***Monday***
Jonathan and Jennifer were home from Vegas. Everyone had agreed it had been an absolutely lovely trip.
Jennifer was in full on preparation mode-packing her honeymoon suitcase, packing her bag for the wedding and wedding night, putting together the wedding toss items, and the favors. Tonight, she was going to put together the programs after dinner. Jonathan had told her he was taking her to dinner when he got home.
She had called Julie and Sean and they agreed to bring the kids down Wednesday afternoon. They were going to stay with Jennifer and Jonathan till Friday, and then they would go to the hotel with Julie and Sean.
Jennifer got the wedding toss items all arranged, and in a box. She put that in the dining room, and grabbed the box of favors. She had just finished putting those together when Jonathan got home.
"Hi darling".
"Hi honey".
She leaned up and kissed him.
"I made us reservations at a hibachi place".
"Yummy. I'm famished".
She put all the favors in the box and took it to the dining room and then ran upstairs to fix her hair and makeup.
She was back down in about 5 minutes, and grabbed her purse.
"Can we take your car? My car needs new brakes".
"Sure". She handed him the keys and they headed to it.
He was distant during dinner, and she could tell he was stressed about work again.
"4 days, honey".
"What?"
"4 days".
"Oh yeah, right".
After dinner, she proposed a walk on the beach, but he wasn't into it.
They went back to the house and he immediately got out his briefcase and worked all night on the deal while she put the programs together.
Around 11, she was finally finished and put them all in a box. She put the box in the dining room and went to the office.
He was working away at the desk.
"Honey, it's late. Aren't you coming to bed?"
"Not just yet. You go on ahead".
"Darling, we haven't spent any time together at all today".
"I'm sorry, darling. I have to get this done. I'll be up soon, I promise".
She sighed and shook her head as she went upstairs.
She fell asleep right away and never felt him come to bed.
***Wednesday***
Jonathan and Jennifer had barely said two words to each other since Monday. He was gone before she woke up on Tuesday and didn't come home till after she was asleep.
She left him a note that she loved him and that the kids would be there by 3 and could he please meet her at the airport to get them.
Around 2, she called his office.
"Hi Deanne-this is Jennifer. Can you please tell Jonathan that the kids are flying in on Delta? We are meeting them at the baggage claim. I'm leaving the house now".
"Yes ma'am, right away".
"Thank you".
She hung up and headed to the airport.
She was standing at the baggage claim when she saw the kids coming.
Julie and Sean were holding tight to McKenna's hands, and Savanna and Luke were right next to them.
Savanna saw her and took off running.
"Hi Aunt Jeffer!"
"Hi lovebug! My goodness you have gotten tall! Hi Luke! You are so handsome".
She gave them both huge hugs and picked Savanna up for a minute.
Julie and Sean came walking up and she hugged them both and held McKenna for a bit.
McKenna was so excited to see her.
Sean got their luggage and a cart and they all walked to Jennifer's car.
"Ok, so we rented a car. We are going to take that and come back here and follow you to the townhouse".
"Perfect".
He put the car seat for McKenna in Jennifer's car.
Jonathan had never showed up.
"Aunt Jeffer, can I put my dress on when we get home?"
"Yes. But only for a minute".
"That's acceptable".
She chuckled.
"Aunt Jennifer, where's Uncle Jonathan?"
"He's at work. He was supposed to be here, but he must have gotten tied up".
"Where's Max?"
"At the house. He's making you guys a special dinner".
"I missed you, Aunt Jeffer".
"I missed you too, lovebug".
She gave her several kisses and they got everyone all buckled in. In just a few minutes, Julie and Sean were back with the rental, and they all followed Jennifer to the townhouse.
They came inside and the kids all ran to Max.
"Hi ya kiddos! Have a nice trip?"
"Yeah, we were on a big plane".
"And there was this guy who was sitting in front of us and he got airsick. We could see the whole thing. He needed 3 barf bags".
"My apologies, they are fixated on him throwing up for some reason".
"It's quite alright".
Jennifer went and got Savanna's dress and McKenna's dress and showed it to them.
Sean put together the pack n play and set it up in the alcove.
They all fell in love with it. It was white satin, with spaghetti straps and a tulle princess skirt with little crystals in it. She had also picked up white stockings for each of them and white Mary Janes, and white hair bows.
"I feel like a real princess Aunt Jeffer".
"You do? Well that's wonderful, lovebug. But we have to take it off now so it doesn't get dirty".
"Ok".
McKenna didn't fight taking hers off either, thankfully.
"Ok, well we are going to head to the hotel. We have dinner reservations and then tickets to the Opera. We cannot thank you enough for taking them like this".
"You thank me? I'm the one who should thank you. I've really missed them, I'm so glad to get to spend some time with them".
Julie gave her the number to their hotel and told her to call with any issues.
After a round of hugs, it was just Jennifer, Max, and the kids.
Jennifer picked up the phone and called Jonathan at the office.
"Hi Deanne-this is Jennifer. Can you ask Jonathan when he's planning on making an appearance at home tonight?"
"Sure, one moment".
She waited a moment and then Deanne got back on the line.
"He says soon, Miss Edwards."
"Thank you".
She got them all settled down, and Max came and told them he was making chicken strips, onion rings and salad for dinner.
"Awesome!"
Savanna wanted to play with Jennifer's hair, and McKenna just wanted to sit in her lap.
Luke went to help Max as much as Max would allow.
After dinner, Jennifer got McKenna down for the night, and in her pack n play.
Max and Luke were upstairs playing a video game.
Savanna and Jennifer put on their pajamas and had their sleepover. She made them popcorn and purple sprites, and they watched a couple Barbie movies.
"Did you enjoy your sleepover with Victoria?"
"Yeah, but her mom made us go to bed early because we were screaming".
"I see."
"Will you let me scream Aunt Jeffer?"
"Please don't".
"Ok".
Jennifer had gotten them some activities to do, like coloring sheets and putting a puzzle together. They worked on that, and then Savanna was almost asleep, so Jennifer turned out the lights and took her upstairs. It was 10:30 and Jonathan still wasn't home.
She laid down with Savanna in the guest room and waited till she was sure she was asleep, and then tiptoed out.
She was in their bedroom when she heard him come in.
"Hi".
"Where the hell have you been?"
"At the office".
"Seriously? You were supposed to meet me at the airport to pick them up. You didn't call, you didn't show up. You missed dinner, the whole bit."
"Jennifer, I told you a few days ago, I had to get this deal done".
"Have you ever heard of a telephone? You could have at least let me know you weren't coming home".
"I was too busy to call".
"Is this how it's going to be when we are married, Jonathan? Me never seeing you because you are always at the office? Are you planning on working on our honeymoon, too?"
"Don't be ridiculous".
"Don't tell me how to feel! You and I haven't spent any time together in days, Jonathan and we are getting married this weekend, in case you have forgotten".
"What do you want me to do? Let the deal fall apart, let the company fall apart? Is that what you want?!"
"Keep your voice down, the kids are asleep".
"So you can yell and I can't?"
"I didn't say that, and I'm not yelling. Tell me something, how is your car?"
"My car?"
"Yes. You told me the other night that you needed new brakes. Have you gotten them yet?"
"Yes, I had the dealership come pick up my car and take care of it".
"Funny how you can find time to take care of that but you can't come home and spend time with me, or even pick up the phone to call and tell me you aren't coming home".
"Jennifer-try to understand. I have a lot on me right now, and I'm trying to get it all done".
"Oh? Like what?"
"Like the business deal, like planning to be gone from the office for our wedding and honeymoon, like moving into a new house with you".
"You initiated the business deal, did you not?"
"Yes, I did".
"And you asked me to marry you, and you are the one who wanted a 2-week honeymoon, and if I'm not mistaken you are the one who picked the date we are supposed to move into a new house. You brought all this on you, Jonathan. It's not the fault of anyone else".
"I understand that. But it's still a lot and I'm balancing it".
"I'm not buying it, Jonathan. You promised me you would be here and you weren't. You put Stanley in charge over the weekend, you could have put him in charge today so you could be here. If this is what it's going to be like when we are married, we have a problem".
She grabbed her pillow and headed to the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To sleep with Savanna".
She went across the hall, and climbed into bed with Savanna and fought back tears as she fell asleep.
***Thursday morning***
Jennifer woke up when she heard McKenna crying, and went to get her.
She was downstairs feeding her breakfast when Jonathan came down.
"Morning".
"Morning".
McKenna smiled really big for him and waved at him.
"Hi monkey".
Jennifer finished feeding her breakfast and went and started on blueberry pancakes for the big kids.
She quickly made a bottle for McKenna and gave it to her.
Jonathan made himself some coffee and sat down next to McKenna.
Jennifer had finished the first batch of pancakes when the kids came downstairs.
They ran to Jonathan and hugged him.
"Ok kids, pancakes. Wash your hands".
They ran off to wash their hands while she made their plates.
She got out the butter and syrup and put it on the table.
She cut up a pancake really small for McKenna and put it on her high chair tray.
She was doing the dishes when the kids came back.
They were talking to Jonathan about school and everything while she washed the pan.
"Aunt Jeffer, I saved you a seat".
"Ok lovebug, I'm coming".
She went and sat by her and had some yogurt and fruit.
"Aunt Jeffer, did you sleep with me?"
"Yep. We had a sleepover, like I promised. I always keep my promises".
"What are we doing today Aunt Jeffer?"
"Whatever you guys want to do. We can go to the zoo, we can go to the playground".
They voted for the zoo.
"Ok sounds great".
She got up and rinsed her dishes and put them in the dishwasher.
The kids were still eating, so she poured herself a cup of coffee.
Jonathan got up and set his coffee cup in the sink.
He took her hand and led her to the living room.
"I love you, and I'm sorry about last night. I should have called you, at the very least. You are the most important thing in my life, no matter what".
"I'm sorry too, I should have been more understanding".
"You had every right to be angry, baby. I haven't been very attentive, and I should have put someone in charge. I promise you, I'm doing that today. I'm only going to the office for this one meeting, and then I'll be home and we can all go to the zoo together".
She nodded.
"And then tonight, maybe Max can babysit while you and I have a dinner re-do?"
"No, I don't want to do that. I want to spend time with the kids. You and I can spend time together after they go to bed, alright?"
"You got it. I love you".
"I love you too".
She kissed him a few times and then they came back into the kitchen.
"Ok kids, Uncle Jonathan has a meeting. But as soon as it's over, I'll be back and we are going to the zoo!"
"Yay!"
They hugged him goodbye and Jennifer picked up McKenna to take her upstairs for a bath.
Savanna wanted to come help so they all walked to the stairs together.
"Bye darling, see you in a bit".
"Bye honey, I love you".
She kissed him a couple times and McKenna squealed.
"Bye Monkey".
"Bye bye".
Jennifer kissed him again, and they headed upstairs.
Savanna helped her give McKenna a bath, and then the kids got dressed.
Max was up when they got back downstairs and agreed to watch the kids so Jennifer could get ready.
By 11, they were all sitting on the couch waiting on Jonathan to get home.
"Miss Edwards, what do you want me to make for dinner?"
"How about spaghetti?"
"Yes! I love Aunt Jeffer's pasghetti".
"I'll leave the recipe for you, Max. If you can make the sauce, I'll make the noodles when we get back".
"Will do".
Jonathan got home right at 12, and had brought burgers and fries for everyone.
The kids were excited. Jennifer made their plates and got them settled at the table.
McKenna kept flapping her arms and blowing raspberries at Jonathan, so he ran through the house flying her like an airplane. She was squealing pretty loud.
"I think someone has missed you".
"I think so too".
He set her in the highchair and Jennifer gave her some French Fries.
Jonathan wrapped his arms around Jennifer's waist.
"I am officially out of the office until Monday, the 10th. Only Max and Jack are going to know where we are, and if anyone has to reach us, they have to go through them first. Stanley is in charge, and we had a talk today about what constitutes an emergency and how I have the upmost faith in him to handle things the way I would".
"Thank you".
She kissed him.
"My father gets here tomorrow morning. And I have a bridal luncheon tomorrow afternoon, and I'm taking Savanna to it. But can you watch Luke and McKenna? Maybe you guys can go to the park or something?"
"Sure".
"After the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, the kids are going with Julie and Sean. And I'm supposed to go to Susan's."
"I rented us a limo for Saturday night to take us to the hotel."
"Perfect".
She kissed him and then sat down with the kids. He grabbed some French fries and went upstairs to change clothes.
Max opted to stay home while they went to the zoo.
They loaded McKenna's stroller into the car and then all the kids piled in and got buckled.
Jennifer had packed them a bag of drinks and snacks, and they took their time looking at all the animals.
McKenna fell asleep about 10 minutes before they were done.
They came inside the condo and Jennifer transitioned McKenna to her pack n play.
She went to make the noodles and Savanna was her helper.
Luke and Jonathan went upstairs to play a video game.
Max had made the sauce, and some garlic toast and a salad.
"Thanks Max".
"Sure thing, Miss Edwards".
Savanna told him all about the animals they saw at the zoo.
"Sounds fun, kid".
"It was the best!"
She looked at Jennifer.
"Aunt Jeffer, what are we doing tonight?"
"Well, I was thinking that tonight, we could watch a movie".
"Yeah yeah yeah!"
Jennifer pinched her nose.
She picked her up and set her down.
"Lovebug, can you pretty please quietly run get Jonathan and Luke and tell them it's time for dinner?"
"Yes, I can".
She took off upstairs to get them while Jennifer got the plates out.
Max had set the table.
When Jonathan and Luke came downstairs, Jonathan started on beverages.
As soon as they sat down, McKenna started crying.
"I'll get her, baby. You eat".
"Thank you. Her diapers and wipes are in the blue bag next to the window, in case she needs changing".
He brought her down a few minutes later and put her in her highchair. Jennifer got her a bowl of spaghetti and cut it up and put it on her tray.
"Aunt Jeffer, tell me how the wedding is going to be".
"Ok, well there's going to be music. And then Uncle Jonathan and Uncle Max are going to walk down the aisle. And then our friend Susan is going to walk down the aisle. And then you and Luke and McKenna are going to walk down the aisle. Luke is going to stand by Jonathan. You are going to stand by Susan. McKenna is going to go sit with Aunt Julie and Uncle Sean. And then my dad and I are going to walk down the aisle."
"And then what?"
"And then the minister is going to say some things, and then Jonathan and I get to say some things, and then we exchange rings, and then the minister says we are married. And then Jonathan kisses me and we all walk back up the aisle".
"And then what?"
"And then we have the reception, where we dance, eat cake, do fun stuff. And then we say goodbye to you guys and we get in a limo and leave".
"For your hunkymoon?"
"Yes, that's right".
"Where is your hunkymoon?"
"I don't know, lovebug. Jonathan won't tell me".
"Well, it's a surprise. But I actually have been dropping hints all along".
Jennifer was confused.
"You have?"
He nodded.
She got up and cleaned up from dinner, and he came to help her with the dishes.
Max took Luke and Savanna to the living room to watch TV.
Just as they had finished the dishes, and were about to give McKenna a bath in the sink, they heard Savanna screaming bloody murder.