Chapter Thirty
Jennifer
I'm pretty sure my mouth is hanging wide open, far enough that a small squirrel could crawl in there.
Did Fletcher just call that woman Claudia?
As in his ex-wife? The one who ditched him for an Australian yoga instructor?
And she moved to kangaroo-land with him?
If I think any more question marks in my mind, my head might explode.
I stare blankly at Claudia and her designer duds, while Fletcher seems to have lost the ability to speak or even close his mouth.
I put on my best cheerful smile, hoping to defuse this puzzling situation. Then I aim a subtler smile at the kids. "Why don't you guys go to your rooms and play, all right? The adults need to have a little chat."
The children exchange curious glances but obey.
Once they're out of earshot, I clasp Fletcher's hand while pulling him aside so I can shut the door for our two guests.
Claudia steps forward. "Thank you for letting me come into your lovely home, Fletcher. And who is this lovely woman beside you?"
"I'm Jennifer, Fletcher's wife."
She smiles brightly at my husband, then turns her attention back to me.
Claudia's words and mannerisms strike me as genuine.
"I'm Claudia Sullivan, and the man beside me is Marcus Blackwood.
I'm so pleased to meet you, Jennifer. My mother let me know that I could find you and Fletcher here.
She lives just down the street, doesn't she? "
"A few blocks down. Fletcher's parents live across the street from each other."
Fletcher squints at his ex-wife. "What are you doing here? You can't just show up after all these years and demand---"
"I haven't demanded anything. Please, give me a chance to explain."
Fletcher huffs. "About what? How you abandoned our children?"
"No, I..." Claudia takes a deep breath, threading her fingers between Marcus's. "I've changed since the last time we saw each other, and I've learned a lot about myself. For one thing, I stopped drinking five years ago."
"Am I meant to congratulate you?"
"No, of course not. I-I wanted to explain..." She clings to Marcus as if he's her life preserver. "Please, just listen---"
Fletcher scowls at her.
Before this can turn into a battle royal, I should intervene. So, I wrap my arm around Fletcher's biceps and give him a reassuring smile. "I think you should listen, honey, for the sake of the children. At least find out what their mother has to say before you go thermonuclear."
Fletcher tenses under my touch, and I can sense him relaxing slightly as he processes my words. "You have five minutes."
Claudia exhales, her shoulders dropping slightly. "Thank you."
I gesture toward the living room. "Why don't we sit down? I can make some tea or coffee."
"That's very kind, but we're fine," Marcus replies. He has kind eyes that crinkle at the corners---the sort of face that puts you instantly at ease, despite the awkward circumstances.
We move to the living room in an uncomfortable procession. Fletcher sits rigid and bolt upright beside me on the sofa, while Claudia and Marcus take the armchairs opposite us. The coffee table between us might as well be the Grand Canyon.
"I should start by saying I'm deeply sorry." Claudia's voice catches slightly. "I know those words can't begin to make up for what I did, but they're true. I abandoned my children, and I've regretted it every day since."
I glance at Fletcher, whose jaw is clenched so tight I worry he might crack a tooth. His knuckles have gone white where his hands grip his knees.
"I was a mess back then," Claudia continues. "The depression hit me hard. I convinced myself the kids would be better off without me. That Fletcher was the better parent, anyway."
Fletcher grunts. "At least That part was true."
I squeeze his hand, trying to keep him grounded. This is clearly excruciating for him.
"Just to be clear," Claudia says, "I was still struggling with depression after I moved to Australia.
A great therapist helped me deal with those issues, though it took years to recover.
I but Marcus is the hero who saved me with his love and compassion.
At his suggestion, I came back to America to confront what I've done and---most importantly---to apologize to my children. "
I study Claudia's face, searching for signs of deception, but all I see is genuine remorse. Her perfectly manicured hands tremble slightly as she speaks. Fletcher remains silent beside me, his breathing shallow and controlled.
"I don't expect forgiveness," she continues. "I don't deserve it. But I wanted my children to know that my leaving wasn't their fault. It was mine. All mine."
Marcus places a supportive hand on her knee. "Claudia has worked incredibly hard on her recovery. She talks about the children often."
"Recovery?" Fletcher's voice is dangerously quiet. "Is that what you call it? You deserted your family, ran off to Australia with your yoga instructor, and now you've 'recovered'? It's bollocks."
I lay a hand on his chest. "Please, let's all take a deep breath. Claudia, I understand you want to apologize to the children, but you need to understand that your arrival is quite a shock."
Marcus makes a pained face. "We should have called first. That was my suggestion, but Claudia was afraid you wouldn't agree to see her."
Fletcher narrows his gaze. "She was right."
Claudia leans forward, her designer bracelets jingling softly. "I know this is difficult, Fletcher. But I'm not here to disrupt your lives or try to take the children. I just want them to understand that leaving wasn't their fault."
"They already know that," I explain gently. "Fletcher worked very hard to help them understand that your choices weren't a reflection on them. He did that by himself, before I even met him."
Marcus whispers to Claudia, and she nods in agreement with whatever he told her. Then she looks at Fletcher. "Marcus and I will stay at a hotel for a few days in case you and Jennifer want to discuss the issue. No pressure, I promise."
Silence descends on us like an iron cloak. I guess none of us knows what to say.
"Does anybody care what we think?"
I watch as the adults freeze at the sound of Amelia's voice. My stepdaughter stands in the doorway, arms crossed, her face a perfect teenage mask of defiance. Behind her, Charlotte, Josh, and Henry peek out like curious meerkats.
Fletcher's eyebrows shoot up. "How long have you lot been standing there?"
"Long enough," Amelia says, stepping fully into the room. The other children follow, forming a protective cluster. "If you're going to talk about us, we should be part of the conversation."
I'm torn between pride at her courage and concern about the emotional bombshell that's about to drop. Fletcher looks like he might spontaneously combust.
"This is an adult discussion," he begins, but I touch his arm gently.
"They have a right to be heard," I whisper. "This affects them more than anyone."
Claudia's eyes widen as she sweeps her gaze over the four children standing in the doorway. She rises halfway from her seat, then seems to think better of it and sinks back down.
"Hello, my darlings," she says, her voice trembling slightly. "It's been such a long time, hasn't it?"
I watch Amelia's face harden at the term of endearment. Charlotte inches closer to her big sister, while Josh stares at his mother with scientific detachment, as if she's a specimen he's cataloging. Only Henry looks openly curious, his head tilted to one side.
"You're our mom?" Henry asks, stepping forward. "The one who went to Australia?"
Claudia nods, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes, sweetheart. I'm your biological mother. But I know Jennifer is your real mom, the one who takes care of you every day."
Her words hit me like a splash of cold water. Did she really just call me their "real mom"? The ache in my chest says she did. My eyes dart to Fletcher, who looks equally stunned by this unexpected acknowledgment.
Henry steps forward, his small face scrunched in confusion. "But you're our first mom?"
"Yes, that's right."
Amelia's posture remains rigid, her gaze narrowed. "You left us. You never even called."
"But she sent us cards and gifts for birthdays and holidays," Charlotte declares. "Didn't she, Dad?"
Fletcher aims a tight smile at his youngest daughter. "Yes, she did do that."
Henry tromps up to Claudia, tipping his head side to side as if he can't figure out what kind of species she is. "What should we call you? We already have a mom."
"Just call me Claudia. Would that be all right?"
Henry shrugs. "Sure, why not."
Marcus lays an arm around Claudia's shoulders. "We should go to our hotel and give everyone a chance to process everything." He hands Fletcher a business card that has his company logo on it, but on the other side, he scrawled a phone number. "Call anytime. No rush."
And just like that, our lives have changed.