13. Chapter 12
Jolynn
I worked Monday through Thursday and my kids went with me. Richard set the boys up in his apartment to play video games or watch TV. The girls had a play area downstairs with me and Libby.
Working with Olivia was amazing. She never lost her temper with me or the girls. She took time to teach me everything, and we worked out the weekend tradeoff.
Today, Richard and I were off to get the camping trip underway.
The plan was to go for two nights. I stared at the pile of clothes on the bed.
I’m over-packing.
“Do you need all that?” Dad asked, standing beside me.
“You never know what can happen.” I shrugged.
Full box of diapers, butt cream, sunscreen, bug repellant, and soaps.
Are we crazy going camping with five kids?
“MOM! HE’S HERE!” all three boys screeched out from downstairs.
“Okay!” I yelled back, cringing when my dad scolded all of us for yelling in the house.
I pushed my tears back. Now is not the time to cry.
Richie and I might be crazy, but the boys needed this. They needed time to scream and run and be kids.
I filled each bag for each person, learning long ago that this way was by far the easiest. If one kid asked for something, they could look in their bag, and we wouldn’t need to dig through everything.
My boys stomped up the stairs, making me laugh. No matter how many times I’d told them no stomping, they still managed to stomp like a herd of elephants.
“Mom, we’re here to help carry bags down.” Harrison said, with the younger boys nodding behind him.
“Thank you, boys. Those are packed and ready to go.” I thumbed behind me.
Each boy grabbed a bag as I managed the last three. We looked like a train going down the stairs and when I got to the bottom, I saw my prickly Briar snuggled in Richard’s lap with Emma sitting on the floor. Next to her sat the portable playpen and a bag of toys.
“Ready?” He smiled at me, and my heart stopped.
“I …” tipping my head, I looked at him. “Did you get the girls’ things together?”
He nodded. “It was easy to do. The boys helped.”
“We did, mama!” Grady made a duck face and nodded. “Hims said dat big boys help dere mamas.”
“Had to be done.” Tyler nodded along with Grady.
“Thank you, everyone.”
“Let’s load up.” Richard stood up and reached out for Emma. She crawled over and pulled herself up on his leg. He wrapped his free arm around her and lifted her up.
Both girls were taken with him, and I knew just how they felt.
My boys were being helpful without arguing, and I was pretty sure I stepped into the twilight zone.
The boys helped Richard load the van up and then they got in and buckled up; we got the girls in, and he held his hand out for the key as he opened the passenger door for me.
“It’s the gentlemanly thing to do, ma’am.” He tipped his baseball cap at me.
“Thank you.”
“Of course. Let’s get our adventure started.”
I got in and he walked around to the driver’s side, slid in and started the van. He glanced over at me, cranked the music, and got my boys to sing as we traveled towards the camping grounds.
Ever since the day my van broke down, my life has been surreal. In some ways, it felt as though I had never left and the last ten years were a bad dream.
But I did leave.
And I was on borrowed time with Richard.
Yesterday, while we re-arranged the front office, Libby and I shared a lot. She understood the drinking and drug use I dealt with from John. Her twin Cora took that path from high school, and they forced her into rehab.
She shared how Cooper left without a goodbye, and it crushed her. Then she reassured me that Richard wasn’t a rebound.
“Can’t be a rebound if you never stopped loving him.” She shrugged. “Don’t know what it is about the Parks boys. But they seem to be the one for us.”
I looked over at Richard and he glanced over, smiling at me before taking my hand in his.
The girls were both snoozing as the boys talked amongst themselves. There’s no fighting. No yelling. Just songs, laughter, and jokes.
Like what a family should be. Like I’ve always dreamed my family to be, and the man making it possible was the man from my dreams, too.
I don’t know how long I’d been lost in my thoughts, but he slowed the van and spoke with the guard at the little shack, paying for our campsite when I looked around.
“We’re here?”
“Nope.” He popped the p. “I’m paying a parking fine for my great-grandpa.”
“Ass.” I laughed.
We wove around the campground looking for our site, and I’m excited when I noted it’s close to the bathrooms.
He parked and then we opened the van doors, leaving the girls in and the boys helped us get things from the back. While we’re unloading the tent, the sky grew dark, and the temperature dropped.
“Richdad?” Tyler walked over, staring at the sky. “Why’s it dark?”
“Richie?” I craned my neck around. “Please tell me it’s not about to rain?”
His head swiveled around and then he nodded to the tent we were unfolding. “Let’s pick up the pace. That way, if it does, we have shelter.”
“Good idea.” I agreed.
We work together, unfolding the tent, laying it out, getting the poles where they go when the first crack of thunder hit. My boys all jumped, reminding me of a Scooby-Doo moment.
Richard motioned to the van. “You boys go sit in the van; we’ll get this up.”
“Yes, sir.” They yelled behind them as they climbed back in.
Big, fat, cold raindrops fell from the sky as we got the poles assembled and fed them through the loops on the corners of the tent. The faster we moved, the harder the rain fell.
Richard looked over at me, shaking his head. “Let’s get in the van and let it pass.”
“Agreed.” We ran over to the van and closed the doors.
Richie turned it on, so some air was circulating while we tried to wait out our mini shower. Only now that we’re safe and dry, the sky opened up, and the rain poured down, making it impossible to see out the windows.
“Is this normal for camping?” Harrison asked wiping the steam off the inside window.
“No.” I turned in my seat, looking back at him.
“Did we check the wedder?” Grady asked rocking in his seat.
I threw my head back in full laughter. The kind that made your belly ache and tears rolled down your cheeks.
“What’s funny?” Grady wiped some steam from his window to look out.
“I bet they forgetted.” Harrison offered, and I looked over to see Richard with his head on the steering wheel, his shoulders shaking.
Once I calmed down, I pulled up the weather on my phone and saw a break in the clouds. “This should pass, and we’ll have a slight break to finish.”
“Good deal.” He tipped his head, still smiling.
We watched as the rain slowed down, then we jumped out and ran around trying to get the poles set. Once we’ve fed them through the tabs, we pulled from opposite corners. And before we can get the second set up, the sky let loose again, this time with hail.
I screamed as I got pelted with the small pellets and together we ran back to the van. Richard looked at me and I saw the apology all over his face.
“What now?” I asked as I used my jacket to wipe my wet face.
“Hmmm, how about a motel and dinner?”
“Can we jump on the bed?” Grady clapped excitedly.
Richard turned and looked back at the boys. “Are you allowed to at home?”
Tyler pouted. “No.”
“Well then, heck yeah, you can jump on their beds!”
The boys cheered and Briar joined in, not wanting to be left out.
“What about the tent, Richdad?” Tyler pointed out the window.
“Trust me, if someone takes it, they need it more than us.”
The boys nodded with his logic and he drove us to the first motel we came upon. Parking under the pavilion area, he went inside. When he came back out, he opened the side door and motioned for the boys to get out.
“Harrison, can you get me one of the luggage racks?” He pointed to the trolley.
“Yes, sir.” Harrison went to get one.
“Grady and Tyler?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let’s grab some bags.”
They helped him grab bags and together, the four of them got the trolley loaded. Then he reached inside and got Briar out of her car-seat and let her stand by her brothers.
He looked over at me. “I’ll park and bring the baby, if you’re good with that.”
“I’m good with that.”
He handed me a keycard. “I’ll be there soon.”
Harrison and I pulled the luggage rack in and the five of us went up to the second floor to find our room.
The moment I opened the door, the boys and Briar ran inside like crazy people. I have no clue how they managed to kick off their shoes and jump on the beds before I’ve even fully entered the room.
Okay. Maybe not like crazy people, maybe it’s more like how little kids act.
Richard
I found a parking space close to the back door and then I used my back to shelter Emma as I got her from her seat and jogged to the door. Once inside, I shook off, making her giggle. We went down the hall to the elevator and I let her press the buttons.
When it opened up, we stepped off and I could already hear the boys. Chuckling, I made my way to the room and went inside. The room my keycard opened had one king-size bed.
I set Emma down to explore and opened the door that connected to the adjacent room, knocking.
“Boys!” Jo’s voice came through the door and then, after a pop of a lock, it opened.
“Hey. gorgeous.” I winked. “You busy tonight?”
The boys jumped off the beds and ran over.
“We got two beds!”
“I see that.”
I stepped back and let them all into the room. Briar ran over and wrapped herself around my leg. I acted like it was hard to walk as I looked at Jo. “How do you want to do sleeping arrangements?”
“Is it bedtime?” Tyler deflated.
“Well, not yet, bud, but I like to know what plans are.”
Jo’s eyes surveyed the room, and she looked back at the other room, then brought her head back to look at me. “I think maybe I should take this one. I can share the big bed with the girls?”
“That works. Who am I bunkin’ with?”
“You have Grady. Him kicks.” Tyler nodded and looked at Harrison, who nodded back and gave a thumbs up.
Grady ran over and launched himself at me. Thank god for good reflexes. I caught him and swung him up to miss Briar.
“Easy little man.” I hugged him. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m hungry.”
Jo shrugged. “Let me change some butts and then we can get some food?”
“Can we have pizza?”
“We sure can.” I put Grady down. “C’mon boys, let’s go use the other bathroom to do our business and clean up for the ladies.”
“Okay, Dad.” Tyler walked into the other room, with Harrison and Grady following him.
When Jo turned to face me, I saw tears making their way down her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to step on anyone’s toes.”
“Oh, Richie. You didn’t.” She walked over and threw her arms around me.
I held her close, rubbing her back. Briar shoved her way between us, screaming.
“Alright, little miss.” Jo pulled away and lifted her up. “You go get ready with the boys. Us girls will do our thing.”
I took two steps before I turned around and pulled them both to me. Jo looked up at me with a smile on her face, and I leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips. When I pulled away, she’s still got her eyes closed and Briar is clapping.
“ Now I’ll go get ready.”