Chapter Forty Five

Focusing intently on the road ahead, Jon tried to clear his brain of the numerous imaginary conversations he was about to have with his kids. Nope that’s gonna sound lame……Jesus……

He wasn’t sure if the fact that the kids already knew about the divorce was worse than if he was going to be breaking it to them for the first time. Nerves twirled deep in his stomach as he took the turn for Middletown. A few years back never in his wildest dreams would he have thought this was something he was going to have to deal with. This shit was supposed to only happen in Hollywood, played out on camera for all the world to see. Hmph lets see them call me the poster boy for marriage now…

He had dropped Jenn off at the farm after they had grabbed breakfast from a coffee joint outside of town. They hadn’t talked much on the drive out but before she got out of the car, Jenn had leant across the passenger seat and kissed him softly silently conveying her acknowledgement of the difficult few hours facing him. When he had gone to speak, she had hushed him with a gentle squeeze on his hand, “You can do this.”

The simple fact that he had her to go back to when all this was done and dusted was comforting to say the least. He was pretty sure if it was left to him he’d be starting a damn good relationship with a bottle of Jack. Within minutes he swept into the driveway and hit the buzzer for the gates. Tyres crunching on the gravel as he swung around the side of the garages, his eyes narrowed as he spotted a familiar looking car parked beside Dorothea’s. Well fuck!

As if things weren't gonna be difficult enough now it looked like he had somebody else to deal with. For a brief moment he considered backing the car up and getting the hell out of there until the back door opened and his youngest son Romeo came tumbling out.

“Daddy!”

“Hey buddy!” Swinging open the car door, Jon chuckled as the small boy clambered excitedly in on top of him. “What ya got there?”

Romeo delightedly waved a battered old dinosaur in his chubby little hand. “Jakeys!”

“You got Jake’s dinosaur huh?” Wrapping his left arm around him, Jon swung his legs out of the driver’s seat with more than a little difficulty. “Phew you’re getting big little man! Does Jake know you got his dinosaur?”

Beaming widely Romeo shook his head triumphantly, “Romey’s now!”

Shaking his head, Jon laughed loudly as he carried him high in his arms to the house. “We’ll have to see what Jake has to say about that won’t we?!”

“NO Daddy!! Mine!!”

“Okay, okay! C’mon let’s go find your Mom.”

Setting his son down once he had shut the door behind him he watched fondly as Romeo ran down the hallway and disappeared into the playroom as fast as his little legs would carry him still waving the dinosaur around by its rubber tail. It still only seemed like yesterday that he had been in the delivery room with Dot for his birth.

Wandering down the hallway he blew out a long breath as he entered the kitchen. Sitting at the big oak table with her back to him was Dorothea talking animatedly with an older woman who fixed him with a steely glare as he walked in.

Chucking his keys on the side table, Jon forced a smile as he walked toward them.

“Hey Dot……….Hey Mom.”

Dorothea turned to look at him, her face neutral as she gave him a quick smile and turned back to her coffee.

“Jon have you lost my number?” His mother stared icily at him as he pulled up a chair across from her.

“No Mom, of course not!” He rolled his eyes and leant back in the chair with a heavy sigh. “I’ve just been kind of busy!”

“So I’ve been hearing!” She pursed her lips as she glanced at Dorothea who was silently staring at her coffee cup. “Too damn busy to fix your marriage it seems!”

“Mom that’s enough!” Jon snapped back as he lifted his hand to silence her. “You don’t know the damn half of it and I’d appreciate it if you’d let me and Dot figure this out.”

“Well if you called your mother once in a while maybe I would know the half of it!” Pushing her chair back noisily, she rose stiffly to her feet. “Thank you for the coffee my dear, I’ll see myself out!” 

Placing a hand on Dorothea’s shoulder she threw another dirty look at her son before marching out of the kitchen. Upon hearing the back door slam, Jon slumped forward in his chair resting his head wearily in his hands. “Christ almighty!”

Dorothea shifted in her chair and looked guiltily at him, “Sorry Jon, she just arrived in and I presumed you would have been talking to her…..”

Groaning he lifted his head to look at her, a wry smile on his face. “That was a phone call I’ve been putting off!”

“Well at least she knows now…..” She shrugged her shoulders, “Could have gone worse!”

“Dot, you know my mom better than anyone, she’ll be gone home now to formulate some grand master plan to ‘fix’ us!”

“I don’t think even your Mom is capable of that….” Dorothea looked quietly at him.

 

“No I don’t think she is….” Jon stared at the wall ahead of him. “Won’t stop her trying though….”

Clearing her throat she collected the empty cups and carried them over to the draining board. “The kids are all here somewhere.”

Nodding he moved to get up from the table, “Okay, I gotta go get this over with.”

“Jon….” Her voice lacked it's usual confidence as she turned to face him across the room. “I need you to level with me here……”

His pulse quickened as he noticed the slight flush that had crept into her cheeks. Raising his eyebrows he looked at her in confusion.

“About what?”

“Whatever it is that’s going on with you and Jenn……” She bit her lower lip as she dropped her gaze from him. “I’m not looking for another fight…..I just need to know what exactly is going on.”

Jon swallowed hard and shoved his hands deep in his pockets looking uncomfortable. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

“Uh…..we’re……seeing each other?” He could feel himself start to sweat under his collar and when he caught Dorothea’s eyes his heart twisted at the disappointment he could see mirrored in them.

“Is it serious?”

Shrugging he began to pace around the table, his mind going into overdrive. He hadn’t envisioned having this conversation today as well.

“I don’t know Dot…….” Fuck his head was all over the place. “It’s early days.”

Dorothea turned away from him as she began to rinse the cups out under the tap. Jon’s heart sank as he heard her voice crack a little.

“Okay…...” Turning the tap off she made a show of drying her hands before she turned back to him, her head held high but with the tell-tale glisten of tears evident underneath her eyes. “You should tell Steph and Jessie about her……..Steph especially.”

“Yeah….I will…” His voice was gruff with emotion as he turned to go in search of the kids. “I’m sorry Dot…” He looked back helplessly at her. Dammit why am I always feeling like such a jerk around here lately?

She smiled back sadly at him shaking her head continuing to rub her hands dry with the towel.

 “Don’t be Jonny……just be careful that’s all. There are the kids to think about as well.”

“Yeah……I know…” With a heavy sigh he pushed open the door with his heart hammering in his chest. This afternoon was turning out to be ten times worse than he had ever imagined.