Chapter 17
Seventeen
Knowing he couldn’t put off telling the girls his news any longer, Jack let them pick the breakfast place. That’s how he ended up at IHOP, which was, in fact, hopping on New Year’s Day.
“I’ll miss you guys,” he said as they dug into four different kinds of pancakes. Clare’s mother, sister, brother, and their families were taking the girls on a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean. They’d invited Jack to go, but he couldn’t be away while Jamie was on his honeymoon.
“We’ll miss you, too, Dad,” Maggie said, her mouth full of chocolate chip pancakes. “But it’s only a week.”
“That’s a long time,” he said with a pout that made her giggle.
“You’ve got Andi and Eric to keep you company for a few more days,” Kate said. She looked far too grown up sipping a cup of coffee.
“That’s true.” Anxiety zipped through him when Kate gave him the perfect opening for what he needed to tell them. “Listen guys, about Andi and Eric…” He searched for the words he needed.
“What about them?” Jill asked.
“Well, you know Andi and I are very close.”
“She’s your girlfriend,” Maggie said.
“Yes, but she’s more than that.” He noticed Jill had stopped eating and was staring at him from across the table where she sat with Maggie. “I love her very much, and I want to be with her more than just every few weeks.”
“Don’t even tell me we’re moving to Chicago,” Jill said, looking frantic.
“No, no,” he said when the other two looked at him with equally panicked expressions. “We’re not moving. They are.”
Maggie’s face lit up with what appeared to be delight.
Jill looked down at her unfinished blueberry pancakes.
“So would Eric be like our brother?” Maggie asked.
“Don’t be such a dork, Maggie,” Jill snapped. “Dad’s not marrying her. He’s not going to be our brother.”
“There’s no need to get mean about it, Jill,” Jack said. Looking at Maggie, he added, “Jill’s right, honey. I’m not marrying Andi, but she’s wrong about Eric. It will be like he’s your brother in some ways. I’m sure he’d like you to treat him that way.”
“So they’d live with us?” Kate asked.
“Yes. I’m hoping you girls will be okay with that.”
Jill scowled. “Why do they have to live with us? Why can’t they just move close to us?”
“Because I don’t want to be torn between two homes, and I don’t want to spend any more time than I have to away from you guys.
” He paused to give them a moment to absorb that.
“Andi and I talked about whether it would be better to move everyone to a new home and start fresh together, but we didn’t want to take you out of your home—the home where you lived with your mother. ”
“I’m glad we’re not moving,” Kate said. “I love our house.”
“I do, too,” Maggie said.
Jill maintained a stony silence that worked on his already frazzled nerves.
“I want you to know something Andi said to me this morning.” He stopped to make sure he had their full attention. “She very much wants to be a friend to all of you if you’d like her to be, but she has no intention of taking your mother’s place, because no one ever could.”
When Kate seemed to struggle with her emotions, he put an arm around her.
He held out his other hand to Maggie and Jill, who put theirs on top of his. “No one ever could,” he said again softly.
Jill appeared to be fighting her own private battle.
“Where will everyone sleep?” Maggie asked.
Thank God for Maggie, Jack thought. “Since Frannie is moving in with Jamie, I was thinking we’d give Eric her old room. We could have some fun fixing it up for him. Andi will stay with me in my room.”
Jill looked up at him. “In Mom’s room? But all her things are there—”
“And we’d have to deal with that eventually, even if they weren’t moving in. I was thinking we could box up Mom’s stuff and keep it in the attic. That way if any of you ever want anything of hers, it’ll be there for you. What do you think?”
With her head still resting on his shoulder, Kate nodded.
“Okay,” Maggie agreed with a sad expression on her face.
“Jill?”
Her eyes flashed with anger. “Does it really matter what we think? They’re moving in with us whether we like it or not. That’s what you’re telling us, right? You’re already sleeping with her in the guest room, but we’re not supposed to know that. We’re not stupid.”
“Watch yourself, Jill.” It took everything he had to stay cool. “I’m hoping you can find it in your hearts to welcome Andi and Eric into our family and to help me find some happiness after all we’ve been through.”
“We want you to be happy, Dad,” Kate said with a pointed look at her sister. “We can give it a try.”
“When are they coming?” Maggie asked with excitement.
He smiled at her as he paid the bill. “They have to pack up their house, and Andi has some things to settle at work, so it’ll be a month or two. You know the hotel we’re building in Newport?”
Kate and Maggie nodded while Jill continued to sulk.
“Her company asked her to manage it when it opens.”
“That’s cool,” Kate said.
The girls were quiet on the way home. When they pulled into the driveway, he stopped them before they got out of the car. “I love the three of you so much, and nothing will ever change that. I promise.”
Jill got out of the car and went into the house.
Kate and Maggie nodded and followed their sister.
Watching them go, Jack prayed he was doing the right thing for all of them, but Jill’s emotional outburst had him questioning everything.
Andi had left a note to say she’d walked to the park with Eric.
Jack looked in on each of the girls as they finished packing for their trip.
They were excited to be going with their grandmother and Clare’s family on the cruise.
Jack carried bags downstairs for Kate and Maggie before he went back up to check on Jill.
He found her lying on her bed with her packed suitcase sitting by the door.
He was glad that she had straightened up her room, which was usually a disaster area. One whole wall was covered with pictures of her with her friends. As his time with her at home dwindled, he hated the idea of tension between them. “Honey?”
He sat on her bed and caressed her hair. She’d been like a grown woman last night, but today she was once again his little girl, and she was hurting.
“I’m sorry you’re upset. I hope you’ll think about it while you’re away and maybe decide to give it a chance.”
She turned away from him.
Resigned to her silence, he got up and took her suitcase downstairs.
When Clare’s mother arrived, Jack pulled on a coat and went out to meet her.
Anna Richardson was an older version of Clare—petite with short gray hair and bright blue eyes. She greeted him with a warm hug.
“How are you, Anna?” He hadn’t seen her in a while, but the girls saw her whenever she came from Hartford to visit Clare.
“I’m doing well. How about you?”
“Tired today. Big day yesterday with Frannie and Jamie’s wedding.” They’d invited her to come, but she’d chosen to spend some time with Clare before the trip.
“Everything went well?”
“It was amazing. The girls looked gorgeous. I’ll make sure you get pictures.”
“I’d love to see them.”
“You’ve been to Clare’s?”
“I stayed there last night.” She shook her head ruefully. “It’s so hard. Nothing ever changes.”
“I know what you mean.” He kicked at the gravel driveway. “Listen, Anna…”
“What is it?”
“I’ve, um…I’ve been seeing someone.”
“I wondered if you would eventually.”
Surprised to hear that, he had no idea what to say.
“It’s been a year and a half, Jack. You can’t be alone forever.”
“I told the girls this morning that Andi and her son, Eric, will be moving from Chicago next month to live with us.” He released a choppy laugh. “It’s almost harder to tell you.”
“I can see that you’re happy,” she said, her smile tinged with sadness. “I’m glad for you. I really am.”
“I want you to know I’ll never stop taking care of Clare, and I have no intention of divorcing her.”
“I know that, Jack. You don’t have to say it. How’d the girls take the news?”
“Kate and Maggie were pretty good about it, but Jill…” He shook his head and shrugged.
“I’ll talk to her while we’re gone and see what I can do. She’ll come around, don’t worry.”
Despite her reassurances, he had his doubts as Andi and Eric came into the yard, their cheeks red from playing in the cold air.
He gestured them over. “Andi, this is Clare’s mother, Anna Richardson.”
The women shook hands.
“Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Richardson.”
“Likewise. And this must be Eric.”
Andi used sign language to introduce him to the girls’ grandmother. He waved before he scampered off, probably to find Maggie before she left.
“I’d better go see where he’s headed,” Andi said. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip.”
“Thank you.” After Andi went inside, Anna turned back to Jack. “She’s lovely.”
“I hope you understand it just happened—”
Anna rested her hand on his arm. “Clare loved you so much. You were her whole world, and you were always so good to her—before and after the accident. I have no doubt she’d want you to be happy.”
“Thank you,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion as he hugged her. “The girls are ready to go.” With an arm around her shoulders, he walked her inside to collect the kids.
They left a few minutes later in a flurry of hugs, chaos, and promises to send postcards.
Jill hugged Jack before she left, but she didn’t say anything.
Jack, Andi, and Eric waved good-bye from the front porch. Back inside, Andi held out her arms to Jack as Eric wandered off to play with the trucks he’d gotten for Christmas.
“How was it? I was on pins and needles at the park.”
“Not too bad,” he said, absorbing the comfort of her embrace. “Kate and Maggie were great, and Anna really surprised me. She was very understanding.”
“And Jill?”
“She was upset, but not about you. She’s still dealing with losing her mother, and it’s hard for her to face more change. I hope you won’t take it personally.”