my head back to get a good look at him. His dark hair is neatly styled and he looks exceptionally good wearing a suit. Jake leans down to nestle his head against my neck. I feel him inhale a sharp breath and he releases a low sexy groan.

"Goddamn, you smell good. I'm one lucky man," he murmurs down my ear before planting a slow trail of kisses up my neck. My eyes close and butterflies explode in my stomach. Jake's hands roam over my waist before moving around to my stomach. As soon as his hands greet my stomach, I stiffen against him and pull away. I want to enjoy the day but the pregnancy feels impossible to ignore. How can I forget about something so life-changing?

"Emily," Jake says quietly before pulling me toward him. I lift my gaze to lock eyes with him. I expect him to look equally as panicked as I feel but to my surprise, he's as calm and collected as ever. His hand finds its way back to my stomach and I suck in a sharp breath when he rests it against me.

"We're good, sweetheart. You hear me?" Jake says while searching my eyes. I'm too choked up with emotion to respond so I nod my head instead.

"Do you want to talk now or later?" Jake asks me. He'd respected my decision to push aside the pregnancy and focus on Christmas Day instead.

"Let's talk later. If I cry, I'll ruin my makeup and I want to make a good impression at Christmas Dinner."

"A good impression for who? My family loves you," Jake tells me with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Aunt Myra teases me relentlessly that you're too good for me. She's been Team Emily from the start." I release a light laugh and feel my heart fill with warmth at the news.

Tobias and Ivory's Mom, Aunt Myra, is a woman with a heart twice its regular size. She has plenty of love to give and I'm blessed to be on the receiving end of it.

"They invited my Pops round for Christmas Dinner. Isn't that exciting?"

Jake's eyes flash with a subtle hint of panic. "Yeah, exciting. It'll be good to see him," he says warily. His eyes briefly flicker down to my stomach and I follow his gaze before biting down on my lip. Anxiety bubbles away in the pit of my chest.

"We're not telling him about the pregnancy yet, right? Because –"

"He'll kill me with his bare hands? Yeah, we're definitely not telling him," Jake finishes off the sentence with a wince.

Since leaving home, my Pops has become fiercely protective of me. He likes Jake, but he doesn't love him yet. I figured he needs time to see what I see in Jake. I don't think anyone will ever be good enough for me in his eyes. I can't fathom telling him about the pregnancy. I know he'll be furious and I can't bear the idea of him being angry at me. He's the only family member I have left whose opinion I value. I don't know when I'll tell him about the news, but it definitely won't be today. I need to talk through everything with Jake first before we start telling people about the unexpected child we're having when we're barely into adulthood ourselves.

"Things are going to be okay, right?" I question Jake with a hint of worry lining my voice. I reach up to finish buttoning his shirt for him. His blue eyes linger on my face and he eventually nods before slipping a hand through mine. He guides me toward the exit of the room to head downstairs.

"Everything is going to be fine. Remember what I said about riding the storm? We can do anything as long as we're together."