ONE
Present
“Are you sure you can handle this, Dad?”
Amelia wrinkles her brows, waiting for me to reassure her since it’s five days she’ll be away from her children. If my memory serves correct, Charlotte was a mess the first time we left the girls for the same period of time. Several times on the drive to the airport, she asked if we could turn back because she didn’t think Ava would sleep at night. Also, she worried Amelia might have accidentally burned my parents’ house down.
“We’ve gone over this,” Will intervenes in a calming tone even though he’s trying to multi-task and type on his phone. “You’ll be too drunk on cocktails to even remember having children.”
A heavy sigh escapes Amelia as she narrows her eyes at Will.
“You’re not helping me calm down.”
“Amelia, how many times have we discussed this? You need to meet with a client. I need to meet with some clients,” he reminds her tactfully. “It’s business mixed with some pleasure. You won’t have time to worry about the kids because before you know it, you’ll be back on a flight to LA and dealing with a son who thinks Pennywise is real thanks to some idiot at preschool, and one who has a sudden fascination for using your lipstick all over our walls like he’s Picasso.”
I’m half-expecting Amelia to argue back since she is very much like Charlotte and must have the last word. As for Will, much like myself, you pick your battles. Women, specifically Charlotte and Amelia, are stubborn and refuse to back down just to prove a point.
Charlotte walks into the kitchen with one grandchild in her arms and another following behind her. Her chocolate brown hair falls perfectly to her collarbone, only to be tugged by Ava’s daughter, River.
She moves around the kitchen so effortlessly, unaffected by the baby touching her hair or our grandson, Archer, pleading for a cookie before bedtime.
Even though years have passed, if possible, Charlotte is more beautiful than when I made her my wife. Watching her with our grandchildren is just how I envisioned our life would be once our kids grew. But, of course, this is after I accepted my daughters would not join a nunnery and stay celibate.
“Millie, relax. You don’t see me all in fretful mother mode,” Ava says with a wide grin, unusually relaxed, given she’s known to panic at times.
Beside her, Austin shakes his head with a knowing smirk while taking River from Charlotte so Archer can get the attention he demands from his grandmother. Charlotte crouches to Archer’s level, talking to him quietly to which he nods with an endearing smile. Bets are Charlotte has negotiated one cookie, but he must eat all his dinner. Even with the kids, she knows how to negotiate so we don’t end up with kids running around on a sugar high.
“Perhaps, this is from the shots of tequila you drank before we came here to stop yourself from crying,” Austin casually mentions.
“I had something in my eye,” Ava drags, glancing in the opposite direction to Austin.
“Oh?” He muses, raising his eyes with delight. “Because it didn’t seem to bother you during your retelling of the time your mom left you for Adriana’s birthday in Cancun, then you cried so hard you puked on the living room floor.”
Charlotte shakes her head with a groan. “If ever I had mom guilt, that was the moment.”
“Sorry, Mom.” Ava chuckles softly, then moves closer to River to caress her cheek. “I know my babies are in the best hands this week.”
“Amelia, Ava,” I say gently. “It will be fine. We’ve had all the kids overnight. What are a few more days? Enjoy your trip with Addison and Masen.”
Ava’s eldest daughter, Emmy, climbs into my lap, abandoning her boy cousins, who are now yelling in the living room. Emmy curls up into my chest, placing her thumb in her mouth while playing with the buttons of my shirt.
“Look at the old fella,” Will goads with a broad smile. “He’ll be fine. He has everything ready for tomorrow's big presentation and will sleep like a baby tonight.”
Charlotte shakes her head with annoyance since I promised to help and not be distracted by work. That was before I found out a sought-after hotel chain was going on the market in Singapore because of an upcoming divorce proceeding.
“Speaking of this presentation, where are your numbers?” I question Will.
“Sitting in your inbox,” he informs smugly. “Drop the ball already? Might need to send you to the old folks’ home.”
Not many people in my life can get away with this talk, but Will Romano is damn lucky he’s my son-in-law and a brilliant man in the boardroom. Even before his relationship with Amelia, I knew this kid had talent. He’s an innovator, a dying breed since many are quick to label themselves this but fall short in the act.
“Nice dig, kid. Don’t call me in the old folks’ home when you need me to sign off on a deal because you can’t read Cantonese. I’ll be busy playing bingo with my wife.”
Ava claps her hands. “Okay, you two, enough smack talk. We need to go, or we’ll miss our flight.”
“Um, aren’t you forgetting about the other happy couple?” Amelia reminds Ava.
“They’re probably having sex… ” Ava blurts out, “ …since Masen flew back from San Antonio a few hours ago.”