Chapter 2:
"April ..." Catherine started.
"Mom, could you please give us a minute?" Jackson asked his eyes not leaving April.
"Okay. I'm leaving. I'll go get my grand baby from Richard and take her to the park and you two can find me there when you're done," Catherine replied politely and walked out.
"April, you are moving out and you didn't care to tell me? Is this some sick joke?" Jackson asked barely after the door was closed.
It felt like a bad dream, a nightmare. Watching April shift in her seat uncomfortably, fumbling with her fingers, dark circles showing under her eyes and her long red silky hair tied up in a messy bun he couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on with her. Yes, she was exhausted. With Owen out during the fire, classic April had offered to stay and run the ER for literally 36 hours as the rest of the hospital took turns freshening up and seeing their families. 36 hours?
"April, have you even had a second to yourself lately?" He asked forgetting he was actually supposed to be yelling at her.
She ran her tongue over her dry lips, shifted once more and spoke up, "Jackson, I need to move out. It's necessary that I do. I know it's wrong to let you find out like this and I'm sorry but I wanted to talk to you about it when there was no room for me to turn back. You've never wanted me to move out, and you and Harriet have a great relationship but we need to be healthy around her and this can't go on."
"What do you mean?" He asked moving to the spot his mother had occupied so he could look into those eyes he knew too well.
"That fire, Jackson, what almost happened to Stephanie, the whole thing made me think that life is too short and we all deserve a chance to make the most of it. We are divorced, Jackson. Divorced, as in our marriage ended. We were both relieved of the vows we made to each other the day the judge called it. We can't tiptoe around each other in what feels like a cage forever. Harriet is going to turn 18 one day and leave, I have to take care of myself so I can take care of her. I love you so much and I love Harriet and Samuel is buried here but if I had my way I would move countries right now, Jackson. I don't know how many times I have to die here before I actually die. And I want to live. If you really care about me even just as Harriet's mother, or the best friend you always wished the best in life, you will let me move out."
Jackson was sure it was a terrible nightmare.
He expected to yell at her, he was ready for a huge fight because moving out? But now he sat there looking at her and all he could see was pain. What had broken April's heart this much? Move countries? It meant she wanted to be as far as possible from whoever was hurting her. And Jackson felt his fists clench and then he realized she was moving houses as they talked. Could he be the one?
"April, I yelled at you because I was scared, too. I didn't intend to upset you like this"
"No, Jackson. It's not about that. I have to move out. I need space, you need space, too. I want you to be free and happy and to live your life without feeling like your annoying perky roommate is in the way all the time," she smiled at him weakly trying to lighten the doomed air.
"I leased a new apartment down the block, a 10 minute drive from your house and it should take time to settle down so I was suggesting that maybe you'll have Harriet until I am? I can see her at daycare and come around to tuck her in if that's okay with you?"
"No, April, you are not moving out. You are not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," Jackson was now pacing.
"Jackson, please," April whispered and looked up at him and when he looked back at her he felt his heart crash. That look. The last time she gave him that look Herman was taking Samuel from their hands. No, this is bad. How had she gotten so broken just from sharing a house with him? Okay it was a lot of history but Montana fixed them, him, maybe? And they should be okay and happy, but April was looking at him like she was losing another loved one. Was she losing Jackson? Was he losing her?
"Do we go to Jamaica?" She surprised him with the next question.
"Um, what do you think?" He asked settling back on the desk.
"I think we should go. We are technically the only ones who know the technique, it's a good opportunity for both our careers and I know what going to Jamaica means to you and Harriet". She replied surprise him more.
"April, you need some time off. We need to talk. It's not right that you're moving out, and I feel like you're withholding something from me. We can't commit to something this big when we are not okay," Jackson continued.
"No, Jackson. We need to go. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and neither of us has traveled with Harriet before.
"It's Jamaica, Jackson," he saw his best friend when she said that and his heart flustered.
"Okay, thank you. But this is far from over," he said standing up and offering his hand. She hesitated but stood up and took it.
"April ...thank you," he smiled and she locked her fingers with his. If she was closing this chapter of her life, she was going to do it right. It hurt, it hurt, but just like him, she was moving on.
"Come on now, Avery, let's go find our baby," she started walking out fighting the tears that were threatening to fall but he pulled her back and wrapped her in a hug. April stiffened in his arms as her mind confronted every emotion that was threatening to choke her. She could squirm her way out but she didn't. Instead she took a deep breath and snuggled on his chest letting out a deep sigh. She felt his well-shaven face rub against her neck and a warm feeling ran down her spine. All these things about this man were still consuming her like a forest fire. What would it take to close this chapter?
"We did it. Me and you. We did it," he whispered as he dropped the band that held her hair in a bun with one hand while trying so hard not to bury his nose in it. It smelled like the same strawberry shampoo she'd used since they were interns and his heart could never get used to it. He started running his fingers through it to loosen the curls then gently moved to the small of her back where he started running circles around it. He felt tension slowly leave her shoulders and her hands tightened around his waist as she buried her face into his lab coat. Jackson was her best friend in the whole entire world, her person, and she didn't see how she'd get through without him.
"We did it," she whispered and cried some more in his chest.
"I am right here. I'm not going anywhere and I'm coming with you to Jamaica" Jackson whispered as if reading her mind. They stood there in each other's arms for a few more minutes then walked out of their Chief's office with their arms around each other to get their stuff and go find Harriet and Catherine.
Watching through the window blinds Maggie stood in painful surprise. This feeling of déjà vu. This sick feeling that this same thing has happened to her before. She had seen this happen to her before.
