Chapter Text
The drive home was playful and light. When they passed the spot in which Judy went pee on the way to Santa Barbara, Jen laughed and asked, “Need to go to the bathroom,” pointing out the window toward the bush. Judy lightly punched her in the arm and laughed along with her.
When Jen pulled up outside Lorna’s house, her playful mood quickly changed to anxious and standoffish. Judy hopped out of the car first, practically skipping to the front door, excited to see the boys. Jen rolled her eyes and jogged after her. She just wanted to get Henry and Charlie and get out of there fast.
Jen placed a protective hand on Judy’s lower back as the brunette rang the doorbell. They could hear Lorna’s shoes clicking against the floor as she approached the door. Jen groaned and Judy nudged her in the ribs, urging her to put on her best fake smile.
“Hi, Lorna,” they said in unison as Jen’s mother-in-law opened the large wooden door.
“Jennifer…” she greeted before turning her attention to the other woman. “Ms. Hale,” she added with as little enthusiasm as a person could possibly hold. In the year that Judy had become more than just a guest and an actual part of the Harding household, and their lives, Lorna still didn’t take to her.
Judy could feel Jen’s fingers on her back press harder against her and rub slow circles, a protective and reassuring move by the blonde.
But Judy was barely fazed by the eldest woman’s attitude.
“Well, I was beginning to wonder if the two of you would ever show up,” Lorna quipped. “I thought I was going to have to keep the boys. Continue giving them proper care.”
Jen set her jaw and locked her eyes straight ahead, but before she could get anything out, Judy came to her rescue.
“We appreciate you taking them for the weekend, Lorna. I’m sure they were well taken care of. But we’re here now and ready to take them home.”
‘Home.’ That was enough to snap Jen out of her angry state and mouth a ‘thank you’ to Judy as Lorna turned and headed back into the depths of her house, in search of Charlie and Henry.
Jen held Judy’s arm as the woman tried to follow Lorna, and vigorously shook her head, mouthing ‘no.’
“I will not allow you to step into hell. You may never come out,” Jen said.
Judy snickered but stayed on the porch with Jen, waiting for the boys, who thankfully quickly came bounding down the hallway and joined them outside. Henry crashed into Judy first, wrapping his little arms around the brunette.
“I missed you,” he said into her stomach.
Judy laughed and returned the enthusiasm. “I missed you too.”
Charlie stood back a little, attempting to dodge any affection that the women would try to give him. But it was no use as Jen reached out and pulled him to her chest.
“Missed you,” she said as she kissed his head.
He lazily returned the hug and smiled, “Missed you too.”
“You what?” She pulled back and feigned a shocked expression. “You missed us?”
He laughed and rolled his eyes.
“Yes, now please get us out of here. Grandma kept smothering us all weekend.”
Jen turned her head to look at Judy as Henry finally peeled himself from her and smiled softly.
“Let’s go home,” Jen said.
The boys raced off to the car with the two women close at their heels, not wanting to spend another moment with Ted’s mother.
On the drive home, Henry chatted happily about the weekend and asked the women question after question about their trip, which Judy happily answered every one.
At one point, Jen reached over to lace her fingers with Judy’s. Henry didn’t notice the movement. Or maybe he did and just didn’t think anything of it. But Charlie did notice and smiled slyly to himself. ‘It’s about damn time,’ he thought.
They pulled into the garage, Jen releasing Judy’s fingers to cut the engine while the boys quickly made their exit toward the house. Charlie stopped and turned, noticing the women weren’t following. Slowly he made his way back to the car and spoke through the open driver’s side window.
Furrowing his brows he asked, “Are you guys coming?”
Jen studied her son and wondered when he got to be so grown. She reached out and ran her hand along his cheek, for once he didn’t pull away.
“We’ll be there in a minute.”
Charlie looked between the two women in front of him and nodded before stepping out of his mother's touch and entering the house.
Judy placed her hand on Jen’s thigh, prompting the blonde to look at her. There were tears brimming her eyes.
“You know that when we cross through the threshold things will be different,” Jen whispered, afraid that speaking too loud would break the moment.
Judy nodded as tears of her own threatened to spill.
They had already discussed their being together before they had left for home. But now being home, back with their boys and the other people in their lives, there was more to face. It wasn’t just the two of them and their little bubble of love from the weekend was expanding. Things were becoming real.
“Scared?” Judy asked softly.
“A little. You?”
“A little.”
Judy watched the emotions in Jen’s eyes swirl like a tidal wave. Part of her feared Jen was going to take everything back from the weekend and say they shouldn’t be together. She worried that Jen’s anxieties about their future would outweigh her love. All doubts about their relationship were erased when Jen leaned toward Judy and took her chin in her hand.
“I promise,” she whispered against the brunette’s lips before bringing her own to Judy's.
They climbed out of the car, unloaded their bags and entered the home to find Charlie standing in the hallway. Judy passed by with a smile and a rub of his arm before leaving mother and son alone.
Charlie looked at Jen questioningly, but with a smile on his face. Jen winked at him in return.
“I’m happy for you, mom,” he said with sincerity.
Jen felt her heart swell in her chest at her son’t words. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and steered them in the direction of the other two members of the house.
Charlie joined Henry and Judy at the kitchen counter as Jen hung back and watched the scene before her.
When she was with Ted, she never felt like she would be happy again. Their marriage wasn’t great and if she were being honest with herself, she had been unhappy for a long time. After he died, she only felt worse. But then Judy came along and she had felt the happiest she ever had. And despite the rocky parts of their relationship, Judy was Jen’s happiness.
The brunette looked up and noticed Jen watching the three of them. She left the boys at the counter, distracted by some video on Charlie’s laptop, to join Jen.
“Hi,” she said, approaching the blonde slowly.
Jen pulled Judy to her, resting her head on top of the brunette locks beneath her chin, wrapping her in a hug and rubbing her hands along her back.
‘This was it,’ Judy thought. ‘This is what it felt like to be truly happy.’
Judy had never felt the type of love that she felt for Jen and the boys. It was overwhelming, but everything she had been searching for.
“I love you,” she heard from above her.
This was family. This was love.
She pressed her cheek harder against Jen’s chest and let out the most content sigh Jen had ever heard.
“I love you too.”