"You alright?" Jace asked the moment Sophie charged into the kitchen of her dad's house.
Not even taking a moment to say a word, she made her way over to him, lacing her hands up the sides of his face before pressing her lips to his. Slightly startled at the sudden impact, Jace soon began kissing her back, feeling the desperation in this yet not quite understanding where it was all coming from.
"I love you." Sophie muttered as they briefly pulled apart.
Wrapping his arms around her waist and urging her closer, he kissed her lips several times before pulling away.
"I love you too, but what's up?"
"Nothing." Sophie shook her head as though it was going to be believable.
"What's up?" Jace asked once again with raised eyebrows and a smile over his face, challenging her to try and beat him on this when he knew she'd fail.
Sighing, Sophie smiled back up at him while running her thumb over the stubble on his chin.
"I was just reminded of how lucky I am." Sophie began as she held his gaze, taking in the beauty of his eyes. "Being back in Brighton and seeing old faces just reminded me how much I hate it here. I love New York, I love my job, I love your family and I love you."
Jace began to laugh, finding her unapologetic honesty amusing.
"Can we please spend Christmas back home with your family? I don't want to do it here, it'll be weird without them."
"What? Seriously?"
Jace was incredibly taken back by the words falling from Sophie's lips. He was so confused to what had suddenly caused this change of heart however, it was very clear in Sophie's mind.
After speaking to Aaron and experiencing a reaction in herself she hadn't expected, she had then realised something. Coming back to Brighton had caused her to fall back into old habits she'd never wanted to.
Sophie had never got the closure before moving away from New York and therefore, she hadn't known how to act when she returned. She'd gotten so tangled up in a mess of thoughts that she'd forgotten what meant the most to her and that was her life in New York.
It had changed her as a person, one she was happy and proud of, unlike the one that Brighton turned her into.
"Yes I'm serious!" Sophie continued. "We can have a Christmas here with the kids this week and then we can head back home and spend it with your family."
There was so much excitement in her voice, having already planned this in her head. Considering it was Aaron's turn to have their children on Christmas day, Sophie really didn't see the point in hanging around; she wouldn't see them anyway.
"What about your family? Won't they be disappointed?" Jace asked, not wanting them to think Sophie was choosing his family over hers, even if that was the case.
"They won't mind, they're not used to having me home anyway."
Jace was watching Sophie intently to try and figure out if this was what she truly wanted, or if there was some hidden meaning behind it.
"Are you sure this isn't you just keen to get back to work? Because Felix said he had it under control." Jace laughed, knowing what Sophie was like and that she was a control freak and would be dying on the inside leaving her job down to someone else. "He might be offended."
"No, it's not about that although, I am excited to get back to it. I just really miss it and I know I'll enjoy Christmas more back home."
Watching her intently for a moment, Jace debated the words falling from Sophie's lips. She knew he was contemplating the idea as he could see the excitement right across her face.
"Then let's do it, I'll book us some flights." Jace finally agreed.
This trip hadn't quite turned out how either of them had originally planned, but Jace realised that Sophie wasn't comfortable since they had stepped foot in Brighton. The last thing he wanted was for her Christmas to be ruined when it was usually her favourite time of the year.
"I also have one more proposition, then I'm done with my big announcements." Sophie teased; on such a mission to get everything out at once.
She was desperate to get back to the place she had been before returning to Brighton therefore, she was pulling out all of the tricks to do it.
"Go on then, let's hear it." Jace urged, appreciating the pure excitement on his wife's face.
This was the first time in this past week that he had seen her so happy.
"Let's have a baby." Sophie replied simply, causing Jace to look back at her in shock.
"What?"
"I said, let's have a baby."
"No I heard you but what? Where has this come from?"
Hearing Sophie wanted to head back to New York sooner than planned was one shock but this was on a whole new level.
"You always said that you wished you'd had a baby of your own. I want you to finally have that."
In Jace's previous relationship his wife had been adamant that she didn't want children. She had ruled out all possibilities of that happening and because Jace was so in love with her at the time, he had gone along with it. He hadn't wanted to lose her over their disagreement on having a family so he had just accepted it.
However, when they had broken up due to her meeting someone else, that had clearly changed in her mind. His ex-wife had gone on to have children with another man, leaving Jace hurt and broken considering he'd wasted many years and missed out on the opportunity.
Therefore when he met Sophie, although he was happy to treat her kids like his own, it was a little bit gutting. He knew she didn't want anymore, she had made that clear from the get go, so once again he had lost all chances.
"We don't need to do that. You know I see your kids like my own." Jace tried to rationalise with Sophie but she just began shaking her head.
"No, I know that but I'm happy to have another if that's what you want. I really mean that."
"But babe, you have your business, I have my job... it would be a lot to handle."
Sophie began shaking her head once again with a confident look across her face.
"I used to manage being a mum while travelling from Brighton to London for work everyday. On top of that I was just setting up my business in New York. Having a baby with you would be a piece of cake in comparison."
Letting a smile form over his face, Jace truly let this idea sink in. He had previously talked himself out of having a baby of his own because he had never thought it would be possible. He had accepted his fate and just got on with it. However, now that he was being given a chance he had always dreamed of, he knew he'd be stupid not to take it.
He loved Sophie and he couldn't imagine having a baby with anyone else.
"Okay, yeah. Let's do it!" Jace finally agreed as his voice lifted into joy from the previous concern. "2018 will be a whole new challenge for us."
"Exactly." Sophie grinned before allowing her body to be urged into Jace's where she finally felt safe and content. She felt as calm as she had a week ago when she had been sat in her New York apartment, over looking the beautiful city she had finally made her home.
***
soooo....