Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
“ I ’m going over there,” Gretchen announced.
“What?” Chelsea asked.
“I’m not letting my daughter deal with Jeffrey on her own. That’s not happening.”
“Okay, calm down. I hear what you’re saying, but didn’t Kaitlyn say that she wanted time with Sarah alone? You running over there while those two girls are having a private conversation is not what she’d want.”
“Yes, I understand that, Chelsea. But Jeffrey is going to show up any minute. Do you honestly think he’s going to honor Kaitlyn’s wishes for time alone with Sarah?”
“Gretchen’s right. He’s going to come barreling in there and make a big scene because his daughter defied him. Jeffrey hasn’t made the best choices so far. What would make you think he’s going to do the right thing now?” Leah offered.
Chelsea thought for a minute and then nodded. “Fine, but if you’re going over there so are we.”
Tess stopped sipping her coffee mid-sip and looked up. “Huh?”
“You heard me,” Chelsea insisted. “Jeffrey Miller might think he can do and say whatever he wants, but it’s been years since he’s had to deal with any of us. Perhaps it’s time we remind him who we are.”
Still confused, Tess asked, “Who are we?”
“We’re the Lawrence sisters. He’ll have to get through us to get to them.”
Gretchen laughed. At first, it was a small chuckle, but the determined look on Chelsea’s face struck her as so comical she couldn’t hold back the full belly laugh that was bursting to get out.
Tess and Leah joined in and soon the four sisters were laughing so hard, Elena came running into the room.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
Gretchen wiped tears from her cheeks. “All I can say, Elena, is that if you ever need a strong opinionated woman in your corner, call my sister, Chelsea. You won’t find any better in this world.”
Chelsea took Gretchen’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go take care of our girls.”
The women marched down Duval Street as if they were going to war. When they entered The Gardens Hotel, their determination dampened with the elegant surroundings.
“This place is gorgeous,” Tess whispered to Leah. “Why haven’t we ever been here before?”
“Because we were busy failing at several business startups, now shh,” Leah whispered back.
Robert looked up from the front desk, immediately recognizing the situation from their expressions.
"Mrs. Thompson," he greeted Chelsea. "Your nieces are in the garden area. Shall I show you the way?"
"Please," Chelsea said. "And Robert? When Mr. Miller arrives?—"
"I'll alert you immediately," he assured her.
They found Kaitlyn and Sarah sitting together on a bench near the fountain, their matching profiles highlighted by the setting sun. Both girls looked up at their approach, and Kaitlyn's eyes immediately found her mother's.
"Dad's close, isn't he?"
"I’m guessing about fifteen minutes out," Gretchen confirmed. "We thought you might want some backup."
Sarah's fingers twisted in her lap. "Is Joanna with him?"
"No, honey," Gretchen said gently. "Just your father."
"We can leave if you want privacy," Tess offered, but Kaitlyn shook her head.
"Stay. Please." She reached for Sarah's hand. "My mom and aunts are pretty amazing at handling difficult situations. We could use the support."
Before Sarah could respond, Robert appeared in the garden entrance. "Mr. Miller has arrived," he announced quietly. "He's in the lobby."
The sisters exchanged glances and arranged themselves casually but strategically around the garden space. Chelsea near the entrance, Tess and Leah flanking the outer edges, Gretchen close enough to intervene but far enough to give the girls space.
Jeffrey's voice carried ahead of him, Robert following closely behind. "Where are they? Sarah? Kaitlyn?"
He appeared in the garden entrance, stopping abruptly at the sight before him. His daughters sat together, their similarity unmistakable, their united front clear. His former sisters-in-law surrounded them like a protective barrier, and Gretchen stood nearby making her presence known.
Robert slowly slipped away to return inside.
"Sarah," he said, his voice losing its edge. "Thank goodness you’re all right. You can't just run away like that. Your mother and I were worried sick."
"Don't," Sarah said quietly. "Don't make this about Mom. This is about Kaitlyn and me, and the years we didn’t get to spend together."
Jeffrey took a step forward, but Chelsea's subtle shift blocked his path.
"Sarah, get your things. We're going home,” he insisted.
"No," Sarah said, gripping Kaitlyn's hand tighter. "I'm not leaving. Not until Kaitlyn and I have some time together."
"This isn't up for discussion. You're sixteen years old."
"Old enough to know when I'm being lied to," Sarah interrupted, her voice stronger now. "Old enough to know that when you were deciding what was best for me, you missed the mark by a long shot."
Jeffrey's gaze shifted to Kaitlyn, who had remained silent, her shoulder pressed protectively against her sister's. "Kaitlyn, surely you understand?—"
"What I understand," Kaitlyn said quietly, "is that Sarah was brave enough to do what none of the adults did. She chose truth over comfort. She chose family over fear. She chose to confront the mistakes in an effort to change her future."
"It's not that simple," Jeffrey protested.
"Actually, it is." Gretchen stepped forward. "These girls deserve to know each other. They deserve the chance to be sisters. Your wife's discomfort doesn't trump that."
"Gretchen, you have no right."
"I have every right," Gretchen cut him off. "Kaitlyn and I have already talked about my involvement in all this. By sticking my head in the sand because I was ashamed of my situation, I let her down. The worst part for me is that I felt ashamed over something I had no control over. I don’t want to rehash what happened in our marriage. What I want now is for us to do right by these girls. They’ve already missed out on so much because of us, let’s not deny them this time together."
Leah moved closer to the girls. "Sarah's things are already in her suite. Kaitlyn can stay with Sarah for the night. The room next door is ready for you, Jeffrey. Why don't we all take a breath and start fresh in the morning?"
"I'm not leaving my daughter alone."
"She won't be alone," Tess said firmly. "She'll be with her sister, and your room is right next door to hers.”
“And our house is only a couple of blocks away,” Leah added.
Sarah stood, pulling Kaitlyn up with her. "Dad, please. Just…let us have this time. I'm safe. I'm where I want to be. Can't that be enough?"
Something in Sarah's voice seemed to reach Jeffrey. He looked at his daughters—really looked at them—standing together, their matching features set in identical expressions of determination.
"One night," he said finally. "We'll talk in the morning."
"Thank you," Sarah whispered.
As Chelsea led Jeffrey away to check in, Kaitlyn wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders. The Lawrence sisters exchanged glances of relief and victory, while Gretchen watched Kaitlyn with a mixture of pride and protective concern.
"Come on," Leah said softly to Sarah. "We’ll help you unpack."
Kaitlyn nodded to Sarah. “Go on, I’ll be along in a minute.”
Jeffrey stopped and turned to look at Kaitlyn.
"You look good," he said awkwardly. "The fundraiser at Paradise Harbor House…I saw the posts online. You've done well for yourself."
"Don't." Kaitlyn's voice was flat. "Don't pretend you've been watching from afar, caring about my life. You don't get to do that now."
"Kaitlyn, I know I've made mistakes."
"Mistakes?" She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "A mistake is forgetting a birthday. A mistake is missing a school play. You chose to leave. You chose another family. You chose to keep Sarah a secret from me, and me a secret from her. Those aren't mistakes, Dad. Those are choices."
Kaitlyn tried to remain calm as she confronted him. “I realize that Mom made it difficult for you to see me. I don’t know all the specifics on that, but I do know that at some point you gave up on me. Your love for me wasn’t strong enough for you to fight to see me.”
“Kaitlyn, please understand?—”
“Stop! Stop trying to explain because no amount of explanation will repair what’s been broken between us.” She touched her chest. “My heart was broken over and over again because of you. The reason I needed to have this talk with you is to let you know that I’ll make mistakes in my life as I grow. That happens to everyone. But I’m not going to make my choices as a broken person. I’m not going to hold back loving or caring for people because you chose to keep your love from me. I won’t allow you to dominate my life that way. I’m going to choose to love, to be there for people who need my love…my empathy and compassion. I just wanted you to know that.”
Gretchen watched her daughter with tears in her eyes, and Chelsea smiled at Kaitlyn’s strength and poise.
"I'd like to make things right," Jeffrey said quietly. "With both of you."
"Maybe you should have thought about that before telling Sarah she couldn't come meet me." Kaitlyn's voice cracked slightly. "Before letting Joanna decide whether your daughters could know each other. You're still doing it—choosing what's comfortable over what's right."
The silence that followed was heavy with years of unspoken hurt. Jeffrey opened his mouth to respond, but Chelsea stepped in.
"I think that's enough for tonight," she said firmly. "Everyone's tired. We can talk more tomorrow."
Jeffrey conceded, his eyes still on Kaitlyn, who refused to meet his gaze. "We'll talk more in the morning. Maybe we can have breakfast together?"
“Let’s talk in the morning, Jeffrey,” Gretchen responded.
As Chelsea led Jeffrey away to check in, Kaitlyn let out a shaky breath. Gretchen ran to her and pulled her into a hug.
“You did great, honey.”
Kaitlyn hugged her mother and then pulled away. “Thanks, Mom, I think so too.”
Kaitlyn turned and went to join Sarah as Gretchen stayed in the courtyard, waiting for her chance to talk to Jeffrey alone.
After the girls retired to their suite, Gretchen found Jeffrey standing alone in the hotel's side garden, staring at the fountain.
"They look so much alike," he said without turning around.
"They're both struggling with trusting you…trusting us," Gretchen said, keeping her distance. "And I don't blame them."
Jeffrey turned to face her. The years had added silver to his temples, lines around his eyes, but his tendency to look away when confronted hadn't changed. "I know I've made mistakes."
"Stop." Gretchen's voice was firm but controlled. "I'm not here to rehash our past. I'm here about your daughters’ futures. Both of them."
"Joanna—"
"I don't care about Joanna's feelings right now," Gretchen cut him off. "This isn't about her. This is about two girls who deserve better than what we've given them. Sarah is your daughter with Joanna, and so I had no control over what has been said to her all these years, but Kaitlyn is our daughter, and I’m going to make sure she never gets hurt like this again."
She stepped closer, making sure she had his full attention. "I want to be very clear about something, Jeffrey. If you're going to be in Kaitlyn's life again, if you're going to try to build something with both your daughters, you need to be all in. No more choosing what's comfortable. No more letting Joanna dictate the terms."
"It's not that simple," he said.
"Actually, it is. You saw Kaitlyn tonight. Really saw her. She's built a life here, found her purpose. She's strong, but that strength came from surviving your absence." Gretchen's voice caught slightly. "I won't watch you hurt her again."
Jeffrey was quiet for a long moment. "How do I fix this?"
"You start by listening to them. Both of them. And then you do what's right for your daughters, not what's easy for you or your wife." Gretchen turned to leave, then paused. "They deserve that much, Jeffrey. They deserve everything we should have given them years ago."
She left him standing there, the fountain's whisper a quiet witness to words that needed to be said, to changes that needed to be made, to healing that needed to begin.
Before Jeffrey could retreat to his room, Chelsea stepped out from the shadows of the veranda.
"My turn," she said, her voice carrying the kind of authority that had made her successful in the art world. "You don't get to just walk away."
Jeffrey sighed. "Chelsea?—"
"No, you listen to me, Jeffrey Miller. That girl in there? The one you abandoned? She's extraordinary. No thanks to you. And that other girl, who was brave enough to drive here alone because she needed her sister? She's extraordinary too. Again, no thanks to you."
She moved closer, her presence commanding despite her small stature. "You've got two daughters who somehow turned out remarkable despite your best efforts to keep them apart. And now you have a choice to make."
"I'm trying."
"Try harder," Chelsea snapped. "Because let me make something very clear. There are four Lawrence sisters watching you. Four women who have helped raise Kaitlyn, who love her, who would do anything to protect her. And now that includes protecting Sarah too."
Jeffrey started to speak but Chelsea held up her hand.
"I'm not finished. You think Gretchen was tough? You think I'm being hard on you? You haven't seen anything yet. You hurt either of those girls again, you let that wife of yours come between them, and you'll have all four of us to deal with. And trust me, Jeffrey, you don't want that."
She straightened her shoulders, every inch the successful artist, teacher and part gallery owner who could reduce artists to tears with a single critique. "Those girls deserve better than what they've gotten from you. It's time to step up. Be the father they deserve or stay out of their lives completely. There's no middle ground anymore."
Without waiting for his response, Chelsea turned and walked away, her heels clicking sharply on the stone path, leaving Jeffrey to consider just how many formidable women were now involved in his daughters' lives.