Chapter 56 Daphne

Our return to California was put on hold by a few weeks due to Jackson's condition. I've been cleared of all charges, and the lawyers have assured me that based on the evidence that came to light against Jackson, he has no chance of ever regaining custody, even though the criminal charges were dropped. It's all moot now anyway. He can't even take care of himself. If Chloe hadn't awakened and called the police, Jackson would likely be dead. The police have no leads or any idea what the motive was. Taking care of all the paperwork and finding a long-term care facility for Jackson has been all-consuming but everything is settled now, so I can finally leave. There's just one more piece of business awaiting my attention.

I enter the living room, and I smile when I see Jax. He's sitting on Tallulah's lap and they're building a tower with blocks. The woman standing there looks nervous; she's twisting the strap of her handbag in her hands and looking at the floor.

I walk over to her. "Mrs. Crump?"

She looks up. "Florence, please. Thank you for seeing me. After everything that's happened, I was afraid you wouldn't."

"None of this is your fault. Can I get you some coffee or tea?"

She shakes her head. "No, I'm fine, thank you."

"Why don't we go out on the deck and talk." I turn to Bella. "You and your sister keep an eye on Jax, please." Since Jackson is incapacitated and Amber charged with murder, temporary custody has been awarded to his maternal grandmother, Amber's mother. And if Amber, by some miracle, is able to beat the charges against her, she'd still have to go back to Missouri and face prison time there for those charges.

We sit across from each other, and I wait for her to begin.

"I hope you know we don't approve of the things Amber's done. We did our best with her…" She sighs. "I never could have imagined she would kill someone. It's just unbelievable. That poor man and his family. I didn't even know she was married…twice. I should have looked harder for her. Tried to stop her. Maybe so much of this could have been avoided."

I can't imagine what she's going through. To have your daughter disappear and then just a few years later discover the trail of horrors her actions left behind…it's beyond comprehension.

"Florence, you can't blame yourself. She's an adult. No matter how hard we try to shape our children, sometimes they are who they are from the moment they're born. I won't pretend to understand what you're going through, but I don't believe anything you could have said or done would have changed a thing."

She nods. "Thank you. The reason I'm here. It's about Jax. He has a brother back in Missouri. Did you know that?"

"Yes, I did know."

"We don't get to see little Matty as much as we'd like, but we're happy to raise Jax and it'll be good for the boys to have each other. We don't have much in the way of material things, don't need much anyway, but I do want Jax to have everything he can. Has his father made any provision for him? I understand he's in a bad way from the assault."

"Um, well, I do know that there is a significant amount of money in a trust for little Jax. I'll have the lawyers get in touch with you." I don't mention that it's the money Jackson tried to hide from Amber that Daisy Ann has returned tome.

"Thank you. That's wonderful. And a relief. Clark and I aren't getting any younger, and I do want to make sure Jax is always taken care of."

"Of course. Florence, I have something I want to ask you."

"Yes?"

"As you said, it's important for Jax and his brother to have a relationship. My girls and I have become very fond of him. Would you consider letting him spend summers with us in California? I'd really love for them to grow up together."

Tears spring to her eyes. "You mean you don't hate him?"

I'm taken aback.

"He's her child and all. And didn't she break up your marriage on account of being pregnant?"

It's then I remember she knows nothing about the real Jackson or the truth of my marriage. But even if her assumption were true, how could I hate a child? "Of course I don't hate him. None of this is Jax's fault. He's my children's brother and that makes him family. Besides, I fell in love with him the minute I laid eyes on him."

She beams. "I think that your summer offer would be just marvelous."

On the flight home, Tallulah is sleeping, and Bella reads a book. I simply sit and stare, decompressing from the events of the past weeks. Would I have returned to Bishops Harbor if I'd known what lay ahead? I nearly lost my girls. The fact that we are together and finally on our way home fills me with gratitude.

I can't wait to see my mother and hear about her trip. I'm grateful that she was away and spared the agony and worry she would have felt had she been aware of what was happening to me. A part of me wishes that I'd listened to her and never come back. But if I hadn't, would that have damaged my relationship with Tallulah beyond repair? As horrific as it was, maybe the only way for my girls to ever have peace about the absence of their father in their lives was to learn the truth. That wasn't something I was prepared to share for a long time. It's tragic, really. If only Jackson had truly changed in prison, the outcome would have been so different. I could have learned to forgive him for the past and he could have had a relationship with his daughters. There's no way I'd ever have gone back to him, but we could have co-parented and given the girls what they need. Now none of us will ever get that chance.

I took the girls to the hospital to say goodbye to Jackson. Walking into the room and seeing him lying there so vulnerable and helpless felt like an out-of-body experience. A rush of memories flooded over me, both good and bad, almost as though I was seeing our whole life together flash before my eyes. I wept, more tears than I thought I had, and I don't know who I was crying for more, the children, me, or even, yes, him. Because no matter what, there was a time I loved him. A time when I thought he was everything I ever wanted and needed and so I cried for the death of all ofit.

Surprisingly, the house was never put into Amber's name, and Jackson's will leaves it and all its contents to be equally divided among Tallulah, Bella, and Jax and put in a trust administered by me. I guess he really believed I was coming back to him. The trust named me as power of attorney in the case of his incapacitation. The house is on the market now for twenty-five million dollars. The artwork is being appraised as is the furniture. The money will be used for Jackson's care, and whatever is left over will go to the children when Jackson dies.

As for Tallulah and Bella, at first they were so angry at Jackson for what he'd done that it didn't seem there was any room for their grief. But when they saw him, they both broke down. They're going to be heartbroken for a long time, but I'll be there to pick up the pieces. I'm no Pollyanna, but I try to find something good that has come out of this summer. There's Jax, of course. If we hadn't come back, they wouldn't have met their brother. I'm glad for their sake as well as his. He'll be raised by people who love him and want the best for him. No doubt he'll have his own demons to battle. A father unable to care for him or even speak to him and a mother who will either be in prison or, if not, sweep in and out of his life when it suits her. I know in my heart not only that Amber murdered Jake Crawford but also what Amber is capable of. She is a master of escape and reinvention, like a Svengali and Houdini wrapped in one Machiavellian package. If she somehow manages to go free, it would not surprise me in the least. For everyone's sake, I hope I'm wrong. But at least Jax will have his grandparents, a brother, and the two best big sisters in the world. And I will love him like he's my own and make sure he gets all the support he needs. Jackson wanted us to be a family again and I suppose in a way we are. No matter what he's done, he will always be the father of my children and so I'll oversee his care and make sure he's looked after.

After we land and disembark, I breathe deeply, so happy to be back home again. As we exit the airport I lift my face to the sky, and the California sun envelops me in what feels like a welcome home hug. After a few minutes, an SUV pulls up and my mother parks and jumps out of the car.

"My girls!" she says, pulling us all to her in a group hug. "Thank God you're home!"

We pile into the vehicle, the girls chattering a mile a minute, seeming almost like their old selves as we pull onto the highway and head for home.

"Mr. Bandit has been pacing around all day. I think he knows you're coming home," my mother says, referring to our yellow lab.

"Guess what, Grandmom?" Bella says.

"What?"

"When we were in Texas, we made new friends and they have two yellow labs. And guess what their names are?"

"Hmm?"

Bella giggles. "Buck and Shot."

My mother gives me a curious look.

I laugh. "She's telling the truth. They're Daisy Ann's dogs, the woman I told you about who helped us. In fact, we're all invited to go out to their ranch next summer."

My mother gives me a long look. "Well, that's a summer trip I can give my blessing to."