A favorite Scene…

Mike and Jade’s interview is coming tonight, but I have been thinking a lot about Julie’s relationship with Tommy and Jack for a lot of reasons. I adore writing the flashbacks, but some of the scenes in the novels that are present day also show how much of a family they have truly become.

This is one of my favorites right after Josie was born.

What are some of your favorite Julie-Jack-Tommy moments?

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“Would you guys like to hold Josie?” Julie asked.

Jack took the baby from her and held her to him. “She’s beautiful, Jules. You did good.” He watched as Josie held his finger and he felt his heart swell at pride. “Thank you both for always treating me like family.”

Tommy and Julie both looked at him. “What do you mean? You are family, Jack, you always have been,” Julie said. “You don’t need to have the same blood running through your veins to be family. We have the same heart, and that’s more important.”

Jack looked at her with watery eyes. “Well I’m proud to be in this family.” He handed Josie to Tommy who smiled at his niece, who was heavier than his own daughter.

Julie and Jack went to say something when Josie spit up on Tommy. Both adults began to laugh and Tommy rolled his eyes. “Very nice.”

“She has the best taste already,” Jack said and Tommy wiped Josie’s face gently.

“You just wait until your son is born and then he chases after this one. I’ll laugh when you have to contend with Bill,” Tommy smiled as Josie opened her eyes.

“I can handle Bill,” Jack said unconvincingly.

Julie smiled at them as Tommy handed Josie back to her. She looked at them with tears in her eyes and then both smiled. “I need to say something,” she said.

“Okay,” Jack said, concerned at her tears.

“Through everything that has happened in my life, through high school, prom and graduation, through college and marriage and babies, through my husbands injuries and my infamous attitude growing up, you both have been the constant in my life. I am able to be the woman I am because of how amazing you both have been. I was afraid of delivering the boys because I kind of felt like I didn’t know how to be the kind of mother that deserved to be so blessed. I thought that maybe if I had grown up with a mother, then I would have done better.” She looked at them as they tried to hold in their emotions.

“But it occurred to me that we all have something in common. Jack, you were able to find Stephanie when all hope seemed lost for both of you. She had been through something that closed her off from the world and because of your kindness and compassion and inability to leave when asked, she is one of the happiest and amazing women. She simply glows all the time and you are happier than I ever thought I would see. I have learned so much from you, Jack. You have helped me to believe in myself when I didn’t think I had any worth. You showed me how to be the best and how to never let anyone take me away from what I knew was right and true. You showed my it’s okay to care about the little things and above all else, you were there, present in my life.”

Jack wiped his eyes and shrugged at her words, speechless.

“And you, Thomas, it’s easy to see why you took so long to find love. Brittany was waiting for you to find her, not so you could rescue her, but so you could rescue each other. To watch you both together is like knowing mom and dad are smiling down on us. You deserve to be happy, maybe more than anyone I have ever known, with the exception of your wife. I have learned so much from you, Tommy, but the most important things are trust, loyalty and hope. You have been there from the moment of the crash and you have never missed a day since. I am so lucky to have a brother like you who was unselfish enough to make my life the best while yours was in pieces. I will never be able to repay you for what you gave me.”

She looked at them both and smiled. “I don’t need my mom or dad to help me because I have you two. There is nothing I can’t do and this latest hiccup will be a memory soon enough. I am going to be okay because that’s what we do. You both have showed me that. We just get through things because it’s what we do. I know that, I feel that and I love you both so much. Thank you for my life.”

“Well shit, Jules, what the hell was that?” Tommy wiped his eyes and they all began to laugh.

“You didn’t get your tact from him,” Jack said as he playfully smacked Tommy’s arm.

“Now both of you go home and get some sleep. I will be fine and I expect to go home in a few days,” Julie said.

Tommy and Jack looked at her with pride. She was amazing and they both knew that what she did for them far outweighed what she felt they did for her.