Sorry for the super SLOW updates. I FINALLY got around to editing these next few chapters so I will release them all at once!
(7/4/2019)
CHAPTER 64
Over the next few weeks the Thornton house was busy now that everyone was back in routine. Elizabeth finally had the chance to book their Hawaii trip for after Christmas and Jack and Elizabeth were excitedly looking forward to it.
One afternoon, Jack came home to find Elizabeth standing in the upstairs hallway staring aimlessly between Halley and Gracie's bedrooms.
"Beth? What's wrong?"
Elizabeth jumped at the sound of his voice. Jack approached her from behind, putting his arm around her back.
"I'm trying to work out the bedroom situation?"
"What situation?"
"Well, we need a nursery. The baby needs to have their own room, preferably close to us for the first year or so. Halley's room would be the better room but it's also the bigger of the three but then she's going to be upset to move and then there's the guest room but we need that for your mother and then I don't know if the girls could share or …."
"Beth, sweetie, just take a breath." He walked in front of her, wrapping his arms around her middle.
Elizabeth took a deep breath in and out before relaxing against Jack's body, her head resting against his neck. He felt her take another few breaths, slowly calming down as her arms wrapped around him.
"Let's bring the girls up here and talk to them."
"Jack, I don't know …"
"Girls! Can you come upstairs?" he called out. After a moment, they heard movement before Grace, Halley and Eve appeared.
"Yes, Daddy?" Eve said running forward and wrapping her parents legs in a hug.
"We need to talk to all of you. Let's take a seat in Halley's room."
Jack led them all in and took a seat on the floor. His daughters followed him, while Elizabeth perched on the bed behind him, her hand resting on Jack's shoulder.
"Okay. We need to decide where the baby is going to sleep so we have time to reorganise things."
"She can sleep with me!" Eve speaks excitedly.
"No, he can be with me. I'm the oldest" Halley added confidently.
Elizabeth held up her hands. "Woah. Hang on. That's not what your Dad meant." Elizabeth patted Jack on the shoulder to prompt him to continue.
"Right. The baby will need their own bedroom for the first little while because babies cry a lot and they wake up in the middle of the night and we don't want you girls getting woken up if we can help it. So Mommy was thinking that maybe Halley's room would be best for the baby since it was closest to our room ..."
Halley immediately began to pout. "But I love my room."
"Hang on. I'm not finished." Jack explained the options to them and by the end all three girls were sitting there sulking. Jack stared between them. "Halley are you happy to move into Grace's room?"
"It's blue. I don't like blue."
"It's just paint. I will repaint the room for you. Will that be okay?"
"I guess so" she said with a shrug.
"And what about you two, Gracie and Eve?"
"Jack, that room is two small for two beds though."
Jack thought for a moment. "What if we turn the room into a room for princesses with a bunk bed as a tower?"
Immediately Eve's face lit up. "Yes! I want to be a princess!"
"Great, well that's decided then."
"When can we move our stuff then?" Grace said excitedly.
"Well, we will have to organise a bunk bed for your room first and then we can move you Gracie. That will allow us time to paint your room for Halley and then we can paint the new baby's room."
The three girls were babbling excitedly about the new arrangements. Gracie and Eve left to have a look where they were going to put everything and Halley went off to do the same in her new room.
"There. Sorted" Jack said proudly to Elizabeth.
She returned his smile. "You just gave yourself a whole lot of work to do though."
"That's okay. We have plenty of time."
"Yeah, sure. Let's just hope this baby doesn't come too early."
Jack stood up and settled down on the bed beside Elizabeth. His hand reached around her back, drawing her closer.
"We'll be fine. There's plenty of time."
Jack met with Frank that week. Their meetings were still frequent and even though Frank had suggested they could change things up if Jack wanted to, he felt comfortable talking to someone who knew what he was going through.
Jack was picking up more and more at work and although he wouldn't say he remembered a lot, so much of his training appeared to be instinctive more than anything, almost like muscle memory. Frank was suitably impressed, as was Major Gowan.
He was summoned into the Major's office for another update at the end of the week.
"Thornton. Take a seat" Henry said as soon as they had greeted one another.
Jack sat down on the other side of Henry's desk.
"I have found a training program that I am hoping would be a good bridging program for you in your condition. I'm sending you, along with five other more advanced cadets. Here are the papers. You leave in two weeks."
Jack took the papers, unfolding them to skim the instructions. "For a month?"
"Yes. I know you've requested leave in December but you will be back before then."
"And it's interstate?"
"Yes, it's at a different base. About a three hour flight."
Thoughts flashed through Jack's mind – being away from his family being the most prominent thing. Jack stared at the papers, trying to pull himself together in front of his superior.
"Thank you for the opportunity Major Gowan."
He stood and the Major followed him, saluting one another while Jack made for the door.
"And Jack?"
"Yes, sir?" he said, spinning around as he neared the door.
"If there are any problems, please speak to Frank this week. We're trying to aid your recovery, not hinder it. It has only been a few months but everyone has been impressed with your recovery so far. Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, sir." Jack paused, waiting.
"You're dismissed."
Jack left the room and walked straight out of the office towards the main office in search of his friend. Shane was nowhere to be found. He walked back outside and collapsed on a bench overlooking the quad. He rested his elbows on his knees and he hung his head in his hands.
One month away from Elizabeth and the girls. Jack groaned. With Elizabeth at just under four months pregnant, he wasn't so sure that this was a good idea but at the same time, it was better to do his training sooner than later.
Jack jumped a mile when he felt a hard hand slap him on the back.
"What's up dude?" Shane said as he sat beside him.
Jack handed him his papers. He kept his head in his hands, waiting for Shane's reaction.
"Oh, that sucks. A whole month."
"Yeah. I'm not sure how Elizabeth will take it."
"Jack, she's going to be fine. She's been married to you for almost ten years. It won't be a problem."
"You don't think so?"
"No. She will be disappointed but she has dealt with this before. She will be okay. You'll see."
Jack nodded his head slowly. "I don't want to miss anything though this time around."
"It's still early days. You won't miss much now. Better to be going now than when she is closer to the end. Now I'm not so sure that she would be okay with that."
Jack chuckled. "I can agree with you there."
"Get out of here for today. Go and tell her."
"Okay. I guess I better."
"Believe me. The sooner you tell her the better, for everyone involved."
Jack stood to leave. "Thanks Shane."
"Any time, man. I mean it. And I will look after Beth while you're on your training program."
"Thanks, Shane. I appreciate it."
Jack walked into his home to find the place quiet and deserted. He looked at the clock on the wall and couldn't figure out where his family was. They should have been home an hour ago. Jack went into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee and then sat down at the kitchen table. He took the letter out of his pocket, unfolded it slowly and then just stared at the jumbled letters on the page.
Elizabeth pulled into the driveway, surprised to see that Jack was already there. The girls flew out of the car as soon as she parked, running into the house and then scattering in different directions at the door.
Elizabeth carried two grocery bags with her containing milk and bread along with something for dinner. As she entered the kitchen she saw Jack sitting at the kitchen table but he didn't move when she entered. She dumped the bags on the counter and as she approached he still didn't move, although he appeared to be staring at papers in front of him.
"Jack?"
He didn't move and she couldn't tell if he had heard.
"Jack?" Elizabeth said again as she neared, raising her hand gently to reach out for his shoulder.
When her hand came into contact with his skin, he startled, jumping in surprise as his head whipped around. He quickly stood up, stuffing the papers in the pocket of his pants.
"Jack, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Jack reached forward, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, holding her close to him. Elizabeth missed this, the way Jack used to hold her. They stood there for a moment both lost in their own thoughts, Elizabeth knew everything was not fine with Jack but she also knew not to push him. Jack would tell her in his own time.
The following afternoon, Elizabeth and Jack bravely took all three daughters to the homemaker centre to find a bed for Gracie and Eve to share. The girls were all so excited, they were out of control minutes after stepping foot into the store. Elizabeth called after them to slow down and not run but her warnings fell on deaf ears.
Gracie threw herself on a nearby bed while Eve was running up and down the aisles laughing hysterically. Halley was slightly more reserved, walking alongside Elizabeth.
Jack pointed out a white bunk bed that had a ladder on the side and a bookshelf built into the end. It also had storage drawers underneath.
"I want the top!" Eve yelled, trying to climb the ladder.
"No. I want the top!"
Within minutes Gracie and Eve were fighting and pushing one another as they both attempted to climb onto the display bed.
"Enough." Jack raised his voice, trying to break them apart but it did nothing. Both of them were too pumped on adrenaline to listen or care.
He looked up at Elizabeth, exasperated. Her forehead was cast into a deep frown as she watched their poor behaviour.
"Gracie and Eve!" her voice was raised as she stared at them. "You have to the count of three to stop. One … two …"
Both of them stopped immediately, Jack's arms finally succeeding to pull them apart.
"Eve, you are keeping your room. You will be on the bottom so you don't fall out. Grace is having to move from her room, she gets the top bunk. Is that clear?" Both girls nodded slowly. "Any more fighting or complaints and you will be sleeping in the basement" Elizabeth said firmly, her hands placed on her hips as she stared them down.
Their eyes widened in surprise and not another word was spoken. Elizabeth looked up at Jack who had a smirk on his face.
"That goes for you too, Daddy" she added and his smile disappeared from his face, but led to a burst of giggles from Halley.
That night after the girls were in bed and Elizabeth was curled up on the couch with Jack, she let out a deep sigh.
"What's wrong now?" Jack asked concerned, his hands running through her hair as she rested her head on his lap.
"Nothing."
"That wasn't nothing."
"Thank you, Jack, for sorting everything out. I was getting a bit anxious about everything on Friday."
"Just the bedroom arrangement?"
Elizabeth didn't reply straight away. "No. About everything."
"Like …?"
"Having another baby again after four years. We're essentially starting from scratch. I have to get a cot, change table, baby clothes and everything else baby related. I got rid of all that stuff years ago. Then there's the actual physical aspect of having another baby. The sleepless nights, the crying, the feeding, the exhaustion … I just don't feel ready for all that again."
"You're … regretting it?"
Elizabeth turned her face to look straight up at Jack, her hand reaching out to his face.
"No. Just anxious, is all."
"I don't really understand because I don't remember a lot of that. Right now, I am just so excited to have this with you again." His hand ran down her arm before making its way across the small bulge of her belly. "It still feels weird. I know I belong here but it is still a huge void from before. Sure, we've made new memories over the past few months but …" Jack trailed off, unsure as to what to say without causing any hurt to Elizabeth.
"Does it feel like you've only known me for a few months?" Elizabeth asked uncertainly.
"Truthfully? No. It feels like I've known you my entire life. You were made for me, Beth. I know that with certainty."
"I'm glad to hear that. I sometimes forget these days that things aren't as easy for you."
Jack knew he had to talk about his upcoming departure but right now he knew it was not the time. That conversation would have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully Elizabeth would be feeling better about everything by then. Jack could only hope.