December 24th, 1893 - Potts Christmas Party

This time last year, Quin was the interloper about to attempt to join the Potts family. It seemed with another year, another Potts girl would be married and though Quin had been hedging his bet on Miss Daffodil and Elias, he hadn't been aware that Miss Zinnia was involved with Chief Gallagher at all. There was an air of tension hovering around the party that he couldn't quite put his finger on, either. Gallagher looked as out of place as Quin had felt last year, and so he'd done his best the chat with the other man, but between cocoa and now being a very involved member of the family, he'd been helping in the kitchen and making sure things were running smoothly. Merlin he hoped things would continue this way.

He'd hardly had a minute to catch Dahlia alone, knowing that tonight would be their first Christmas married and he was very much looking forward to going home already so they could enjoy the evening together, just the two of them. It was funny how generally easy their marriage seemed to come. It wasn't without bumps and hiccups as they were still somewhat adjusting to sharing a space, but so far, he thought things were going well. The shop had never been so organized, to boot.

Quin had spiked his cocoa with a little bit of rum and excused himself into the quieter kitchen for a few moments. The cook was off making sure the table was all ready and dinner would soon be set to go and he could take a breather in the abandoned kitchen for a few. "Mrs. Honeyduke," he teased as Dahlia made her way in shortly after him. He was leaning against the counter trying to find some energy to go back out there.

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Dahlia Honeyduke

  

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Like many Christmas Eve parties before Dahlia allowed herself to be washed away in the mirth and chatter of the day, reveling in her sisters, her cousins, their friends. She had watched Quin weaving through their family with food and treats, chatting here and there. She felt pride in having him there, so intricately woven into this tapestry of her life. He was hers and she was his. That alone was enough to make her Christmas absolutely perfect.

She watched from her place conversing with Ama as Quin slipped through the door to the kitchen, quietly excusing herself from her sister and heading for the kitchen. The sound of her name on his lips had her smiling. "Mr. Honeyduke." She greeted him, coming up to him and standing on tiptoe to place a kiss on his lips. "If I didn't know better I'd think you were hiding." She teased, but a small part of her wondered if that were exactly what he was doing. He did tend to get a tad overwhelmed at such large events as these she had noticed during the first months of their marriage.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3

"Just catching my breath," he chuckled after she kissed him. He still wasn't quite used to such large gatherings. The immediate Potts family was already twice the size of his, let along adding in all of the cousins and spouses and children. He would get used to it eventually, it would just take a little time.

He took a sip of his cocoa, watching her over the rim of the mug. "Feels like more people get added every year." He had the sneaking suspicion that there would be more than one Potts wedding this year and eventually with it would come children and he was starting to wonder if this house was even big enough to host them all. At some point they might need to rent the ballroom downtown just to get everybody to fit! That was a thought. "You saw, everything with my family is quiet and it's just the few of us." They had gone the previous weekend to see his parents and sister to celebrate a little early, considering they knew this was coming and he'd wanted, as he suspected Dahlia did too, to be home on Christmas, at least for a little while.

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It was easier to believe Quin, to joke and feel sympathetic, rather than worried, now that they were married. There wasn't the worry this year amid the crowd, that her family would scare him away. That he wouldn't take one look at the chaos and decide that she wasn't worth it. This year she knew he was trying to find his way in the chaos, that he was tethered to her forevermore, and it helped her to relax, to embrace it, to simply enjoy the beauty of their life.

Quin did have a point though, and perhaps a more apt one than he'd expected. A mischievous look glinted in her eye, she stole his mug to keep her hands from straying and took a sip of the cocoa before quipping back. A sputter escaped her lips at the sharp bite to the cocoa and she had to bite back a gag. "W-what did you do to it?" She sputtered, wide-eyed.

Shaking her head slightly, as if to clear her thoughts, Dahlia looked back up at him. "It's definitely an adjustment." Spending last weekend with his family had really explained a lot. It had been a quiet affair, devoid of the chaos of nieces and nephews and younger siblings. Much quieter. Much different. And in her own way she had felt out of place there, but they had all been so happy, so open, that in the end Dahlia had found there was a certain amount of charm and beauty to the quiet and simplicity as there was to the congregation of Potts' outside the doors of the kitchen.

"But you are right. There are more people every year." In more ways than Quin could imagine, Dahlia was quite certain. Trying to hide her smirk she turned and tried to busy herself tidying up the counter next to them. She hadn't meant to tell him tonight.... but maybe, maybe she would after all. It wasn't what she had imagined, and yet so much of what made them them was the unexpected, the fact that it was never as she imagined.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3

Quin couldn't even protest as she stole his cocoa. Clearly she wasn't anticipating the addition he'd made and he laughed as went to steal it back. "I added rum, I needed a little something extra." He didn't even think it was that strong, but she probably wasn't used to it.

She was skirting around the subject at hand and he watched her, one eyebrow quirked. He took another sip of his cocoa as she started cleaning the counter. The two of them were always cleaning counters it seemed, no matter where they were. He laid one arm right in the middle of where she was trying to tidy up. "More weddings and I'm sure children eventually." One of her older sisters was already pregnant with another, Quin thought with Zinnia getting married soon and likely Daffodil, it was only a matter of time until the next generation was taking over.

Quin set his cocoa down after finishing it off. "I'm sure your mother will love it," Mrs. Potts was the definition of "the more the merrier" after all.

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Dahlia blanched. She'd never had rum, but the smell and the taste was almost overwhelming at the moment. Hadn't she tried something with it in one of Quin's treats this summer? It hadn't tasted like that though. "Well it ruins perfectly good cocoa." She pouted with a shake of her head.

"Quin." Dahlia whined as he put his arm in the way of the rag in her hand. He knew perfectly well that she wanted to clean right where his arm now was. But it also forced her to look at him. Did he know? He had to know with a comment like that. Her cheeks grew warm. She had thought she'd done such a good job keeping it a secret, perhaps she hadn't. She considered his words for a moment, perhaps he didn't actually know. Perhaps he was just trying to sus out what was going on with her sisters? He'd said eventually, he couldn't know. Could he?

"Weddings, yes." She nodded, and then met his eyes. "And children." She was overly warm now, but she didn't let her eyes stray, didn't think about how this wasn't how she'd meant to tell him. But well... no time like the present, right?

  

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Pretties by Bee <3

Quin just shrugged, he liked adding in rum or whiskey for the kick. He wasn't surprised that she didn't like it though. Dahlia was more of a fruity wine sort of girl, at least he thought so? Honestly he hadn't paid attention to it. "Stop cleaning, I'll do it later." He teased, knowing that was the best and easiest way to stay in his mother-in-law's good graces. Certainly it didn't take much these days, considering Gallagher's current position as incoming least favorite. Quin was not about to judge that situation, knowing how mildly terrifying Laurel Potts could be. All in the name of her daughters best interests though, so he supposed he could see both sides.

Meeting her gaze curiously, he noticed the flush on her cheeks and the tone in which she spoke. "Are you feeling alright?" He questioned, reaching out gently to put a hand to her cheek. She didn't feel warm, maybe it was just the warmth of the room and the buzz of the evening.

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"You already do too much cleaning." Dahlia wasn't going to give up her excuse now, but there was also the fact that Quin did actually do a lot of cleaning. It came with the profession, she knew that, but there were still times that as his wife she found it odd that he seemed to clean up more than she did. Not to mention that this wasn't even his - their kitchen.

His concern made her pause and she turned to look at him, leaning into his caress. "I'm alright." She admitted. Then met his gaze, allowing the grin she had tried to hide to escape over her lips. She may not have planned it this way, but she wasn't going to be able to keep her secret under further inquiries. "Great actually." Her hands fluttered down to her stomach, nothing even remotely showing yet, but still the knowledge that a child nestled under her stays filled her with so much love.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3

Cleaning was meditative to him. Quin did it without thinking, it was just second nature. He made a lot of messes, so naturally he cleaned a lot of them up, especially in the kitchen.

Still, he wasn't following Dahlia's lead in this conversation, but that grin had him quirking another eyebrow at her. He settled his hip against the counter, letting his hand trail down her arm and around her back. "What is with you?" Quin was pretty oblivious, but over the course of their short marriage, he thought he'd gotten pretty good at reading her. Living with someone was an experience and he thought he was getting the hang of it and her.

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That....was not the reaction she had expected. Dahlia's head tilted to the side slightly as he pulled her in close. "{b]I'm surrounded by family. It's Christmas. Zinnia's getting married.[/b]" Dahlia listed with a laugh. "Perhaps it's all the happiness." She found herself suggesting, looking up at him with bright eyes. "Or..." There was an impish smile on her lips now, "Perhaps it's something else entirely." As much as she loathed to leave his arms, she sashayed from them now, turning her back on him and then looking over her shoulder. at him with a grin as she went to pick up another tray. If he hadn't guessed it with such an obvious suggestion there was no way she was going to tell him so easily now.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3

Amused as she sauntered away, Quin leaned back against the counter again, both hands wrapped around the edge as he watched her. He had no idea what she was going on about, but he supposed it was all a reason to be in a good mood. He was glad that Dahlia at least, was happy for her sister, even if the whole thing was a little suspicious.

"Well, when you're ready, do share." He chuckled. He truthfully had no idea what she was going on about and he wasn't smart enough to figure it out either. "I'm glad you're happy though." Marriage was a whirlwind and he had no idea that someone else's happiness would become so important, but he was glad she was excited about whatever this was.

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"You don't want to guess?" She teased over her shoulder coming to a stop at the dining table. All manner of food was arrayed on it, ready to be taken out to the party beyond. There was likely more than even this crowd could eat, but between mother's worries, cook's planning, and Dahlia and Quin's love of making food, she supposed it made since there was so much.

She could just envision a child standing beside her making cookies one day, their fingers covered in flour as they helped her knead bread or roll out pie crust. It was strange, this new assurance of memories to come, no longer a daydream but a promise. She smiled softly to herself as she began to put more cookies on a platter to go out to the sitting room.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3

"I'm sure I won't be able to, you should have learned by now, I'm not very bright." Slightly unhinged in the kitchen, and certainly creative, but he had never been accused of being all that smart. "Smartest thing I ever did was to marry you." Maybe if he buttered her up, she'd just tell him. He really was a bit of an idiot and whatever it was she had on her mind wasn't something he was going to be able to figure out.

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She huffed out a laugh, "You're smarter then you give yourself credit." She told him as she arranged cookies on the platter and placed in on the tray before turning to him.

For a moment Dahlia considered her options, considered how she wanted to handle this conversation. Part of her ached to explain Zinnia's sudden engagement, but she'd promised her sister she would tell no one, but Quin was her husband and she wanted to tell him everything. But when one of her sister's trusted her, well Dahlia knew better than to spill their secrets. The rest of her ached to spill her secret to Quin. To let him know the true reason for her happiness and mirth this evening.

"I think," Dahlia started, arranging her features to appear thoughtful rather than the playful cheeriness she had placed on them before, "That there will definitely be more people here next year." She told him meeting his gaze. "Specially, more children."

  

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Pretties by Bee <3

Quin could only shrug. "I think you overestimate my abilities." He watched her with the cookies, processing her words. "Well of course, isn't your sister, Senna, expecting?" There were seven sisters and almost half of them were married, it made sense that there would be more next year. Plus with Zinnia getting married and maybe Miss Daffodil, there could likely be even more than that. Who knew, maybe Thistle would ensnare a bachelor for herself.

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How had he still managed to miss her drift? "Yes." Dahlia agreed, stepping closer, near enough to step back into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. A thrill of excitement raced up her spine. "And I am as well."

There, she had gotten the words out. She looked up at his face her mirth dissolving into a shy smile, waiting for Quin to process her news.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3