Chapter Text
Amelia looked out her kitchen window again, biting her lip at the unseasonal snow. Unseasonal for the Willamette Valley anyway, to be getting snow as late as early February. She glanced down at her phone, but no text indicating Meghan was canceling on her. Of course she’d understand if she wouldn’t want to drag Riya and Angelina all the way out here, but- but.
Meghan and Amelia had a tradition, you see, and it would break Amelia’s heart if they were forced to break it.
Hands slid around her waist, and she glanced up at Eli. “Hi, honey.”
He kissed the crown of her head. “No news?”
Amelia sighed. “Just that Chris was going to plow the farm roads for them, but that doesn’t even cover all the roads between here and the farm. And people are so stupid in the snow. I don’t want them to get hurt.”
“Tell you what,” Eli murmured as he rocked her in his arms. “If Meghan has to cancel, I’ll do it with you.” Amelia snorted, and Eli pretended to look hurt. “What?’
“Baby, you can just be, um. A little precise. Today’s not about having the right formula or pattern. It’s about- it’s about sisterhood and glitter and tea and happiness.”
“Hmm. Just because I took way longer to fold our invitations than you did-”
“You had to be so precise! Oh my god, I almost called off the wedding.” She smiled up at him, winking.
He turned her in his arms and kissed her. “Okay, well, I’ll stick to my woodshop today, and it’s preciseness, and let you pass your wonderful hand with the arts and crafts down to the kids.”
She reached up to cup his face. “See, now you’re talking sensibly.” She rested her cheek against his chest, feeling him stroke over her ponytail. “Thanks, though, Eli. Seriously. I love you.”
“Love you, too,” Eli murmured.
----------------------
Amelia had been five when the tradition started. Meghan had just come to stay with them, still nursing her broken arm, and she was quiet, and liked to keep to herself a lot.
Amelia had learned about Valentine’s Day at preschool. About how it was a day with lots of pink and hearts and chocolate, but also a day that you gave Valentines to your friends, and your family, and the people you loved. Amelia had gone immediately into a tizzy of making Valentines at her desk, forgoing even play time to finish everything. In the end, she had one for Daddy-Finn, and Daddy-Poe, and Snap, and Nanalay, and Nan, and Elisa, and everyone in class, and-
She bit her lip as she knocked on Meghan’s door. Her daddies had told her that Meghan needed rest and quiet. Amelia could understand that, like when she was sick. But Meghan had told her a funny joke at dinner last night, and- and- and hope burned bright in her heart that Meghan was going to be the perfect sister Amelia had longed for, once she felt better.
She heard shuffling, then the door opened, and Amelia flushed. “Hi, um. So in class we learned about Valentines and then we made Valentines for everyone we loved so I made one for Daddy and Daddy and Snap and Leia and Anne and-” Amelia ran out of breath. “And this one is for you.”
Meghan looked down at the paper Amelia had thrust in front of her. It was a crudely cut heart, covered in enough glitter and lace that it was sagging a bit in Amelia’s hands. “You made this for me?” she whispered, touched, her eyes tearing up a bit.
“Yeah, see, it says to Meghan, right there.” Amelia tapped the Valentine, and a shower of glitter fell onto the hardwood. “Oops.”
Meghan wiped at her eyes and drew Amelia into a one-armed hug. “Ames, this is so sweet. Thank you. Thank you so much. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Ames. Amelia’s heart warmed at the nickname. A new one, not sweet pea or nugget like her daddies called her. This was one just for Meghan to use. “Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you.” She squeezed Meghan’s knees.
Meghan let out a choked sob. “I love it. I love it, Amelia. I’m, um-” She broke away, walking back into her room, to the pinboard Finn and Poe had gotten for her. “I’m going to put it right here,” she murmured, pinning it right in the middle.
“Amelia! Time to test!” Finn called from downstairs.
“That means it’s almost dinner time,” Amelia said with a smile, turning back to the door.
“I’ll be right there. Just need to finish something up.”
When Amelia left, Meghan sat at her desk and began to draw furiously, tongue stuck between her lips. When Finn and Poe called her, she held the drawing out, then nodded, satisfied enough. She raced down the stairs, sitting by Amelia at the table.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” she murmured, passing Amelia the drawing.
Amelia’s eyes went wide. “It’s Buli! It looks just like Buli! Oh my goodness, Meghan, thank you.” She clutched the drawing to her chest and beamed up at Meghan.
Meghan couldn’t resist reaching over to fluff her hair. “I love you, Ames.”
From that year on, Meghan and Amelia had not only exchanged handmade Valentines, but Meghan had helped Amelia make them every year for everyone else, too. They’d find a Saturday in January or February and spend the whole day together, making them. The second year, Anne had learned of the little tradition and had volunteered to make it into a ladies’ tea and art day. She planned for days and made little sandwiches and cookies and completely took over the kitchen at the main house. It was a huge hit with the girls, and the next year, she started planning in November.
And so it went, the Smith-Dameron Ladies’ Tea, until Meghan went to college, and Amelia worried herself sick thinking the tradition of the last five years was going to be broken. She held it within herself, but everyone in the family kept commenting about how down she seemed. Then, one Friday afternoon, as she trudged from the bus stop home with Caleb, she’d spotted Meghan’s car in the driveway. She raced inside, and there was Meghan, setting out their Valentine supplies while she chatted with Daddy-Poe.
Amelia had rushed to her, throwing her arms around her torso and sobbing into her chest. It had taken the concentrated efforts of Poe, Meghan, and Caleb to get Amelia to confess to what had been making her so depressed lately.
The next day, Anne came over, and they had their day as usual, and the tradition was upheld.
Over the years, they’d only missed once or twice, but never more than once in a row. No one was willing to give up the day completely, even when Anne died, though the first Smith-Dameron Ladies Tea without her had been miserable. Amelia and Meghan had split Anne’s role between them, each responsible for making their favorite snacks for the day, or bringing new ones.
Amelia left Eli’s arms and checked the fridge. She’d had the day off, yesterday, and- “I might have gone a little overboard,” she murmured to Eli, looking at the plates of sandwiches and fruit and veggies and meat trays.
“I simply can’t understand why,” Eli whispered back, drawing a hand over her stomach.
Amelia blushed and looked up at him, then over at the kids. “Shhh, you.”
They weren’t telling anyone, yet. They were both still so scared after Amelia’s miscarriage, and rough pregnancy with Alex. They hadn’t even planned on having another- but life happened like that sometimes. They were scared, terrified, even, Eli had admitted the night after they’d confirmed the pregnancy with her gyno. So far, so good, but.
“If we have extra, I can take it to work on Monday,” Eli said, all nonchalance again.
Amelia was nodding when a strong knock sounded on the door, and she heard all the kids running to answer. “Let us, let us, guys. An adult. An adult needs to answer the door.” She huffed out the rule as she turned the corner to see the guilty look on their faces, but all their hands nicely down at their sides. “Thanks, guys.”
She pulled open the door, then immediately began to smile. “You made it!” She launched herself in Meghan’s arms as Riya and Angelina slipped past them and greeted the twins and Alex.
“Neither sleet nor snow could keep me from this, Ames,” Meghan said with a smile. “Plus Chris drove us in his truck and basically just scared everyone away from us.” She turned to wave at her husband in the driveway. “He’s going back to Caleb and Malik’s to hang with the boys and watch some ball game. Basketball, I think?” She shrugged, then brushed a kiss over Eli’s cheek. “He wanted to know if A) you wanted to join them and B) you wanted a lift.”
Eli looked at Amelia, and she grinned. “Well, now that you don’t have to fill in for Meghan, go for it, babe.”
Eli gave her a sweeping kiss. “Take care, I love you,” he whispered in her ear, grabbing his coat.
“Love you right back,” Amelia called, then leaned over to carry one of Meghan’s bags into the kitchen. “Shall we?” she asked, holding her arm out for Meghan.
“We shall,” Meghan replied, grinning wide and taking her arm.