***A week later***
The funeral services were hard and long and exhausting. Somehow, they all got through it.
Due to the funeral services, the lawyer had rescheduled the will reading.
Jennifer had hired two neighborhood girls to watch the kids, but she brought McKenna with them.
Jonathan had rented them a car, and had gone out and bought a car seat for McKenna since hers had been destroyed in the car accident.
They showed up at the lawyer's office with Abby and Mike and sat down and waited.
McKenna was sound asleep.
Jonathan and Jennifer hadn't really talked about things but she had softened towards him a little.
She had shocked him with her statement about being glad he was there.
All he had told her was he was glad he was there too, and they went to sleep. They hadn't had a minute to talk about it since.
The will was quite standard. They left everything to the kids, except for specific items.
"To Jennifer, I leave my sorority pearls, and my collection of sorority t-shirts, as well as the contents of the teal box at the top of my closet."
Patrick had left Jonathan his beer mug collection and his Navy flag.
They left the kids to Abby and Mike and they wanted the house to either be put into a trust while they lived in it, or sold and the money put into a trust for them after college. In the event that Abby and Mike couldn't take the kids, Jonathan and Jennifer were listed as backups. Everything that wasn't labeled in the will went to the kids. They all three had college funds, and they all three had a first car fund. Caroline and Patrick had really thought things out and planned ahead.
They left the house satisfied with things, and went home.
The will reading was the final thing in the whole scenario. Now that all of it was over, Jennifer wanted to collapse.
They got home and Abby made mac and cheese for everyone and chicken nuggets, and Jennifer made a salad for the adults.
They all sat down to eat, and then Jennifer cleaned the kitchen.
She called her boss and they agreed that she could work from home for a while.
Jonathan called his secretary and told her that unless it was an emergency, he was going to be in New York for the next few months.
Abby and Mike and their kids left after they were done eating.
"Thank you so much for taking care of them. If you need anything, let us know".
"We will. We will keep in touch, I'm sure".
After rounds of hugs, they said goodbye and Jennifer went and changed into some sweatpants and a comfortable t-shirt.
She was in the kitchen that night, doing the dishes when Jonathan came up to her.
"Hey, why don't you let me do that while you go rest?"
"It's ok, I've got it. I'm almost done".
He started drying the dishes and she started putting them away.
"How do you want to do this, as far as taking care of the kids? Do you want to get up with McKenna every night, or do you want to trade off days?"
"Well, never let it be said that I'm not flexible, or stuck in my ways. Whatever you want to do is fine".
He sighed.
That was a dig at him for the list of pros/cons about her.
"I tell you what. You go take a bubble bath, I'll put these dishes away, and then tonight, I'll get up with her so you can rest".
"That sounds good".
She went and ran a bubble bath and sank into it. Bubble baths and hot baths were the one thing she did for herself consistently, and they were pretty important to her.
After about 10 minutes he came in the bathroom.
He pulled up a stool and sat behind the tub.
"Jonathan, what are you doing in here?"
"Just relax, it's all right."
He started massaging her shoulders.
"Ohhh yeah, right there. That feels amazing".
"Jennifer, I never got a chance to explain something to you, and I would like to do that now, if you'll let me".
"Go ahead".
"The day at your apartment when you found the list in my pocket, it wasn't what you thought it was. A few days before that, I had a long talk with Caroline. And she told me that you had every reason to be so guarded, and that I needed to learn to communicate better. So, I went to a relationship therapist. And at our first session, she had me make a list of your qualities. I assumed she wanted me to put them in pro and con columns, but she didn't. She had me list them according to which ones I could live without. I just never changed the column labels. And I'm not telling you this because I expect things to change between us, I just wanted you to know".
"Thank you".
"You've taken on a lot this week, and I think you should relax. So, I want you to let me help out more. I can take a shift with the baby, or I can take the kids to Chuck E Cheese while you and McKenna stay home and rest. I'm willing to do whatever you need or want, just tell me".
"Thank you."
She shivered a bit, so he got her a towel and left so that she could get out of the bath.
He was in bed when she came out, watching the news.
McKenna was in her bassinette.
Jennifer climbed in bed and finished her wine.
She was about to fall asleep when a storm came up and there were several big claps of thunder.
Pretty soon, they heard footsteps.
Savanna and Luke both came and crawled in the bed and curled up to them.
"It's ok, it's just a storm. It won't hurt us".
Savanna looked over at Jonathan.
"Did you get scared too?"
Jennifer started laughing.
"No, I'm not scared."
Luke decided he wanted to sleep on the couch, so Jonathan went and got him set up on the couch.
Savanna fell back asleep on Jennifer.
"Want me to take her to her bed?"
"No, she might wake up again. How about the other end of the couch? Can you go get her princess blanket and pillow from her bed?"
"Sure".
"Thank you".
She held Savanna a little longer and then Jonathan gently took her to the couch.
He came back and got in bed with Jennifer and turned the news off.
"What time do you think McKenna will wake up?"
"Around 2. After that, she's good till 5 or 6".
"Got it".
She struggled to get to sleep, she was tossing and turning.
"How about some warm milk?"
"No, it's not that. My neck is bothering me".
He reached over and started massaging her neck and scalp.
"Oh, that feels wonderful".
He rubbed her neck till she drifted off to sleep, and wrapped an arm around her waist and just held her for a minute.
He drifted off to sleep and woke up when McKenna did, and got her a bottle.
He sat in the rocker and fed her and listened to the storm. He burped her at the end of the bottle and held her on his chest for a little bit, trying to get her to go back to sleep.
All of a sudden, she spit up and warm, wet milk coated his t-shirt.
"Oh that's not very nice. I just fed you and you want to throw up on me? Come on".
She responded by spitting up on him again.
Jennifer woke up and heard him talk to her.
She tried not to laugh.
She got up and took the baby from him so he could change.
"Be careful, she's a live fountain of hot evilness".
"Jonathan, she is not… she's adorable. Did you burp her ½ way through?"
"No, only at the end".
"Well, duh."
He got up and went and sponged off and changed his shirt and then came back to bed.
Jennifer had gotten McKenna changed, and back to sleep and was putting her in the bassinette.
They climbed into bed and went back to sleep.
They woke up when McKenna did, and he went and made breakfast for everyone.
She got the kids up and dressed. The kids were going back to school today. He agreed to take them, and she kissed them goodbye and then went to shower. She put the bassinette in the bathroom so she could hear McKenna if she cried.
She and McKenna went to run some errands, and then she picked up the kids. When Jonathan got home, he was surprised to find a green Ford Explorer in the driveway.
She was in the kitchen making dinner, and the kids were at the table, coloring.
"Hey, I'm home".
"Hey, we're in here".
"Aunt Jeffer is making pasghetti for dinner. And she buyed a new car".
"I see that. What made you do that?"
"Well, my car wasn't big enough, and we have three kids now. So, I figured you could drive Patrick's Mercedes and I could drive this car, and then we wouldn't have to scramble to figure out how to fit everyone".
"I see. Let me chip in for that".
"No, that's ok. I got a good deal and I can afford it. It's fine".
He looked over the paperwork she had brought from the dealer, and agreed she had gotten a good deal.
"Pretty impressive. Does it drive ok?"
"Yeah, it does."
"Brand new?"
"Yeah, and I had them check it out very thoroughly".
"Good job".
The spaghetti was ready then, so she told the kids to put their stuff away and go wash their hands.
"Where's the baby?"
"In her bassinette".
She made everyone a plate and they sat down at the table.
After they started eating, she looked at Jonathan.
"Got any big plans this weekend?"
"Whatever you want to do is fine".
"No, I meant do you have a date?"
"No".
"I have a project in mind, and I will need your help for a little bit of it, but I can handle the rest".
"Oh? What do you have in mind?"
"A little redecorating. We can talk about it later".
She got him seconds, and refilled his tea, and got some more salad for herself and then sat back down.
"Thanks for making dinner".
"You're welcome".
He insisted on doing the dishes after they were done, and she took the kids upstairs and got them showers and ready for bed.
They came back downstairs for dessert and some snuggle time.
"Do you want to do tuck ins, and I feed McKenna, or do you want me to do tuck ins and you feed McKenna".
"I will do tuck ins".
"Great".
She told the kids goodnight and then went and got McKenna's bottle ready.
Jonathan took the kids upstairs and got them settled into bed.
He came back downstairs to find Jennifer putting McKenna into her bassinette.
They sat on the couch and she started telling him about what she wanted to do.
"Ok, so I'm thinking she's old enough for her own room. What if we take the formal living room furniture and put it in the attic, and move the office that we really don't use to the formal living room, and use the office room as her room? It's not as warm as the living room, but we can put a space heater in there and it has a door, where the living room doesn't".
"I like that idea."
"Ok, so I will need you to help me move the furniture. And after we get it cleaned it out, I can paint it and get it decorated, and then we can find some second hand furniture. I don't think we need to go completely expensive, because she won't be in it that much longer."
He agreed.
"What color do you want to paint it?"
"I'm thinking soft pink with a light gray trim. White furniture and pink sheets, blankets and curtains to tie it all together".
"I like that".
"That was easy. I thought I was really going to have to convince you".
"I told you, I'm willing to do anything you want, Jennifer".
"Yeah, but this is a big project".
"I mean it, Jennifer. Your happiness is first and foremost to me".
"That's very kind".
"I want us to be able to be more than friends someday and we can't do that if you think I don't put you first".
"Jonathan, we've been down this road before. We need to stay friends".
"Do we?"
"Yeah, because think about it. What if we break up and we still have to live here? That would be awkward".
"What if we don't break up? What if we make it?"
"I can't imagine that. Everything is so overwhelming, I can only think one day at a time".
"I know, I get that. I'm not trying to pressure you".
"I just can't believe how much things have changed in the blink of an eye".
She got up and went to take a bath and left him sitting on the couch.
After she got out of the bath, she came out and sat by him on the couch.
"We can watch a movie if you want".
She was yawning left and right.
"Jennifer, you are exhausted. Go to bed, it's ok".
"She's going to wake up soon and it's my turn".
"We don't have to stick to a schedule you know. I can help you out if you want to go to bed".
"You need sleep too".
Just then, McKenna woke up. Jennifer went to get her and he got the bottle.
He took her from Jennifer and fed her, and started talking to McKenna.
After a few minutes, he looked over and noticed that Jennifer was asleep.
He got McKenna back to sleep and in her bassinette, and then he went and turned down the bed. He came back and gently scooped Jennifer up and carried her to bed. He tucked her in and gave her a sweet, soft kiss.
"Goodnight, darling".