Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
It only took the press less than an hour before they figured out that we had returned to Forrest Falls, and I’ve never been so happy to have privacy windows that prevent people from being able to see inside while not obstructing our views.
Dahlia panicked when the first helicopter went by, but Tinsley assured her that as long as we don’t go outside, they can’t see us.
Of course, I spaced that thought when I stepped out onto the terrace, which is how they confirmed we were back at my penthouse instead of in Nashville.
As I wait in the underground parking, I have to try and approach this as pragmatically as possible—but fuck, if I don’t want to be overly optimistic and hope this could work out for everyone involved.
I gave them the code for the underground parking when I explained the situation, and thankfully, her husband was in town instead of traveling for business.
What must be his SUV pulls in, instead of her sleek red sports car, and I wave as they park.
If you squint at a family tree, we may somehow be related, but I’ve never been great at those sorts of things, but she is my sister’s family, and I trust her implicitly—which is everything.
I don’t know her husband as well, but my brother-in-law vouches for him and that’s enough for me.
He gets out of the SUV and goes around to open the door for his wife, earning a point from me for being a gentleman.
I smile as I watch them walk over—I’ve never seen her nervous, but I get it. This is big.
“Hi, Jack!” Pippa’s warm and soothing voice doesn’t reflect any of the nerves her eyes betray her with.
When everything happened last October, Pippa helped Tinsley with a few things before our attorney Daphne Cromwell could get into town.
Pippa and Daphne are best friends, and I know for a fact that Fiona joined the duo for lunch a handful of times over the last few years.
Pippa isn’t walking, she’s almost skipping, almost bouncing, when she reaches me.
“Hi, Jack, good to see you again.” Pippa’s husband David reaches out to shake my hand, while holding his wife’s hand firmly.
The two of them look like they walked right off a magazine cover, even both casually dressed in jeans and T-shirts.
David’s shirt is for a band that works with Lux, and I make a mental note to get him some tickets to an upcoming show.
“We must have gotten back into town just after you. That was quite a crowd today, but Daphne had to catch a flight, so we didn’t stick around. ”
“Hey, guys. Sorry we didn’t stick around either, but I appreciate you coming over.
Yeah, my tolerance of the press and bullshit is exceptionally low these days, all things considered,” I tell them as I run my hand through my hair.
“So, I haven’t told Fiona’s sister a lot about you, I thought you guys could do that, but ever since Tinsley told me about this delicate situation, you’ve been on my mind. ”
“We appreciate you thinking of us. Honestly, I just assumed Dahlia was going to keep the babies. I had no idea she was exploring other options.” Pippa’s best friend Daphne would know the details of Fiona’s wishes, but she wouldn’t have shared that privileged information with her friend.
“I know, and that’s in part my fault. I asked Daphne not to say anything until I did, which also would prevent her from breaking client privilege, but I said I could connect everyone.
She doesn’t know this was happening today though, otherwise I’m sure she would’ve stayed back from wherever she flew off to. ”
Pippa’s eyes soften in understanding. “Of course. Does it work to talk about this today? Or is it too much for Dahlia or Tinsley? We could come back tomorrow, or another day, or—”
“Baby. Breathe,” David interrupts his wife and pulls her into his side, kissing the top of her head. She closes her eyes and exhales slowly.
“Let’s go up and take this one step at a time, alright?” I nod toward the residential elevator and the Lawrences follow me.
I didn’t get a chance to introduce them though, because the moment the elevator doors open, Tinsley loudly yells, “Shut the front door!” She claps and pumps her fists before pointing at Pippa and David. “Are you kidding me? That’s Daphne’s best friend!”
Dahlia’s eyes widen as she gasps. “Your solution is Daphne’s best friend? Fiona loved her!”
The constant overwhelming emotions have clearly just been too much as my girl starts laughing, so hard that she starts crying, but then the mood shifts.
Tinsley goes from happy crying to sad, ugly crying because she thought of Fiona like she promised she would during her eulogy any time she laughed until she cried, all of which causes Dahlia to start crying again.
Wells looks from Dahlia and Tinsley crying, to Pippa, David, and me in the foyer, and back at his sister like a deer in headlights.
Wells mouths to us, “What do we do?”
Pippa hums and steps away from us, patting his arm as she walks past Wells, completely unfazed by the chaos, and wrapping Dahlia and Tinsley in a hug, shattering any concerns I had about this being awkward.
“Seriously. What are we supposed to do?” David whispers to me as we watch the strange hug and crying fest happening before our eyes.
“I think we let them lead what happens next but … I think this is all going to work out.” I clap his shoulder and he nods with tears in his own eyes.
I know from what Savannah has told me that Pippa and David have battled infertility for years, and after multiple failed rounds of IVF, they were just starting the first initial steps of adoption after deciding that they were going to expand their family by any means necessary.
“That’s kind of… nice, actually.” Wells struggles to find the words, and I don’t miss the tears that escaped his own eyes either. At this point, all of us are crying because this moment, the women hugging and murmuring about Fiona and babies and promises, and us standing watch—it feels sacred.
I look at my friend. “What’s that, man?”
He softly smiles. “We finally get to have some happy tears.”