The Own Goal ✔️

Part 23

Christmas day 2018

It's 5am, I'm not sure what's woken me. Jack's parents house is quite old, there's been lots of creaking through the night, strange sounds from the heating. Obviously familiar sounds to Jack who was asleep as soon as he got into bed.

The double bed of Jack's childhood room is also not the comfiest, and I try not to think of how much action it might have seen.

I do however feel incredibly welcome in this house.
Jack's mum embraced me like a long lost relative when she saw me.
Jack's dad was just as welcoming.
His sisters were both lovely and were obsessed with asking all about the baby and wanting to feel her move. Jack's brother had tried his best to embarrass Jack by telling me stories of their childhood, he failed miserably though as I just found the stories of naughty little Jack cute.

By the time we had gone to bed I felt fully accepted into the Grealish clan, and it's comforting to know that whatever happens between me and Jack, our baby has a ready made family of grandparents and aunts and uncle who already seem to love her.

I lay awake listening to noises, Jack is breathing soundly next to me, I can definitely hear noises in the kitchen below.

I take a guess that it must be Jack's mum up early preparing dinner and knowing I'm not going to sleep anymore I sneak out of bed and pad quietly down to the kitchen.

Karen Grealish greets me with a warm smile "morning pet, sorry did I wake you?"

"No" I lie "I didn't sleep too well, different house and that......can I help?" I look around at the veg she's peeling.

"Well I'm not going to refuse any offer of help" she passes me a potato peeler and goes over to the kettle.

"Tea?" She asks
I nod and pick up a potato.

"Hollie will have everyone up by 6" she smiles, "but it's not a bad thing, we'll eat at 1, we can't go too mad when Jacks got a game tomorrow, especially with no training. We have our Christmas dinner and all the trimmings today, but the naughty stuff, that's all saved for tomorrow after the game, you are coming? Jack said you were staying for a few days?"

I nod, we'd talked about me staying with him until New year.

She smiles and I feel so at home. 

Suddenly the door opens behind me and Jack walks in, looking all sleepy and disheveled.

"Blimey not like you to be up before the girls" Karen remarks at the sight of him.

"Didn't know where ya were" he says to me.

"Jack, she slept terrible in that bed, take her back to yours tonight. We'll do tomorrow at your house, you can have a drink after your game then, you can take most of the food with you tonight, I'll sort it all at yours, but you can't expect Chelsea to stay another night in that old bed of yours"

Jack smiles and nods and I get the impression that you don't argue with Jack's mum, but the idea of a more comfy bed is appealing.

Suddenly there's a thunderous noise above our heads "that'll be Hollie looking for us" Jack tells me. Karen disapears telling us she's going to turn the tree lights on.

Jack sneaks up behind me "I'm gutted ya wherent there when I woke up, I was hopin' to empty me sack"

***

I'm sitting on the sofa in the Grealish's front room, which is dominated by their huge real Christmas tree. Karen is next to me.

Jack has plonked himself on the floor between my legs. 

Kevan and Kiera are on the opposite sofa and Hollie is excitedly turning over labels on lavishly wrapped gifts.

Kevin Jacks dad walks in with a large tray of bucks fizz "wasn't sure if ya'd prefer orange juice or tea love, so I did ya both" he says to me. He puts the tray down and plonks himself on the sofa between his oldest son and oldest daughter.

"Can I start?" Asks Hollie who looks fit to burst.

"Yes stockings first" nods Karen.

Hollie roots around behind the tree, the tree is so large it's obscured half of the fire place and I had failed to notice 6 stockings. They are all red and identical apart from one which is a baby pink. Hollie checks the tags and hands out the stockings to her siblings, she passes one to me and I look at Karen "everyone gets a stocking" she smiles.

Hollie passes the pink one to Jack "it's for baby" she tells him, looking at me shyly.

Kevan and Kiera are already half way through opening their stockings and Hollie and Jack immediately start on theirs "come on" Jack grins at me tearing the paper from a small parcel.

The stockings are full of chocolate oranges, bath products and socks. I've got slippers "save them for the hospital" Karen tells me, Hollie and Kiera an assortment of make up and pamper products, Kevan has golf balls and Jack opens a pack of hair bands laughing.

Jack spins round to me holding the pink stocking and we take turns to unwrap the little presents. The stocking is full of little hats, boots, vests and soft toys.

"How old will baby be next Christmas?" Asks kevan.

"9 months" replys Jack, as quick as a flash and I a bit taken back that he's thought about it already.

"Yup about the right age to be wanting to eat the wrapping paper!" Laughs Kevin, look at you lot, ya like a bunch of toddlers!" He gestures at the way the room has already disappeared under a mountain of wrapping paper and bows.

The present opening continues and theres obviously a theme between the siblings of buying joke presents and they are soon all engaged in a game of basketball with the hoops being hats on their heads.

Although, when Jack pulls out the presents from him, his siblings and parents are extremely grateful for his thoughtful gifts and as they open new phones and jewelry I get a pang of emotion as yet another layer of Jack is exposed to me.

Finally he hands me a small beautifully wrapped box.

I open it carefully and reveal a delicate rose gold and diamond van cleef bracelet. "Pink for our girl" Jack tells me as he places it on my wrist.

I blink back tears as I humbly thank him, it's probably worth more than my car and I calculate that he's probably spent at least £4000 more on me than I have him. It's beautiful and the thought of him going into the shop and looking for something pink touches me deeply.

I feebly hand him my gift. It's obviously clothing from the way it flops in his hands.

I hold my breath as I see the flicker of confusion cross his face when he realises he is opening an Aston Villa shirt.
Until he holds it up, and sees the word 'Daddy' above his number 10

His face breaks into a huge beaming grin. "It's perfect that is"