Stand In The Rain

Forty Four

JJ left the House Of Hotchner in a very pleasant mood and armed both with leftovers for Emily and ideas on how to propose to her. When she returned to the Prentiss House, she was quite surprised to see that she and Elizabeth were the only ones home.

"Where did Max and Emily go?" she asked when Elizabeth sat with her in the living room after putting the leftovers away for her.

"Max took Emelia out to dinner about an hour after you left. He wanted to cheer her up."

"The hiccups got worse, didn't they?"

"She hiccuped when I carried her, but not this frequently at all. " Elizabeth smiled at her. "But it's just as well that it's you and I."

JJ arched an eyebrow. "Is it?"

"Because I have something important to show you, Jennifer."

Heart hammering because Elizabeth almost never called her by her actual name, JJ watched as the older woman plucked a small black box off the coffee table and hand it to her.

"Open it." Elizabeth said softly.

JJ opened the box to a very beautiful diamond engagement ring.

She looked back at her companion. "This ring is beautiful!"

"Thank you." Elizabeth smiled fondly. "It belonged to my mother, and she gave it to Maximo."

"And this is the ring he proposed to you with?"

"Uh-huh, and we decided, after Emelia was born, to save it for the person she marries, and that's you, my dear. Did you know that you're the only person whom she has ever brought to home to meet Max and I?"

Ring box in hand, JJ shook her head, suddenly feeling very dazed. "I had no idea."

Elizabeth closed the box and then closed JJ's fingers over it. "You and Emelia save that ring, alright? You save it for whomever comes asking first to marry one of your children, but first make sure that that person is your offspring's soulmate."

"Emelia is mine..."

Elizabeth's heart swelled with affection. Oh, how she loved JJ like she was her own.

"And I'll always be so glad and thankful that you two found each other, even though you weren't even trying to. Some of the best surprises in life come that way."

"I—oh, come on! Really, you two? Please calm down for mommy!"

Not at all thrilled with how quiet things were, Alexis and Olivia decided to make things exciting again by kicking their mother.

"They really don't like when things are too quiet." JJ blew out a breath as she leaned back against the couch cushions. "They're very quiet at work, and just now at Haley's, they were fast asleep. It's like they've gotten jumpier ever since we gave them their names."

Elizabeth immediately perked up. "Are you and Emelia sharing yet? I would love to know so I can make them each something."

JJ glided her hands over bump, framing it. "Alexis and Olivia are in here."

"Two baby girls?"

"Mhm, and they're identical, so we're going to have a hell of a time telling them apart."

Expecting JJ to tell her the name of a third granddaughter, Elizabeth asked, "Who does Emelia have in her belly?"

"Sweet baby Henry."