Page 70 of Holding On

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

I haven’t been staying in Forrest Falls for that long, but as soon as the SUV makes the last turn in the bend driving back from Nashville and the hill crests before opening to the serene town, a foreign feeling of coming home settles in my heart. When we left my brother’s place earlier today, we had our luggage packed, but Dahlia wasn’t sure if she was going to be staying in Nashville after Fiona’s funeral or coming with us. Decision fatigue had hit all of us over the last few days, but it hit Dahlia especially hard. When Dahlia said she wanted away from the crowds and Jack suggested for her to come with us to Forrest Falls for a bit, I was so relieved when she agreed.

There are some hard conversations that need to happen, and it won’t be hard for the press to find out that we’re in Forrest Falls, but between Jack’s building and his family’s homes out on private land, we have options of places we can go and just … breathe.

Jack let his assistant know our plans and Jett coordinated to have all kinds of food already delivered before our arrival. Cami was finishing setting up across the kitchen island as we walked into Jack’s penthouse from the elevator.

“Oh, please tell me there is a vegetable platter with ranch dip somewhere in that ridiculous amount of food,” Dahlia says as she kicks her heels off the moment we walk into Jack’s penthouse. Dahlia has had a serious craving for crisp fresh vegetables slathered in ranch dip.

“I was informed that was a non-negotiable,” Jack adds as he starts grabbing bottles of water and glasses for everyone to have beverage options.

“I just need some bread. I don’t even care if it’s part of an actual loaf, slice, roll, whatever the form, I need it!” Allie proclaims, as though we didn’t eat breakfast. Okay, none of us had much of an appetite, but there’s been an opportunity to eat. I usher Dahlia over to one of the dining room chairs and help her get situated, despite her pleas that she was not an invalid.

“Let me take care of you, please. I need this, okay?” I ask as I squeeze her hand, finally getting her to give in and let me help. I put together a massive pile of fresh vegetables, along with a mix of other food options that look like they came from the diner in town, but I also spy some baked goods that most likely came from Sprinkles.

Cami sees me eyeing the cookies. “I had a few things ready before Jack had the magical elves show up with enough food for a small army.” She gives her brother a fond smile, who returns it, warming my heart. Life is too short to not have good people in it—and to tell them how much they mean to you because you never know when they will be just … gone.

Cami puts her hand around my lower back, before softly saying, “You froze, honey. Come back.” I look up at my new friend, grateful she didn’t make it a bigger deal, and give her a nod before finishing Dahlia’s plate. Jack invites Cami to join us, but she has training to get to on some new frothing machine at work—which honestly sounds like she made up to give us some space—but before we could argue, she was gone.

Wells, Jack, Dahlia, Allie, and I sit around his dining room table, taking little bites and having some small talk, except Dahlia and the rate she devoured the first plate of vegetables. “Pregnancy cravings are so weird,” she mumbles as she chows down on raw broccoli like it’s a decadent chocolate ganache cake, which was also included in the spread if anyone wanted a slice. Her cravings seem sated by the second serving of vegetables, although I know that isn’t going to be her last plate.

“So, Dahlia…” Jack starts, as all of us turn to him. “I’ve been waiting for the right time to bring up this topic, but I don’t know that there will be a perfect time.”

Dahlia nods as she looks around the table, then down at her plate, nudging a piece of mini cucumber with a celery stick. “The babies.” Her statement is soft, yet anything but insignificant.

Jack nods. “First things first, can you tell me what it is that you want?”

“I want my sister.” Dahlia’s eyes flood, and I reach over and grab her hand as Allie rubs her back soothingly on the other side. “But that’s not an option. So, I want these babies to be well loved by parents that are going to put them first, not their trust funds, and I want to be a part of their lives, I just don’t want…” Dahlia shakes her head, looking down and covering her mouth with her other hand.

“You don’t want to be the one to raise them. It’s okay to say that, Dahlia. We aren’t judging here.” I try to console her, but the guilt is all over her face.

“How does that not make me a terrible person to say that? My sister is killed in a car accident, one that the cops are saying may have been intentional, so scratch that, she’s murdered, and I don’t want to raise her babies? Pretty sure that makes me an asshole!”

“No. It does not. You are not an asshole, Dahlia. Fiona would never, ever, think that, and we both know that,” I insist.

“I agree with Tinsley,” Wells pipes in, surprising me. I wasn’t sure what he knew about the situation. He gives me a soft smile. “Fiona had told me about the babies at the New Year’s concert but swore me to secrecy. She said she would tell you I knew soon, but … well, that didn’t happen. She explained her plans, and what her plans were not. She never meant this to be your responsibility, Dahlia.”

“It seems like she had expressed that desire to multiple people, including Daphne Cromwell and having it in the documentation she put in her trust,” Jack adds.

Dahlia nods. “I know all of that, but I can’t help the way I feel about all of it. Like I’m somehow letting her down by not raising them if she can’t.”

I shake my head. “No way. The only way you’d let her down is if you allow those babies to be strangers to you. Are you going to be a stranger, Dahlia? Is that your goal?”

She rears back at me. “I would never do that! I may not want to be a mother, but they are my sister’s children. I would never be a stranger to them. I want to know them!”

“I know, honey, that’s what I’m saying. You won’t let Fiona down because you won’t disappear on them.” I squeeze her hand.

“But what’s going to happen? I don’t even know how to navigate this to find a solution, let alone think of one,” Dahlia admits, wiping away a few tears.

“I wanted to first ask what you wanted before I brought this up, because I wanted to make sure your plans and intentions hadn’t changed after Fiona’s passing.” Dahlia shakes her head. “Okay, so the obvious question is what should happen to the babies. It’s not just about finding the right adoptive family, but also someone that could navigate substantial wealth without allowing it to turn the babies into spoiled assholes. Right?”

A bark of laughter breaks free from Dahlia at Jack’s comment. “That would be the goal—a loving family that doesn’t give a shit about money and no spoiled assholes.”

“Bonus points for sure,” Allie adds.

I look sideways at Jack, unsure where he’s going with this. I don’t think he is going to suggest that we take them—I would. I would pause my career and become a mother earlier than I intended, even though that would be against Fiona’s wishes for me. Jack winks at me.

Dahlia looks from Jack to me, then back. “Am I missing something?”