Chapter Nineteen
Fletcher
My children have mutinied. They seem intent on hoisting me up on their mast to hang pirate flag above me.
That way, the crows can devour me more easily---or perhaps a killer whale will claim me first. All right, maybe I am exaggerating the situation for dramatic effect.
But I have not lied about my children being quite angry with me.
They switched from crying and/or pouting at me a moment ago.
And their indignation stems from one specific event.
Jennifer is no longer in the house. She's at a hotel---my hotel. This is not how I imagined my Saturday would play out.
Amelia once again lifts her chin and crosses her arms over her chest. "Dad, you're an idiot."
My jaw drops. "I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me." She plants her feet wider, every inch the formidable teenager I've raised. "Jennifer just told us she loves us and wants to be part of our family forever, and you let her leave."
Charlotte nods vigorously beside her sister. "She looked really sad when she left."
"I didn't let her do anything," I protest weakly. "She made that decision herself."
"Because she thought we didn't want her!" Henry wails, his face still blotchy from crying. "But I do want her! I want her to stay and make pancakes and read me stories!"
Josh pounds his fists on a sofa cushion, his lips pursed. "And Jennifer promised to help me build that volcano for science class. The real kind, not the baking soda kind."
My jaw drops even further, and I flap my head like a ruddy cartoon character. "You lot were very upset. But I did not want Jennifer to leave. She felt it was the best thing she could do so that you four and I could discuss the situation."
Children, particularly my children, often change their minds at the speed of light. I should know better than to be surprised by their rapid emotional reversals.
"We don't want to talk about it unless Jennifer is here," Amelia proclaims. "She's part of the family now, and she should be here for family meetings."
Mum clears her throat, sitting serenely in an armchair. "Perhaps the children have a point, Fletcher. Jennifer did seem rather upset when she left."
"She was trying to protect us," Charlotte adds, with wisdom beyond her years. "But we don't need protecting from her. We need protecting from you making stupid decisions."
I run my hands through my hair, completely out of my depth. "So, what exactly are you suggesting I do?"
"Go get her!" all four children shout in unison.
Henry jumps up and tugs on my sleeve. "Tell her we want her to come home. Tell her we love her too!"
My kids might be insane, but they're very clever too. I had assumed they were upset because they found out Jennifer and I are in love. But no, that's not what was going on at all. What a bloody fool I am. They simply needed time to grasp the situation.
I stand here gaping at my children as if I've stepped into an alternate dimension where everything is topsy-turvy. One minute my children are devastated, the next they're unified in their demand that I fetch Jennifer back immediately.
"You're all absolutely certain about this?" I ask, needing to be certain before I make a complete arse of myself. "Because fifteen minutes ago, Amelia, you were---"
"Ugh, I was confused," Amelia interrupts, her voice softer now. "But that doesn't mean I don't want Jennifer here. She's different from Mom. She actually cares about us."
I step closer to Amelia and kiss her cheek. "Yes, love, Jennifer does care. Very much."
"Then why are you still standing here?" Charlotte demands, hands on her hips in a perfect imitation of her grandmother.
I raise my hands in surrender and pray the grandparents will support, but they're all nodding encouragingly. Even Dad gives me a thumbs up from his corner chair.
"That's it, then." I clap my palms together, decision made. "I'm going to fetch Jennifer."
My proclamation causes the children to erupt in cheers that nearly deafen me. Henry does a little victory dance while Josh pumps his fists in the air. Even Amelia allows herself a small smile.
"Hold on, you pirates," I raise a finger, "you lot are coming with me. This is a family decision, so we'll deal with it as a family."
"Road trip!" Charlotte shouts, already heading for the door.
I smile and shake my head. "The hotel is only fifteen minutes away. Your excitement is overblown."
Mum stands up, smoothing her skirt. "We'll wait here, Fletcher. This is something for you and the children to sort out."
Within minutes, I'm herding four excited children into the car.
The drive to the hotel is chaos incarnate---Henry chattering nonstop about what he's going to say to Jennifer, Charlotte debating the best way to apologize, and Josh explaining the scientific method of winning someone back.
Yes, teenagers think they know everything about everything.
Amelia sits quietly in the front passenger seat, but I catch her checking her reflection in the side mirror---a sure sign she's nervous.
Once we've reached the parking lot, Amelia asks, "What if she doesn't want to come back? What if we've ruined everything?"
I park the car and turn to face the four of them. Their faces are a mixture of hope and worry that makes my chest tight.
"Then we'll respect her decision," I explain to them honestly. "But we'll also make sure she knows exactly how we feel. All of us."
Henry unbuckles his seatbelt with the determination of a soldier heading into battle. "I'm going to hug her really tight so she can't leave again."
"That's kidnapping," Josh points out.
"No, it's love," Charlotte argues, swatting at her brother. "Right, Dad?"
I blow out a sigh as we climb out of the car. "It definitely isn't kidnapping, Josh. But let's not smother her either. We need to be respectful."
"What's our plan?" Amelia asks, suddenly all business. "We can't just barge into the hotel and start yelling her name."
She's right, of course. I hadn't thought that far ahead, so focused on getting to Jennifer that I didn't consider how exactly we'd find her. "I suppose I should call the front desk and ask for her room number."
Josh points toward the hotel entrance. "Or we could just go inside and ask."
Simple solutions from the mouths of babes. I herd my brood across the car park, trying to maintain some semblance of order.
Henry marches alongside me. "Dad, this is your hotel. Can't you just use your special key? I mean, the one that lets you get into any room? You've done that before, right? I remember you told us about it."
The hotel lobby is mercifully quiet as we approach the front desk. The receptionist glances up with a polite smile that falters slightly when she sees my entourage of children trailing behind me.
"Good afternoon," I begin, adjusting my collar. "I'm looking for Jennifer Cordell, a good friend of ours. She checked in a little while ago."
The woman taps on her keyboard. "I'm sorry, sir, but we can't give out guest information without their permission."
I whip my badge out of my pocket and flash it at the woman. "You must be new here. I'm Fletcher Murgatroyd, the general manager."
"Oh! Mr. Murgatroyd, please forgive me. This is my first day on the job." Her face flushes pink as she starts typing frantically. "Miss Cordell is in room 237."
"Thank you, love. You're an angel."
She blushes even more, gazing up at me through her lashes. "Happy to help, sir."
"Just call me Fletcher." I turn to my children, who are all grinning. "Right then. Up we go."
The ride to the second floor seems to take an eternity---despite lasting only thirty seconds.
Henry starts bouncing from foot to foot again, while Charlotte practices what she's going to say under her breath.
Josh examines the elevator buttons as if they hold the secrets of the universe, and Amelia stares at the floor numbers ticking by with laser focus.
"What if she's asleep?" Charlotte whispers as we reach the second floor.
"It's four in the afternoon," I point out. "Trust me, she's not asleep."
"What if she thinks we don't want her?" Henry asks, his voice small. "What if she's crying?"
I ruffle Henry's hair. "Then we'll make sure she stops crying and knows exactly how much we love her."
The corridor seems to go on forever like the final leg of a marathon. Room 237 is at the far end. We approach the door as a unit, the children clustering around me like ducklings.
"Who's going to knock?" Charlotte whispers.
"I will, pet," I declare, taking a deep breath. "But you lot need to be ready with your apologies."
Henry tugs at my sleeve. "Can I go first? I practiced what I wanna say."
I give him a light squeeze. "You have first dibs, champ."
Now or never. I raise my hand and knock three times. Silence follows, then I hear the muffled sound of movement. The door opens a crack, and I catch a glimpse of Jennifer's face---her eyes red-rimmed and puffy, but still the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.
"Fletcher?" Her voice catches, and her eyes flare wide. "What are you doing here?"
Before I can answer, Henry ducks under my arm and launches himself at her, wrapping his arms around her waist like a koala bear. "We're sorry! Please come home! I promise I won't wet the bed anymore!"
Josh tries to seem cool and collected as he steps forward. "What Henry means is that we want you to come back."
Jennifer's eyes widen when she sees the four children crowded in her doorway. Her gaze finally lands on me, a question in her eyes.
I give her a gentle smile. "May we come in, pet?"
She hesitates for a moment before nodding and stepping back. Henry remains attached to her waist. The room is standard hotel fare---beige everything and unremarkable, but Jennifer has somehow made it feel like home simply by being here.
"We had a family meeting," Amelia explains, stepping forward with the authority of someone twice her age. "And we decided you're an idiot for leaving."
"Amelia," I warn, but Jennifer's lips twitch upward slightly.
"She's right," Charlotte concurs, moving to Jennifer's other side. "We never said we didn't want you. We were just surprised about you and Dad."
I watch Jennifer's expression as she processes their words. The tears threatening to spill over make my throat tighten. Henry still hasn't let go of her, and honestly, I don't blame him.
"You came all the way here to tell me I'm an idiot?" Jennifer asks, her eyes faintly red but her voice calm.
"We came to bring you home," Josh announces matter-of-factly. "Where you belong."
My chest swells with pride at my son's simple declaration. But it's Jennifer's face that captures my attention---the way her expression crumbles with relief, the tears that finally spill over her cheeks.
"You really want me to come home?" she whispers, her voice breaking on the last word.
"Yes!" all four children shout in unison.
I move closer, gently extracting Henry from her so I can take Jennifer's hands in mine. "We had it all wrong, love. They weren't upset about us being together. They were scared you'd leave them like Claudia did."
Jennifer searches my face. "And now?"
"They've made it quite clear that I'm a complete pillock for letting you walk out that door," I say, earning giggles from the children. "They want you to stay---and so do I. This family wouldn't be whole without you, Jennifer."
She leaps into my arms.