When the three of us walk into the lobby of the Four Seasons, I'm blown away by the décor and art of the hotel. Jackson and I stayed at fancy hotels when we were married of course, but it's been quite a while since I've stayed anywhere close to this. We head over to the check-in desk, where Harriet grabs my hand and Jackson walks up to the counter.
"Didn't realize there would be an Avery in the house this weekend! Jackson, how are you?" asks the man behind the desk.
"Doing well, David, hope you are too. About the stay, it was a bit of a last-minute thing," Jackson replies. The man, who I'm assuming is named David, waves someone else over to join their conversation after looking at his screen.
"Steve, why is the penthouse room booked and not by Dr. Avery here? Do you know who he is?" David asks in an accusing tone.
"Woah David, hold on. Like I said, this was last minute. I just made a reservation online, didn't call in like we usually do. Penthouse was booked, but I got an executive suite so it's nothing to worry about," Jackson cuts in, trying to diffuse the situation.
"Only a suite? Harper Avery is rolling in his grave," David says with a shake of his head. Jackson laughs and mumbles "we can only hope" under his breath. I don't think anyone behind the counter hears, but I sure do. I poke him on his shoulder from behind and give him a look when he turns around.
"Where are my manners? April, this is David, hotel manager. David, this is Dr. April Kepner, my, um…" Jackson falters and I internally roll my eyes and cut in.
"Former wife, current friend and co-parent," I add. "And this is our daughter Harriet." With that I lift her up and she gives a little wave.
"Nice to meet you both! Catherine's mentioned you two. Will you and Dr. Avery, uh, be staying together? Or should I check for another reservation?" David asks hesitantly.
"Just the one, David," Jackson answers. David probably thinks we're strange. I'm sure most ex-spouses don't share hotel rooms, but most ex-spouses also don't have kids after their divorce. I guess we could've gotten separate rooms like we did in Montana, but then where would Harriet stay? Besides, we've spent so much of our non-married life living together anyway that a couple days in a shared hotel room is not an issue.
"Alright then, but a suite with the three of you staying there will be cramped, at least for an Avery. If the penthouse opens up while you guys are still here, I'll call your room and get you set up in there instead. In the meantime, you can leave all your bags here and we'll have them brought up to your room. Here's your keys, second elevator to the left," David says, handing us each a plastic card.
"Thanks, David. We'll have to catch up over a round of golf sometime. I'll be in the city now for good, so call me anytime," Jackson says. Golf? Since when did he golf?
"I'll look forward to it! Have a good evening to you all," David replies with a wave.
I hold Harriet's right hand as Jackson grabs her left and she swings between us while we walk to the elevator. "When did you become a golfer?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm really not," Jackson admits. "But my grandfather always taught me that deals are made on the course, and I might as well get back into the habit if I'm gonna be at all successful here. I've only done it a few times and only while I'm in Boston. Hanging out on fancy grass with a bunch of old, stuffy white men in ugly shirts is not my idea of an enjoyable day. I'd rather we go watch a Celtics game or something." I chuckle at his response. That's the Jackson I know.
"I was scared you'd become a miniature Harper Avery. First the yacht and now golf?" I tease. He shudders and waves his hand.
"Me? Never. Also, sorry about the awkward intro back there. I never really know what to tell people," he says sheepishly as we step into the elevator.
"I get that. We're not normal," I say with a hearty laugh. "I don't think we act like two people who used to be married should act. But we are friends, right? And we're Harriet's parents. I think that's all that needs to be said. Our relationship really isn't anyone else's concern."
"I guess you're right. I'll keep that in mind for future interactions," Jackson says with a grin.
"Of which I'm sure there will be many. You're like royalty around here, it seems. You know, it's weird. To me you're just, well, just Jackson. But sometimes I forget to everyone else you're the Jackson Avery," I tell him, exaggerating the last three words. I remember in the early days at Mercy West how obsessed some of the people in our resident class were with him. I've become desensitized to him being an Avery over the years, and I never cared too much in the first place. I got to know Jackson as himself, not as the grandson of Harper Avery. Although, there were times when we were married that I was reminded of his 'legendary medical family' status: when he pulled out his credit card and booked a private jet for Cristina's surgery, or when we'd go to a gala (on Catherine's insistence) and everyone would be dying to talk to him.
"Yeah, well, Boston is the Avery stomping ground. You've never been here with me, but it's a whole different world out here. I can't go under the radar like I could in Seattle. Everywhere I go, I seem to run into someone who knows who I am. It really sucks. But I hope I don't stop being 'just Jackson' to you. Don't pay attention to any of the people here," he says seriously.
"Of course not. I know who you are," I tell him while looking him straight in the eye. The elevator door opens, and we get out on our floor, the fifteenth. "Which way?" I ask.
He leads us left and Harriet runs ahead. I see a teachable moment and use it to get her to slow down.
"Ladybug!" I call out. "We're looking for 1525. What does this one say?" I ask, stopping in front of a room and getting her to read out the number on the door.
"1517," she replies dutifully.
"Good job! Now keep counting and see if you can find 1525." She reads out each number on the doors we pass, and yells "I finded it!" excitedly when she gets to our room.
I open the door with my key card and we step in. "Wow!" Harriet exclaims with wide eyes as she looks around. She expressed my sentiments exactly. The hotel 'room' isn't really a room at all. It has a separate bedroom, massive living room area, drink bar, office space, two full-size bathrooms and even a little foyer at the front. There's also a huge wall-to-wall window on one end that overlooks Boston Harbour. Didn't David say he thought we would feel cramped here? Maybe by Avery standards, but definitely not by Kepner ones. This place must be at least a grand per night.
"Jackson," I turn around to look at him and say his name sharply. He raises an eyebrow and starts speaking before I can finish my thought.
"I know what you're gonna say, April. Don't worry about how much it costs. I want you guys to be comfortable. We might be here for a while before we get housing settled."
"Okay, well, at least let me pay you back something," I propose. Jackson picks up Harriet and walks around with her in his arms.
"I think Mommy needs to chill a bit, what do you think Hats?" he asks while tickling her. She giggles in reply. They turn around to look at me, and I notice the similarity in their faces.
"C'mon April, friends don't owe. We're far beyond that point. If it helps you sleep, I got a discount," he says with a wink.
I throw my hands up in defeat. Jackson and Harriet cheer in response and make their way over to the window. I follow them and gaze out at the harbour.
"What a view," I say, in awe of the sight below us.
"Never gets old," Jackson replies. We turn around as we hear a knock on the door. Jackson walks over and opens it, and a bellhop comes in with all our stuff.
"Thanks a lot," I tell him. Jackson thanks him as well, and hands him what I assume (and hope) is a $20 bill as he walks out.
"I don't know about you two, but I feel gross. I'm gonna go take a shower," Jackson lets us know. I think I can wait until tonight to shower, but I ask Harriet what she wants to do.
"What do you say ladybug, wanna take a bath now?" I ask, kneeling to be eye-to-eye with her. She cringes like I thought she would. "Thought so," I laugh. "How about a walk down by the water?" To that she nods aggressively.
I stand up and pat my legs. "Okay then! We'll be back, Jackson. If we see anything that looks good, we'll bring it back for dinner. Text me with any requests," I say to him.
"Sounds good. Bye girls, have fun!" he says as he walks towards the bathroom.
"Bye Daddy!" Harriet replies as I take her hand and we walk out the door.
Once we get down the elevator and outside of the hotel, Harriet looks enthralled by the busy street. We walk hand-in-hand down the sidewalk as I ask her about her day.
"What a nice doll you got today, honey! The side of her lab coat says your name, did you notice that?" I ask her. She nods in response. She can't read completely on her own yet, but knows how to spell her name by heart.
"She looks like me, Mommy! Curly hair like me. Eyes like me too." Harriet points to her hair and eyes to augment her point.
"She does! But remember, you don't have to be a doctor like mommy and daddy and grandma. You can be whatever you want to be. If you want to be an astronaut, or a ballerina, or a teacher, we can get a new outfit for your doll." I've had many a conversation with Arizona about how our daughters had two doctors as parents (three in Sofia's case) and were pretty much only surrounded by other doctors. We don't want our kids to feel pressured to follow the same path as us, so I actively try to remind Harriet there are other jobs out there. My efforts have been pretty futile so far, since she doesn't seem to want anything else but to do what we do.
"I wanna be a doctor like you," she says confidently.
I laugh. "Alright then, Hattie. Guess the doll is Dr. Kepner-Avery after all. How about the plane ride? Did you like it?" I know she slept for most of it as per Jackson, but she was wide awake for takeoff and landing.
"We were in the sky! I saw clouds! Looked like cotton candy," she says excitedly.
"We'll have to take you on a plane again sometime, since you liked it so much." Harriet looks very pleased with my proposal. I use this to segue into something else I need to ask her about.
"Maybe we can go on a plane trip to see Ruby and Matt in Philadelphia. I talked to Ruby yesterday, I told her you would've loved to talk to her too," Harriet hasn't brought them up since our conversation with Jackson a few days back, and I've found it weird. She just kind of shrugs instead of answering my question.
"What's wrong, ladybug? Would you want to see Matt and Ruby?" I ask her.
"Yeah, Mommy. I like playing dolls with Ruby. But if they come back, Daddy has to go away. I don't want Daddy to go."
I stop walking and pick her up so I can talk to her more seriously. "Oh no, Harriet. Matthew and Ruby are staying in Philadelphia now, and we're staying here in Boston. You can talk to them, or even go see them, and Daddy will still be around. He isn't going anywhere, okay?" She nods and I kiss her on the forehead, then put her back down as we keep walking.
We've reached the harbourfront and stop by the water. She asks me if I want to help her find shells, and I oblige. We spend the next little while digging for seashells on the shore.
After about half an hour, I check my phone and realize I missed a text from Jackson asking if we've found anything for dinner yet. Good thing he texted – I totally forgot about grabbing something to eat.
"Let's go, Hattie," I say, taking her hand. "Daddy is getting hungry."
On the way back to the hotel, we pass an Italian place and buy pasta and salad. We've been eating out far too much for my liking lately, but without a kitchen in the hotel room, cooking is not an option. Once we find a permanent place, I'm putting a household ban on ordering food for at least a month.
When we get in the hotel room, we're greeted by the sound of Jackson softly snoring. "So much for being hungry," I chuckle. He's sleeping on the pullout bed, which is strange considering there's a huge king bed in the bedroom. I'm about to tell Harriet to be quiet to not wake him up, but she's too fast for me.
"Daddy!" she yells, climbing on top of him. "Wake up! We got you food."
Jackson jumps, startled, and rubs his eyes. "Sorry," I say with my arms up. "She was too quick for me to stop her. Harriet, go wash your hands in the bathroom, please."
"All good. How was your walk?" he asks, still clearly sleepy.
"It was great! We dug up seashells on the shore. Why are you sleeping out here? There's a really nice bed in the bedroom, if you haven't noticed," I say to him, sitting on another couch.
"You can take that one, I'm good out here," he replies.
"It's a king-sized bed, Jackson. We could easily both fit. Or I could take this one. You don't have to play martyr, you know." Not that I think sharing a bed with Jackson is a good idea, but it's a really big bed and we could sleep on opposite sides without knowing the other was there.
Jackson gives me a strange look. He's probably wondering why I'm comfortable with the idea when I was the one so vehemently against us living together in the first place.
"Nah, April. I'm not that guy – I wouldn't share a bed with another man's wife. And besides, this one has access to a better TV. I can watch NBA games in 4K until I fall asleep."
Is it bad that I totally forgot I'm still technically married to Matthew? I feel kind of sleazy now that Jackson's mentioned it. He's right, it would be weird. I'm not sure why I even brought it up in the first place. I think I've been getting too comfortable playing family with him these past few days; it might be time to reinstate those boundaries I was trying so hard to keep when he came over earlier this week.
Despite all that, it's still not fair that I get the better bed. "How about we rotate? One night on, one night off?" I propose.
"If it makes you feel better, then sure, April. Let's go eat. Looks like someone is ready," he says, pointing at Harriet sitting at the table opening up the food bags. I laugh and we join her for a family dinner.
After dinner, the three of us watch Frozen 2 on the couch. Harriet doesn't even make it half an hour into the movie, and we put her to bed before clearing out the remnants of our meal.
"The real estate agent is meeting us tomorrow at nine, so we should probably turn in early. It's been a long day," Jackson says as we clean up.
"Right. House hunting. So, what's the plan if we find something we like? Are we doing a down payment tomorrow? I have some savings to use, but of course I'd have a lot more if Matthew and I sell our place." Jackson's been so generous with money, but the line has to be drawn somewhere. He can't just buy us a house to live in.
"April," he says slowly. "I told you guys I'd take care of everything, don't worry about it."
I scowl in response. "I understand that. I've let you spend your money without arguing too much because I know it alleviates…your guilt or whatever. But this isn't a plane ticket, or a hotel room. It's a house. You can't just buy a house completely yourself that we're both supposed to be living in." More than just the money, the principle of the matter bothers me. If it's going to be a shared house, we need to share the costs equally. Otherwise, it's just Jackson's house that I happen to be living in, like I was when Harriet was born.
"It's fine, April. It'll still be our house," he says like he read my mind. "You have a lot to worry about with your place back in Seattle, it seems. Leave this one on my head."
"Jackson, we're not married!" I say a little too loudly. I hope Harriet isn't awake to hear this. Jackson looks at me, surprised. I sigh and continue in a more normal tone of voice.
"Look, I know you might be trying to help out since I'm almost a divorced woman again, but it's not necessary. You are not my husband," I say pointedly. "We can put down whatever we have for a down payment together and split the mortgage payment every month. That's what Matthew and I did. If we ever sell, we'll divide the equity according to what percentage we each contributed to the down payment." I speak firmly so he knows there's no room to negotiate. I'm tired of Jackson swooping in and trying to be a knight in shining armour. The time to do that was before we got divorced, not now. I know he's just trying to be helpful, but this isn't the way to do it.
"Okay, April," he relents. He doesn't add anything other than that, but we stand in silence and the tension in the air is so thick, you could cut it with a knife.
"I'm gonna turn in for the night," I say, breaking the silence first. I don't have anything else to say, and it's been a long day. Sleep is calling my name.
"Good night," I say while heading to the room. I hear him mutter the same and close the door behind me.
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I love reading them! I'm glad this story is helping people get out of their "Japril is over" sadness, because honestly same XD