HOLLY

AS SHE’D CHARGED HER PHONE EARLIER, she turned it on. She was struggling with what she’d told Frank that morning. She’d tried to bury that day in her head, but he’d forced it out of her, and now it ached just as much as it had four years ago.

Once her phone had booted up, it was strange that no alerts sounded. A cold rush jolted through her body; she’d never switched it back from silent mode. Her phone had remained in silent mode that whole time. She’d never bothered to see if Jake had tried to contact her after she got home, merely grabbed her bag with the phone still in it and headed for the beach. Yesterday, all she wanted was to hear her phone ring. He could’ve phoned her and she wouldn’t have even known that. When her screensaver came on, she switched it back to normal, then waited to see if anything came through. Seconds felt like minutes. Tears formed in her eyes when nothing came. Shaking her head, she dabbed at them with her thumb. Turning, she placed the phone face down on her nightstand and crawled back into bed. She wasn’t going to leave her bed today.

As she settled her head on the pillow, a ping finally sounded, followed by a few more. She felt as if she could finally breathe again. It had to be missed calls—probably angry messages, fighting with her, but if any of the messages were from Jake, then perhaps he did care about Jamie. Rolling over, she snatched her phone off the nightstand and looked at the screen. The missed calls notifications were pouring in, as well as a message telling her that she had voicemail.

She touched the phone icon to see who had called. By the triple three at the end of one of the numbers, she knew right away it was Jake. He’d tried to phone her forty-two times. Taking a deep breath, she dialed her voicemail inbox, then closed her eyes at the number voice messages she had. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear them, ready to hear more of his threats, but she had no choice. She had to endure them so that they would be able to sit down like adults and come to an arrangement. Her mother was right; she couldn’t ask her father to fund a lawsuit. He would, but he would take his pound of flesh, or soul, as payback and make Holly pay every cent back, too.

First message, a woman’s computerized voice said. 

“Holly, please we need to speak about this. Just phone me.” End of message.

Jake sounded angry but he didn’t threaten her again.

Second message said, “Holly, please, pick up your phone. You can’t run from this. Jamie is my daughter, too, please.”

Moira would have told him her name. On that thought, she frowned. He wasn’t fighting with her at all, instead, it sounded as if he was breaking apart, something she didn’t understand at all.

The third message was pretty much the same. “Holly, I’m begging you, just stay and speak to me. Don’t run.”

Every message Jake had left begged her not to run again. Like it had been a bad move the first time, but no way could she have stayed. He must have known asking her to have an abortion would lead to her leaving him. He must have known that.

She listened to every message. Toward the end, Jake had begun to cry. What on earth was going on? It didn’t make any sense. She’d spoken to him herself back then, and he’d made it damn clear he didn’t want the baby.

Another message was left at nine, saying he was dead tired and going to sleep, but that she must get in touch with him when she got his messages, no matter the time. His voice broke when he mentioned Jamie’s name again and Holly felt like crying, too.

The next message she struggled to hear, as Jake had clearly broken down. She’d never heard a man cry like that before, and when he said Romalia’s name, she knew that Frank must have told him. This was his last message, which he’d left at two in the morning.

Jane entered the room and found Holly frowning, her eyes glistening. “Baby, what is it?” Jane sat down on the bed facing her daughter, then bent over to give her hug. “It’s going to be okay.”

Holly sniffed into her mother’s shoulder. “He left, like, I don’t know how many messages, Mom, begging me not to run again. My phone was on silent the whole time.”

Jane looked into her eyes. “Not to run again?”

Holly nodded. “Like it was my fault I ran. None of his messages makes any sense. The begging part is understandable, but the crying? He’s the one who didn’t want a baby.”

Her mother blew out a long breath. “This is so confusing.”

“You think?” 

“May I?” Jane motioned with her head at Holly’s phone.

Nodding, she watched her mother pick it up and go through all the messages. Jane closed her eyes at some, and frowned at others. Clearly, she didn’t understand what was going on, either.

Holly had spoken to Jake on that fateful day. She had.

Jane frowned when she read the last message, tears forming in her eyes. Shaking her head, she closed her eyes. Slowly, she dropped the phone back onto the bed.

“What now, Mom?”

“You talk to him, Holly. It’s the only thing I can think of. Just talk to him.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“You need to, for Jamie’s sake.”

Using her mother’s phone, Holly tried to call Jake, but his line was busy. Sighing, she then dialed Frank’s number and he picked up by the second ring. 

“Jane,” Frank said.

“No, Frank, it’s me. I just listened to all of Jake’s messages, and I don’t understand what the hell—”

“Sweetheart,” he interrupted, “are you sitting down?”

“Frank, what’s going on?”

Silence descended for a few seconds. “Frank?” 

“I’m here. You never spoke to Jake that day, Holly.”

“No… I did, he told me—”

“It wasn’t him.” Frank went on to tell her how Mara had put Jake in a surgery of a lifetime, one he couldn’t say no to, because it would be suicide to his career. Four tumors had to be removed, and Jake assisted Dr. Huyo from Shanghai. Holly knew immediately which surgery Frank was talking about, as it had been in all the papers for months after that, torturing her. It was every intern’s dream. When surgery concluded at around five, Jake had received a call from Amelia, who was not in a good state of mind, saying that she’d gone to pick Holly up from work but that she hadn’t been there. Her boss told Amelia that Holly had quit and left. It was then that Jake went to Bernie, only to find that Holly’s closets were empty. She’d left no note. Jake tried to phone her, but her phone had already been disconnected. He’d spoken to Mara a week before about seeing things his way about the baby. Amelia had been with him, taking his side. 

Holly struggled to keep up; Frank was all over the place reciting the story. She more or less began to get a picture in her head. So, Jake had apparently spoken to his mother about the baby, yet hadn’t mentioned it to her at all. Mara didn’t approve at first when Jake and Amelia went to see her, but she changed her mind the minute Jake said that he didn’t need her. He told her “It is what it is,” as well as a few other things, and that if she wasn’t going to accept it, it was fine by him. That she didn’t have to be involved. Then he told her “I’ve got to go.” His nine awful, hurtful words.

Mara must have really thought through her plan. She was good when it came to reading people and how they’d react, and Holly had done everything she’d thought she would. Mara had known she’d run, and she did. Mara had taken Jake’s phone when he went into surgery and redirected all calls from Holly to go through to her own phone. At least, that was what they all speculated; Mara must have deleted all the evidence. No one had heard from her since the night before, and her silence could only mean one thing: she was guilty as sin. Perhaps she’d returned to confront Holly?

“He never sent you that message. Mara must have. She took what she needed from the recording she must have made on her phone that day to make it sound like Jake never wanted you or them. They had no idea she was going to do this, Holly,” said Frank.

Holly’s eyes had teared up. Angry tears.

“Mara told Gus that his formula wasn’t working, and that you were going to get an abortion. She claimed she’d begged you to stay to see Gus, and that you’d said you would. She said she even took you home after having arranged for a car service to drive your car right behind hers.”

“What? That is a fucking lie!” Holly yelled. 

“I know, we all know that now. Jake is not in a good place, Holly. He wanted his baby, and finding out now that there were two and that Romalia didn’t make it…” Frank turned silent. “I knew they were his, the minute they were placed in my arms. I’ve always suspected they were Peterses, but I was never certain. And you never told me who the father was, no matter how many times I asked.”

Overcome with emotion, Holly started to sob. She swiped her screen to disconnect the call. A scream of anger left her mouth. Jake had wanted the them. All these years, the what-if had existed. She felt her mother’s arms wrap around her, holding her so tight that they trembled. Jane was trying to keep her daughter from falling apart.

The door to her room opened.

“What is going on?” Rod asked.

“Mommy…” She heard Jamie’s voice sounding scared.

“Get her out of here!” she yelled at Rod, who he did as she asked, taking Jamie by the hand, while the child started to protest, wanting to know what was wrong with her mommy.

As soon as Jamie was out of the room, images of what could’ve been and was now too late flashed through her mind. She pushed her mother away and stood up, swiping whatever was on her nightstand clear with her arm, then smashed her lamp against the wall. Romalia could have survived, if it wasn’t for his mom. She dropped onto the bed again. She couldn’t calm down.

She was so angry. He had a son with Kate. Her happily ever after, on the other hand, was gone and she would never find one with anyone else. She’d known that since the day she laid eyes on him that weekend so long ago, knew the danger of falling for him, but she hadn’t cared then. She’d tried to tell herself that she’d meet someone else, that the Jake in her head had never existed. She’d even had a couple of dates, none of which led to a second—her choice, not theirs. She knew that there would never be anyone else for her. 

She screamed into her pillow a few more times, her throat becoming sore, but she didn’t care. She hated regret. She should’ve called him. She slid off the bed and onto the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest. Jane gathered her daughter in her arms again, but Holly’s entire body shook with sobs. 

Holly struggled to breathe.

“Rodney!” Jane yelled.

Rodney rushed in, taking in the scene quickly. He rushed back out, only to return a few seconds later with a brown paper bag.

“Breathe, Holly, just breathe,” he ordered, holding the bag over her lips.

Holly obeyed, taking one huge breath. She coughed a couple of times while Rodney stroked her back. She felt like she needed to throw up, but remained where she was.

“That’s it, one breath at a time.” He looked at Jane. “What the hell happened?”

“He wanted the baby… his mother is behind all of this, apparently.” Her mother must have called Frank when Holly was having her hissy fit.

“What?” Rodney sounded disbelieving.

“It’s a long story, Rod. She never spoke to him that day, she apparently spoke to a recording. He wanted the baby.”

Rod just looked at Holly, his eyes soft.

She wasn’t entirely convinced he believed what he’d just heard. As she was feeling better, she pushed the paper bag in away. Her breathing had calmed down.

“You should speak to Jamie. She’s freaking out, Holly.”

“And tell her what exactly? Huh?”

“Okay,” he said and pulled Holly in for a hug. She could feel his lips on her head. “I’ll speak to her. Tell her you don’t feel so well.”

“I’ll come with you.” Jane got up from the bed and left.

Rodney hugged Holly one more time before he got up and left.

She had no idea what they were going to tell Jamie, but she knew Rodney would be very gentle with her little girl’s heart.

She was numb after thinking everything through. It was hard to imagine Jake wanting them. Why had Mara done this?

Had she hated Holly that much? Had she not been good enough in Mara’s eyes?

Tears streamed down her face again. She climbed onto her bed and threw the covers over herself, sobbing as she curled up into a ball. Her emotions drained her and she soon dozed off, only to wake up sobbing after a short while.

After hours and hours of crying and sleeping, she felt her mother climbing onto the bed, laying down next to her. She put her arm around Holly’s trembling body, pulling her close to her. She didn’t say a single word, merely offered comfort and support.

When Holly finally woke up completely, her room was dark. A figure was still next to her. She didn’t want to sleep anymore.

She was tired of crying too. She’d gotten screwed over bigtime by an evil woman. She had to deal with all of it somehow. She could thank her lucky stars that his wedding was taking place in Hawaii. Otherwise she would’ve stopped it and begged him… it was all too late now.

She sniffed hard a few times and then the light on her night stand flicked on.

She looked at her mother. Her body was stiff from spending the whole day crying and sleeping, and she fought against the emotional exhaustion.

“You need to phone him, Holly. He’s been calling nonstop. Bernie has also been calling.”

“Wait, Bernie as in Bernice?”

“Of course, Bernie. She’s dying to speak to you.”

Another bout of tears surfaced in Holly’s eyes.

“And what then, Mom? We can’t go back to how things were. It’s too late for that.”

“You can’t say that. If you don’t want to speak to Bernie yet, that’s fine, but you have to talk to him. He’s been going through hell today, baby. We lost Romalia five years ago, but they lost her yesterday.”

Nodding, Holly got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She needed to wash her face, brush her teeth, and feel human again if she was going to talk to him. She saw her face in the mirror. It was swollen and splotchy, her eyes puffy and red.

She didn’t want Jake to marry Kate, she’d never wanted that, but that was whom he’d chosen. She was glad that he’d discovered the truth, but wished that she could’ve just spoken to him yesterday. Perhaps things would’ve been different. Maybe he wouldn’t have left, and just maybe he wouldn’t have married Kate.

JAKE

Jake was on the phone with Leo when his phone beeped twice. Another call was coming in, and after a quick look, he saw it wasn’t Holly. It disconnected. He continued with Leo.

“Sorry about that… I thought it was her.”

“It’s okay,” Leo assured him. “So, she didn’t get the abortion? You have a little girl?”

“Yeah, I would’ve had two if it wasn’t for my mom.”

“No, Jake!”

“It fucking hurts, Leo. I don’t know how to fix this. She’s never going to believe what really happened, that she spoke to a recording, not me.”

“She will, okay? She will. I’ve known Holly a long time. She forgives easily, Jake. I just don’t know how to tell Bernice this, so I’m glad that she is out on a shopping spree. She is not going to take this well at all.”

“Yeah, but she needs to know.”

“You guys in Hawaii?”

He’d invited Leo, too, but Bernie didn’t like Kate—hell, she hated her.

“No, I haven’t left yet.”

“You still going through with the wedding, Jake?” 

“I don’t know. One thing at a time, Leo.”

“Do me a favor please. Send me Holly’s number? Bern is going to want to speak to her.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

They spoke a while longer, reminiscing about what they’d missed over the past two years. Bernice was pregnant again, which was tough on Leo what with her cravings and mood swings. He was glad that they were still happy. He’d missed his friend. Their conversation finally came to an end.

“And a picture of Jamie, if you have one. I’m so sorry about the other baby, Jake.”

“Thanks, Leo. I just thought you ought to know.”

“Thanks, buddy. Phone me if you need anything.”

“I will, thanks.”

He said goodbye and found Amelia standing at the door, her nerves radiating off her. Armand was holding her again.

“What is it?”

“Uncle Frankie is speaking to either Jane or Holly.”

Jake looked at his godfather, who seemed to be trying to calm someone down. Jake pushed open the door

“Uncle Frankie?” he called, just as Frank pulled the phone from his ear.

“Uncle Frankie, who was that?”

“It was Jane. Holly…” he shook his head.

“What about Holly?” Jake asked.

“She’s okay, Jake, just calm down. She isn’t taking this well, either. I heard her in the background.”

“What?” He took out his phone.

“Give her some time, please. Twenty minutes, just to calm down. Jane called me as Holly hadn’t explained anything to her, and she couldn’t handle Holly’s outburst. So, I told her the truth.”

“They know?”

“I spoke to Holly when you were on the phone.”

“Uncle Frankie. You should’ve given me the phone.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know who you were speaking to, Jake.”

“So, you just told Holly what I should’ve told her?”

“Jake,” Amelia lay a hand on his arm. “Maybe it’s better that she heard it from Uncle Frankie. She trusts him more than she does any of us at the moment.”

“I guess… still.” He closed his eyes. Knowing that the whole situation had upset her as much as it did him was a good sign. Maybe she would give him a chance with Jamie. He sat on the couch and stared at the clock on the wall. The minutes ticked by slowly, although it felt like hours. When exactly twenty minutes had passed, he dialed Holly’s number.

It rang and rang; the ringing a good sign, which meant she was available, but he didn’t know what he would do if her voicemail came on. Maybe twenty minutes hadn’t been enough. As he was about to disconnect, when someone picked up.

“Holly’s phone,” Rod answered.

“It’s Jake, Rod. May I please speak to Holly?”

“I don’t think that is going to be possible, Jake. She needs time.”

“I didn’t do this, Rod. I wanted them. She must know that.”

“Yeah, well she didn’t, okay? She’s not taking this easily. Just give her some time.”

Jake stared at his phone as the line went dead. He’d never been so rude to Jake; Rod was upset with him. Upset was a mild word. Rod was pissed and he probably didn’t believe a word from Jake’s mouth, but to be honest, he didn’t fucking care what Rod believed.

“Who was that?” Amelia asked.

“Rodney. She can’t talk.” He put the phone in his pocket and went to his room.

The hours ticked by. He called her every hour.

Every time he called, Rod picked up the phone, and every time, Rod’s voice was more agitated, but Jake didn’t give a shit. He needed to speak to Holly, and he wasn’t going to stop calling until she deigned to speak to him.

“Please tell her to contact me,” Jake said when Rod once again answered the phone

“Yeah,” Rod said and hung up.

After what felt like the millionth call, a female picked up. “Holly’s phone,” she said.

“May I please speak to Holly?”

“Is this Jake?”

“Yes, who am I speaking to?”

“Her mother.”

Jake used to feel only one emotion when it came to Holly’s mother. Anger. She left Holly just as her ass of an ex-husband did after Holly’s sister’s death. She drank her sorrows away. Now he knew how easy it was to do that, because he just wanted to drink. If he didn’t have to speak to Holly, he would’ve been drunk already.

“Could I please speak to Holly?”

“She’s asleep, Jake, I’ll tell her that you phoned.”

“Thank you, it doesn’t matter what time. Just ask her to phone me as soon as she can.”

“Will do.”

The connection broke.

He tried one more time. She was still asleep.

He decided to give it time and went back downstairs.

Amelia was the only one sitting in the lounge. Jake shook his head as she looked up at him. The look on her face asked the questions for her.

He opened his kitchen cupboard and took out a bottle of vodka.

“Jake, that’s not the way…”

“Just let me be,” he said and went back to his room.

He’d find a way to speak to her tonight, but right now, he needed to numb this ache that was busy eating at his soul.

Halfway through the bottle, he still didn’t feel any better. He wasn’t drunk, not even tipsy. He stared blankly at the TV screen in the living room, his mind swirling with his thoughts. He still couldn’t quite believe he had a daughter, that he would have had two daughters if his mother hadn’t interfered in his life.

Amelia was lying on one couch, half-watching the movie. Armand was sleeping behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Jake remembered how excited Amelia had been when they’d first found out Holly was pregnant, and he knew she was also going through a range of emotions.

Robin was on the other couch, still texting furiously. She’d been at it all day, but he paid no mind to it.

His phone finally vibrated in his pocket and he shifted in his seat to dig it out.

The name Henry flashed on his screen. Finally, he thought and picked up the phone.

Holly didn’t say anything.

“Holly?” Jake called. He could feel the tears threatening to spill over, just knowing she was finally listening to him.

Everyone in the room turned to look at him. Armand rubbed his bleary eyes at Jake’s voice. 

“Yeah,” she whispered softly.

He closed his eyes. “I never spoke to you that day,” he said, his voice breaking at the end. He bit hard on his lip to suppress the tears, and swallowed the lump in his throat. A part of him felt that he was already starting this conversation wrong, but he didn’t care anymore. He just needed her to hear the truth from his mouth. Amelia came to sit next to him on the couch, grabbing his hand.

“I know,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Frank told me everything.”

“I’m so sorry. I should’ve been there. I can’t tell you…” he trailed off, not wanting to let his emotions run away with him again. He couldn’t. He started to cry softly again, lowering the phone. It was embarrassing, but he couldn’t help it. A pair of manly arms gave him a sideways hug.

Amelia took the phone from him.

“Holly,” he heard his sister say. 

“Why didn’t you call me again? We would’ve been there for you,” Amelia asked. She broke down. It only lasted a couple of seconds as Amelia pulled herself together. “I’m so sorry. I wish I had a magic wand and could just rewind everything to that day.”

He couldn’t hear what Holly was saying, his body still shaking with all the angst.

“My mom must have taken my phone that morning after I went to the gym. I should’ve sent you a message when I wanted to. None of this would’ve happened, but it was so early and I didn’t want to wake you.” Amelia carried on.

Jake felt regret. He should’ve sent her a fucking message that morning. Told her how much he loved her, that if his mom started with her shit, that he’d shut her down immediately. 

“I know. Still.” Amelia went on to tell her how she’d spent that entire day at the police station to report her phone stolen after she’d spent nearly an hour looking for it. Never in a million years had she thought their mother would’ve taken it when her mother phoned her that morning for coffee. She babbled on about how beautiful Jamie Bernice was from the pictures Frank had shown them, and even scolded her about the name choice she had made for Romalia. Why had she chosen Romalia when she’d thought none of them wanted her? Jake wondered that, too. Why that name?

“We missed five years of her life, and now it’s going to take forever for her to get to know us. My mom has no idea the damage she’s done.” Amelia cried softly again. A moment of silence followed. Amelia’s expression changed a few times from confused to angry to confused again, and then her mouth went agape. “What!”

Jake looked up to see his sister just staring in front of her, her mouth open. Pull yourself together, he scolded himself, forcing his tears back on a huge sniff.

“Why?” Amelia was asking her again.

“Amelia, give me the phone.” Jake spoke softly, but she just waved him away, pressing her finger into her other ear.

He hated when she did that. He saw her close her eyes, and a tear roll down her cheek. 

“Holly, why?” she sniffed. “Thank you,” Amelia said, saying nothing further, just listening intently.

“Give me the phone,” Jake requested again, touching her shoulder gently.

Amelia raised angry eyes at him, but continued to listen. He could hear Holly’s voice, but not what she was saying.

“I can’t believe you did that.”

Did what? He wondered.

It was a while before Amelia spoke again. “We’re back. Holly. Jake never went to Hawaii, and he’s not getting married today. Me, Armand, my father, Uncle Frankie, and Robin are the only ones who came back yesterday to be with Jake, and to find out what the hell happened.”

She thinks I left. Of course she does.

“Amelia,” he grunted again, but she ignored him.

“Yes, we’re here.” She giggled softly, and once again.

“Fuck, Amelia,” growled Jake.

She kept talking to Holly, still ignoring him, and he swore that if she didn’t give him the phone, he would push her against the wall and take it from her.

Amelia squinted. “How do you know about Michael?” she asked, staring at Jake.

Fuck! Jake’s body went rigid.

“You know what? It doesn’t matter,” she said, still looking at Jake. “Michael’s not Jake’s. Sure, the boy calls him daddy, but Jake and Kate only became serious when he was about eight months old. He’s still with Kate in Hawaii.”

She’d thought Michael was his, that he wouldn’t want Jamie, only his little boy. No wonder she felt as she did. If he’d only had the guts to speak to her about what had happened four years ago, not fearing what she would say, this could’ve been sorted out a long time ago.

His head flung back to his sister.

“Damn it, Amelia just give me the fucking phone!” Jake roared again.

“My brother is getting antsy. Speak to you soon, okay?”

Amelia finally handed Jake the phone. “Hey. I hope my sister didn’t bombard you.” Jake made his way upstairs to his room so he could speak to Holly in peace.

“She wouldn’t be Amelia if she didn’t.”

He huffed. “Holly, I can’t tell you how sorry—”

“Jake… just stop it please.”

“No, Holly. I wasn’t around…” Tears threatened once more just thinking about it, but he held them back. He needed to speak to her about so many things, needed to apologize for… well, everything.

“It’s not your fault, okay? You didn’t know.”

Jake closed his eyes. He couldn’t believe his ears.

“So, what now?” she asked. He could hear her voice breaking.

“I don’t know. It’s going to take months if not years for her to get to know us. Not to even mention you leaving soon.” He sighed. “This is such a big fucking mess my mom has caused. But if it’s not too much to ask, I would like to meet her once before you leave, please.”

“Jake, she is not some puppy you can pick up when you want and…”

“Holly, I know. She my daughter.” He’s voice almost broke and for some reason he felt angry with her for insinuating that he would do that to his own flesh and blood.

“I’m just saying, Jake. She gets attached quickly. She knows about you, and if you…”

His eyes flung open. “Wait, what?”

“She knows about you. Just because I hated you doesn’t mean I’d take it out on Jamie and make her hate you too. She wanted to know all about you, and I told her.”

Hated me. His jaw muscles jumped. “What have you told her?”

“Certainly not that you didn’t want her. She’s five years old. I’m not Cruella. I made up a silly story to explain your absence.”

He closed her eyes. “What story, Holly?”

She was hesitant. “I told her that you guys lived in a rainbow.”

In a rainbow... His heart wanted to break.

“She’s been waiting for this day so long, but if you are just going to…”

“I’m not that guy,” he said loud. “I never was.” She didn’t even give him a chance to stay and fight with him. “Please, I want to meet her.”

“Okay,” Holly took a deep breath. “Breakfast tomorrow at the Marriot.”

“What about breakfast at the cabin? I can let Frank come and pick you all up and see how the day goes.”

“Okay,” she sounded hesitant. “What time will Frank be here?”

“Early, say six. The cabin is about an hour’s drive.”

She kept quiet for a short while. “Okay, six it is.”

“See you.”

“Bye,” she said softly and put the phone down.

His heart wanted to break but he was going to see his little girl tomorrow morning.

He didn’t even have a gift for Jamie. All the stores were closed now, and there was no way he’d find anything that early in the morning.

He closed his eyes. He was going to meet his little girl tomorrow.

When he got back downstairs, he heard his father and Armand already speaking about rainbows. How was that for coincidence?

He had no idea why Holly had told Jamie about him, or what exactly she’d told her, but he was glad that Jamie at least knew her father existed

Then his father said, “Jake is the hero of this one, Amelia.”

“Dad, we all want to make her feel special.”

“I know.”

“Hero of what?”

Amelia looked at him and went over to give her brother a hug. “She told me about the rainbow. Asked me nicely to fill in our part. It’s why we have to come up with something brilliant.”

Gus cleared his throat. 

“Sorry, I mean Dad and Armand.”

“Okay,” Jake smiled.

“When do we get to meet her?”

“She’s agreed to breakfast at the cabin.”

Amelia gave him a dashing smile, one he hadn’t seen in a long time. She was hopping up and down on one spot, clearly excited to meet her niece.

“What time?” 

“Early. I told Holly Frank would go pick them up at six.”

“But we need to buy her something. The stores aren’t open now, and there’s no way they’ll be open that early in the morning.”

“Calm down. I’m sure one of us can slip out and buy something later in the day.”

“She really agreed to go to the cabin?”

“Yeah, if Frank agrees to go pick them up.” He glanced at Frank, who was sitting on one of the breakfast nook chairs. 

“Not a problem.”

“Thanks.”

“The cabin,” Amelia said. “There are a lot of mosquitos and bugs this time of the year.”

“It’ll be fun, Melia. She needs to have fun, both of them do. We’ve got the lake, we’ve got the cabin. We’ll have fun.”

“Holly is coming?”

“Of course. I doubt she’d send Jamie to come with us without being present herself.”

“I can’t believe she agreed to this. You need to sort the shit between the two of you out, Jake.”

“Amelia, please.”

“I’m just saying.”

He hated that his sister was so pushy, but she was right. 

He should’ve asked Holly to meet him so they could speak face-to-face and sort through their shit. Regardless, meeting his little girl was a start and that was all he could hope for. He finally smiled. He still couldn’t quite believe he was going to meet the child he’d thought was gone forever. He chuckled as he thought about the story they came up with. And Holly? She was everything he’d known she would be since the first day he’d laid eyes on her. The way her friends spoke about her, and the way she laughed and made jokes with others around her, it warmed his heart. He knew then, and he knew now, that she was the one for him. But if he knew that, why did it feel like they’d always be apart?