wide and beseeching.
“Wouldn’t you like to try the beds in your new room? They’ll be way more comfortable.”
Yesterday Charlotte and Jamie had put the twins’ belongings away in Daisy’s old bedroom. Charlotte had given them the option of separate bedrooms—the big old house had five—but they preferred to stay together. Daisy’s old room was certainly big enough. It was almost twice the size of Charlotte’s, with two twin beds and a cushioned window seat overlooking the ocean.
Charlotte pulled out her old copy of The Adventures of Tin Tin and asked the kids if they wanted her to read to them, or should they all three take turns?
Chester and Cory hadn’t been introduced to the thrills of the Tin Tin stories before, and Charlotte was gratified when they begged to keep reading after her thirty minute limit.
Gladly she read for another fifteen minutes, then told them it was lights out.
She hesitated, then said, “Would it be okay if I kissed you good night?”
Cory happily threw her arms around her, but Chester wrinkled his nose. “I’m too old for kisses,” he said.
“No one is ever too old for kisses. If you change your mind, let me know.”
She left a night light in the room and another in the hallway, then went downstairs to tidy up the family room and kitchen, playing the evening news quietly in the background while she worked.
About half-an-hour later she heard footsteps racing down the stairs.
It was Chester. “Maybe a hug would be okay.”
She gave him a super big hug. “I bet it feels strange sleeping here. But you’ll get used to it. I promise.”
“Will we ever see our Dad again?”
“You will. You just have to let the grownups sort out a few problems first. Okay?”
With a trembling bottom lip, he nodded.
Charlotte accompanied him back to his bed, tucked him in, and gave him another hug. In the next bed over, Cory was already asleep, clutching her favorite stuffed dog to her chest.
“Let me know if you have trouble falling asleep,” she said to Chester. But his eyes were already heavy. They’d been up late last night. And now it past eleven.
A big, heavy feeling bloomed in Charlotte’s heart as she turned back from the doorway to check them one more times.
More than love, it was the recognition that these children needed her. And that from now on, they were going to be her number one priority.
There were going to be changes in her life. Big changes.
No more late night strolls by herself on the beach.
She’d need to arrange childcare so she could go back to work.
And—most difficult of all—no more sleepovers at the Librarian Cottage with Dougal.
At midnight, she checked on the kids again. They were both asleep now, and while she knew she ought to go to bed, too, she didn’t feel she’d be able to sleep.
So she took a glass of wine out to the porch and almost spilled it when she spotted Dougal. He was sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs, his bare feet propped on the wooden railing.
“I wondered how much longer it was going to take you to get your ass out here.”
She almost laughed, she was so happy to see him. “Why didn’t you text me?”
“I didn’t want to look desperate.” He reached for her hand, gave it a squeeze and kept holding it after she’d settled in the chair next to his.
It was dark now, and quiet, only ocean sounds to keep them company. She offered him a drink from her wineglass. “Want me to go inside and get you your own glass?”
“I’m happy to share.” He sat quietly for a while, then asked, “How’s it going?”
She told him everything. How wonderful his sister had been and how lost she felt when Jamie left. Then how the photographs and the pizza and then Tin Tin had saved the night in the end.
“So I made it through the day, but I’m still nervous about tomorrow, and the days and weeks and months after that. They’re really going to miss their father. And I don’t know how to help them deal with that.”
“You
“Wouldn’t you like to try the beds in your new room? They’ll be way more comfortable.”
Yesterday Charlotte and Jamie had put the twins’ belongings away in Daisy’s old bedroom. Charlotte had given them the option of separate bedrooms—the big old house had five—but they preferred to stay together. Daisy’s old room was certainly big enough. It was almost twice the size of Charlotte’s, with two twin beds and a cushioned window seat overlooking the ocean.
Charlotte pulled out her old copy of The Adventures of Tin Tin and asked the kids if they wanted her to read to them, or should they all three take turns?
Chester and Cory hadn’t been introduced to the thrills of the Tin Tin stories before, and Charlotte was gratified when they begged to keep reading after her thirty minute limit.
Gladly she read for another fifteen minutes, then told them it was lights out.
She hesitated, then said, “Would it be okay if I kissed you good night?”
Cory happily threw her arms around her, but Chester wrinkled his nose. “I’m too old for kisses,” he said.
“No one is ever too old for kisses. If you change your mind, let me know.”
She left a night light in the room and another in the hallway, then went downstairs to tidy up the family room and kitchen, playing the evening news quietly in the background while she worked.
About half-an-hour later she heard footsteps racing down the stairs.
It was Chester. “Maybe a hug would be okay.”
She gave him a super big hug. “I bet it feels strange sleeping here. But you’ll get used to it. I promise.”
“Will we ever see our Dad again?”
“You will. You just have to let the grownups sort out a few problems first. Okay?”
With a trembling bottom lip, he nodded.
Charlotte accompanied him back to his bed, tucked him in, and gave him another hug. In the next bed over, Cory was already asleep, clutching her favorite stuffed dog to her chest.
“Let me know if you have trouble falling asleep,” she said to Chester. But his eyes were already heavy. They’d been up late last night. And now it past eleven.
A big, heavy feeling bloomed in Charlotte’s heart as she turned back from the doorway to check them one more times.
More than love, it was the recognition that these children needed her. And that from now on, they were going to be her number one priority.
There were going to be changes in her life. Big changes.
No more late night strolls by herself on the beach.
She’d need to arrange childcare so she could go back to work.
And—most difficult of all—no more sleepovers at the Librarian Cottage with Dougal.
At midnight, she checked on the kids again. They were both asleep now, and while she knew she ought to go to bed, too, she didn’t feel she’d be able to sleep.
So she took a glass of wine out to the porch and almost spilled it when she spotted Dougal. He was sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs, his bare feet propped on the wooden railing.
“I wondered how much longer it was going to take you to get your ass out here.”
She almost laughed, she was so happy to see him. “Why didn’t you text me?”
“I didn’t want to look desperate.” He reached for her hand, gave it a squeeze and kept holding it after she’d settled in the chair next to his.
It was dark now, and quiet, only ocean sounds to keep them company. She offered him a drink from her wineglass. “Want me to go inside and get you your own glass?”
“I’m happy to share.” He sat quietly for a while, then asked, “How’s it going?”
She told him everything. How wonderful his sister had been and how lost she felt when Jamie left. Then how the photographs and the pizza and then Tin Tin had saved the night in the end.
“So I made it through the day, but I’m still nervous about tomorrow, and the days and weeks and months after that. They’re really going to miss their father. And I don’t know how to help them deal with that.”
“You
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