Chapter 87 - This Ain't About Giving Up Or Giving In

 

Beth's heart started to race when she coasted down the hill and turned into the driveway.  Jon's car was parked at the door. 

 

He was home a lot sooner than she expected him, although he has his own plane and can come and go as he pleases.  She parks her car next to his, leaving room for Dani to get her car out when she was ready to leave. 

 

Grabbing her bags from the back seat, she asks Dani, "Are you coming in?  Jon's here?"

 

"No, I think I better get going.  I want to unpack my car before it gets dark, do you mind?" Dani answers, not wanting to piss her off - but she knows that her and Jon have some things they need to work out.

 

"Come in and say hi, and then you can go." Beth says, looking over the top of the car at her.  "He's probably in the office taking care of business."

 

Reluctantly, Dani agrees, "Okay, a quick hello and then I'm out of here.  I have work in the morning." smiling she takes the bags from Beth and they walk in and find Jon.  As they walked through the large house, Beth can hear that the TV is on in the Great Room, so she leads Dani that way.  As they enter the room, Dani can't help but say, "Damn, that's a big TV."  Jon is laying on the couch watching football game.

 

He sits up and looks back at the women and says, "Hi girls."  He gets up and walks over to Beth.  Without another word, he places his hands on the sides of her face and kisses her, "Hello gorgeous."

 

Dani feeling awkward walks over to the couch and sets Beth's bags down, looking out the windows, giving them a moment to be 'alone'.

 

"Hi."  Beth smiles, when their lips separate.  "When did you get home?"

 

"About an hour ago." he tells her, looking at her watch.  "Hi Dani.  How are you?"

 

Dani turns to look at him, "I'm good Jon, how are you?"

 

"Good.  Congrats on the new job."  he puts his arm around Beth.  He missed her a lot more than he had thought. 

 

"Thank you.  I'm looking forward to getting started, I think that this is going to be the push I needed to get out of my rut."

 

"You'll love living in that building too, security is great and there is someone there 24/7." he states, wanting her to know that he knows, that Beth keeps nothing from him.  "And it's close to work."

 

"I figure we'll start tomorrow about 9.  Does that work for you?"  Beth asks Dani and Dani agrees.

 

Dani hugs Beth and says, "I'm going to get going.  I'll see you in the morning."

 

"Okay.  Be safe driving home." Beth says to her as she walks away.

 

"I will.  Bye Jon."

 

"Bye Dani." 

 

Dani disappears and Jon shifts his focus to Beth.  She's picking her bags up off the couch to take them upstairs, "I can get those, babe."

 

"It's just clothes for the boys and the baby."

 

"You bought baby clothes?" he surprised by that, he thought that they would wait to see if they welcome her into the world.

 

"Yep, cute little girl clothes."  She starts to leave the room to take her stuff upstairs, "Are you coming?"

 

"Do you want me to?"

 

She drops her arms in defeat and says, "I'm over it Jon, let's get on with life, okay.  I have to work tomorrow and I don't want to fight with you all night."

 

"I don't want to fight either, I just wanted to say that I am really sorry for leaving like I did.  I'm sorry that I kept the ground breaking ceremony and I'm sorry that I put that wedge between us."

 

"It's done, we are moving on.  NO MORE SECRETS or lies to save my feelings, I deserve better than that."

 

"Promise."

 

Beth takes the bags and drops them off in the room of the boy that they belonged to, taking the baby girl clothes into the nursery that they had done when she was pregnant with Rowan and Spencer.  She hasn't done anything to it, except clean it and water the plants that are in there. They are plants that were sent to the house when the girls passed away.  When she finds Jon in the master bedroom she says, "I have a great feeling about this baby Jon.  She's been so active and my baby bump is growing pretty fast."

 

"You're glowing and even your face is filling out.  Babe, you are breathtaking and I love you."  He's at his dresser, taking off his watch and his necklace, wanting to get in the shower.  He left Paul's without a shower, because that would have delayed him getting home.  "Can I tell you something?"

 

"You can tell me anything, you know that."  Beth sits in the chair on her side of the bed and slips off her boots, then giving Jon all of her attention.

 

"I have know Paul for a very long time, and when they lost their daughter, I never thought that he would be the same.  I couldn't, at that time, ever imagine losing a child - and here I am, having lost two."  He sits on the edge of the bed on her side, facing her as she sits in her chair rubbing her feet, "He had years with his daughter and we only had moments with our girls, never even hearing them cry - but I think I am just as devastated as he was.  Can that be possible?"

 

"Absolutely.  We all experience loss in different ways, and just because we never had them in our lives alive, it hurts, regardless."

 

"I know, but I'm having a hard time even dealing with that still after all of this time."

 

"So am I, some days are easier than others, but knowing that this one is still very strong helps me more than I thought it would."

 

"I don't know what I'll do if we lose her, I'm not kidding."  he reaches over and grabs her foot, rubbing it after he takes her socks off, "you feet are swollen."

 

"I know, I need to lay down."

 

"Then get in bed."

 

"Babe, its 4 in the afternoon, too early for bed."

 

"You don't need to go to bed, just rest for a while, keep your feet up." he tells her, loving looking at her and knowing that he's helping her feel even just a little better. 

 

Beth sits there and looks at him, she looks his face, down his neck and then down to that hairy chest that she loves.  Tonight they put all of the bad and the bitterness behind them and focus on the future.   Focus on bringing a baby into the world and taking care of the business that they need to attend to.

 

They puttered and chit chatted for the rest of the evening.  Both of them slept poorly when they were apart, so as soon as they climbed into bed, sleep was almost instant.

 

 

Beth arrived at her office to find Dani sitting outside the office.  Beth neglected to give her a key.  The opening of her firm was very successful and months into it, they are leading the way in a female owned and operated investment firm.  Beth was on a fast and fun road to super successful and she knew that she needed to bring someone in to take care of it when and if she went on maternity leave. 

 

Her relationship with Dani was great.  She trusted her with her business, she trusted her with Jon's kids....they have gotten to know her and they loved her.  She would come hang out with the kids from time to time so Jon and Beth could attend an event or just go out.  She helped Lupetta when she needed it and was a welcome addition to their family. 

 

Over the course of a few months, there had been a huge interest in Jon and Beth's NYC apartments, so instead of having to leave for a few hours a couple nights a week, for realtors to show the apartments, Dani just moved into the mother in law above the garage.  Beth liked having her close and riding into work together, she had a friend that loves her for her, not for who she is with.