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The scratch of the key against the lock puts a pause to JJ and Emily’s conversation. As one, they turn on the couch to face the hallway, their ears piqued. When familiar boots thud on the doormat, JJ calls out a greeting, which is met with a mumbled response as a figure flashes past the living room doorway and up the stairs.
JJ shakes her head, turning back to face the TV. She pulls her legs up, curling them underneath her body.
Next to her, Emily sighs. “I think we were supposed to teach her manners at some point.”
JJ snorts and jokes, “Well, too late now.” She grabs the remote and plays with the controls, changing the channels until it lands on a reality TV show that can serve as adequate background noise to their moment of calm together. Setting the remote aside, she cuddles closer to Emily, laying her head down on Emily’s shoulder. The worn FBI sweater Emily is wearing makes for a soft surface against her skin.
“Yeah, you think so?” Emily’s raspy voice buzzes beneath JJ’s cheek.
JJ hums in response. “I guess we’ll just have to find a way to live with it.” They both know Iris will grow out of her teens in a few years, but no matter how much JJ gets sick of the teenage mood swings and incessant boundary pushing, she is in no way ready to fast forward to a point in time where her not-so-little girl becomes a legal adult.
“I guess so.”
JJ still likes to tease Emily, though. “She’ll be off to college in a few years anyway.”
“Don’t say that!” Emily groans, dramatically knocking her head back against the couch. If JJ thinks of Iris as her not-so-little girl, in Emily’s lovingly overprotective heart their daughter will always be that small wonderous little girl they took home from the hospital well over a decade-and-a-half ago. Even when joking, Emily likes to reject the notion that Iris will grow up and leave the nest at some point. “You’re making me feel old.”
“Oh babe,” JJ coos, sitting up, resting her arm on the back of the couch. She consolingly pats Emily’s leg. “But we are old.”
Emily gasps. Her head slowly rises, revealing the affronted look on her face to JJ, who soon loses her composure and starts laughing. “Take it back.”
“What? It’s true, isn’t it?”
“We are not old,” Emily says. She sits up and leans in close, her soft silver hair curtaining down and blocking out the outside world for just a second, letting them bask in their little bubble. “We are young and fit FBI agents who can kick ass.”
“Whatever you say, Unit Chief Prentiss,” JJ pokes.
“I’ll show you who you’re calling old,” Emily murmurs lowly, closing the last of the distance between them.
Now this— this never gets old. JJ sighs and deepens the kiss, revelling in the heat that rushes up her spine. Her hands reach up, burying in silver tresses as JJ pulls Emily closer. The mixture of familiarity and a passion that reverts JJ back to a media liaison who is about to dive into a whirlwind romance with a coworker, always surprises her, but she has come to welcome it with open arms. She never could’ve dreamed that this is what life would become, and though there have been plenty of hard times, and there will undoubtedly still be plenty to come, she wouldn’t change a thing, because in the end, this is a life that is so worth fighting for.
From behind them, a gag sounds along with an exasperated groan.
With a roll of their eyes, JJ and Emily break apart to find Iris standing in the doorway with a look of disgust on her face. She scrunches her nose to slide her glasses up the bridge of her nose, though she has cast her eyes away from the terribly offensive sight that is her moms kissing. When she dares to look back at them, her dark hair brushes past her shoulders, wispy bangs curling messily on her forehead.
“I’m glad you guys aren’t like, getting divorced anytime soon,” Iris starts. “But can you do that” – she gestures vaguely at their faces – “when I’m not around?”
Emily hums. “No promises.” A little disgust and embarrassment probably make for a strong teen, right?
Now it’s Iris who rolls her eyes, and JJ can’t help but smile. “How was school today?”
“Fine,” Iris answers, crossing her arms in front of her body. She has already gotten changed from her regular clothes into her hockey training outfit, now wearing shorts and a t-shirt with her surname printed across the back. JJ and Emily had trialled Iris with a few different extracurricular activities once she’d started primary school, but hockey had been the only one that really stuck. Even now, years later, Iris is still an avid player.
“You had that English test, didn’t you?” Emily asks. “How did that go?”
Iris shrugs. “Fine, I guess.”
“Do you think you passed?”
“Probably.”
The enlightening conversations with a teen. JJ presses her knee to Emily’s thigh before she can continue her quest to get somewhat lengthier answers out of their daughter. That won’t get them anywhere at the moment. JJ’s eyes trail down to Iris’s hands at her sides. “Was there something you needed, honey?”
Iris holds up a hairbrush and hair tie. “Can someone braid my hair? I want it out of my face for training, but I tried and can’t get it tight enough when I do it myself.”
Emily sits upright with a muted groan, unfurling from her comfortable spot to put her feet on the floor. JJ only barely refrains from joking, not old, my ass. “Come here.”
Iris trudges over and flops down onto the carpet in front of Emily, passing the supplies up. With care and years of experience under her off-centered belt, Emily brushes out the tangles before dividing the hair into three strands, expertly weaving Iris’s long hair into a neat braid. There’s a serene look on her face, and JJ’s lips pull up into a soft smile. Iris has become increasingly independent on many fronts, these past few years, so it’s nice to be able to show her some care this way. No matter how much she wants to do things herself, she does still need her moms sometimes.
“There,” Emily says, tying it off with the hair tie. “All done.” Her hands rest atop Iris’s shoulders, and before Iris has a chance to get up and sneak off, Emily presses a kiss to the top of her head.
“Mom,” Iris complains, a blush colouring her pale cheeks. From her spot, JJ can see her brief smile, though. Even teens who are too cool for affection, need to be shown a little love by their parents.
Emily just laughs and pats Iris’s shoulder. “Go grab your stuff. Are you sure you don’t need one of us to drop you off?”
Iris gets to her feet and shakes her head. “Claire is picking me up.”
“Okay,” Emily acquiesces. She holds out the hairbrush to Iris and leans back, her shoulder pressing to JJ’s. “We’ll save you a plate of dinner in the fridge for when you get back. Send us a text when you’re on your way, yes?”
Iris nods her agreement. JJ expects her to flee the room, now that her hair is done, but instead Iris lingers in the doorway.
“What is it?” JJ prompts.
“I have a competition this Saturday,” Iris says.
Emily and JJ nod. With busy lives like theirs, a shared family calendar has been found to play an essential part in keeping all of their activities somewhat organised— including all of Iris’s training times and near-weekly competitions.
“I was going to drive along with the others, but maybe… Maybe you guys would like to come?” Iris tries for casual as she extends the invite, but JJ can read the shy, embarrassed hope in her eyes.
“Of course,” JJ instantly agrees. They’ll have to figure out the details, shift around some plans and tasks, but Emily and her have clear parameters that when it comes to supporting their kids, they will find a way to do so.
Emily nods along with JJ’s words. Her eyes cast up at the ceiling as she goes into planning mode. “We’d have to pick up Hugo on our way, maybe we will have some time to grab lunch someplace…”
JJ watches a myriad of thoughts cross Iris’s face and quietly interjects, “Or… Maybe Uncle Spencer feels up to taking Hugo to his soccer training this weekend and hanging out with him after.” She catches Emily’s eye and they wordlessly communicate. Years of profiling skills, mom-instincts and a steady relationship have done wonders to hone their senses.
“You know what, that’s a good idea,” Emily says.
“They could spend some quality time together, and we could get lunch with just the three of us girls?” JJ offers.
Iris bites her lip – a mirror-image of a younger Emily, for a split-second – and nods. “Is that alright?”
“More than alright,” JJ assures her. She knows Iris loves Hugo – despite their age difference, those two have a special bond – but sometimes it’s nice not to have to share your little brother’s attention with your parents. “I’m sure Hugo will be over the moon to spend a day with his favourite uncle.”
Emily nods decisively. “That’s settled, then.”
JJ grabs her phone from the coffee table, curling back up on the couch as she enters her password. “I’ll text Spence.”
Iris’s arms locking around her shoulders from behind surprises her, but JJ makes sure to return the brief hug as best as she can. Emily receives similar treatment, before Iris turns on her feet and disappears from the living room.
“I love you!” JJ calls out.
The response she receives might’ve had a mumbled ‘I love you too’, in there somewhere, muffled by quick feet on the carpeted stairs.
“A girls’ day out.” Emily wraps an arm around JJ’s shoulder, sneaking a look at the message she is typing out for Spencer. “How about that.”
JJ hums, hitting enter, before setting down her phone and turning into Emily’s touch. “How about that.”