I let out a breath. Brandon might dismiss me, but he listened to his father.
“Are you out of your mind?” Russell hissed. “Parading her in front of your wife? Telling Jenna to her face that you’ve had multiple affairs?”
Brandon ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck.
For all of two seconds, I felt vindicated.
Then Russell said something that caught me off guard.
“I’ve been married thirty-four years. I never once let your mother catch me with another woman, and I certainly never told her about them. Use your head.”
I thought I’d misunderstood.
“You’re telling him he should’ve hidden it better?”
“Sweetheart, lower your voice.” Russell turned back to Brandon. “Show some respect.”
“You’re right, Dad.” Brandon turned to me. “I’m sorry.”
Then he reached toward Quinn as though the reunion could begin.
I stepped back. “Don’t.”
“Seriously? You’re going to use the girls to punish me?”
I took the diaper bag from Russell. “I’m not going to pretend this is okay. I’m leaving.”
“No, you’re not.” Russell put a hand on my shoulder. “You can’t get home by yourself, Jenna. The return tickets are in my name, and I won’t let you run off with my grandchildren just because you’re upset.”
He was right. I couldn’t afford to get home on my own, and I hated it.
On the flight, the men talked about a fishing trip. I watched the twins sleep and thought through my options.
When we reached the house, Brandon dropped his bag by the door.
“So,” he said. “What’s for dinner?”
“Seriously?”
He rolled his eyes. “We’ve been happy all this time, and it’s not like you’ve got somewhere else to go, so get over it already.”
We’d see about that.
The next morning, I called my best friend, Kelsey, from the nursery.
“What am I going to do? I could ask to go back to work, but then I’d have to pay for childcare, and rent, and food… it won’t work.”
“Come here,” Kelsey said. “It’s not a long-term solution, but it’s a roof over your head.”
I wanted to say yes. Then I looked at the two cribs and tried to picture fitting our whole life into her tiny spare room.
“I can’t leave them behind,” I said. “And I don’t know how I’d manage with them there.”
My job was waiting, but my leave was unpaid. Brandon’s pay covered most of the household bills. Perhaps I could wait until he sailed again, then work, save, and prepare without having to live beside him every day.
That night, I found him holding Piper in the nursery doorway.
Her hand was wrapped around his thumb. Brandon hummed, and he smiled when she turned toward his voice.
He could be gentle. He could love them. Perhaps the girls could have that, and I could learn to live with the rest: his income, most months without him, a family that still looked like one.
Then he laid Piper down and followed me to our bedroom, where I’d left a blanket on the couch for him.
“I’m not sleeping out there,” he said.
“Brandon, I can’t just get into bed beside you.”
“You can’t keep punishing me for something that’s over.” He climbed into bed. “If you insist on treating me like I’m single, don’t act shocked when I act like it.”
I looked at the space beside him. Staying would mean hearing that whenever I refused to pretend we were fine.
I took my pillow to the nursery and lay on the floor until the window turned gray.
Kelsey called the next day.
“I know a childminder who might have room for two babies. I’ll call her. You call your boss.”
So I did. My manager offered three early shifts or longer evening shifts.
“Come see me Thursday,” he said.
Kelsey had an appointment on Thursday, so I asked Brandon to watch the girls during my meeting.
“Sure,” he said, looking at his phone. “No problem.”
He’d failed me as a husband. I still hoped I could count on him as their father.
The next morning, Brandon came into the kitchen smiling.
“Good news. Mr. Prescott put me forward for the shore position. It’s approved. No more months away.”
Mr. Prescott managed Brandon’s department and would oversee the move. Brandon had talked about winning his favor, but I hadn’t known he was applying to stay ashore.
“You wanted me home, babe. Now you’ve got me.”
Months ago, that news would have made me happy. Now it felt like the worst thing that could have happened.
“I invited Mr. Prescott to dinner Friday,” Brandon added. “To thank him. Cook something nice.”
I forced a smile.
On Thursday morning, I was dressed for my meeting when Brandon came downstairs jingling his keys.
“I’ve got to run some stuff for the new job. You’ll have to move your meeting.”
“You said you’d watch them.”
“This promotion matters to everybody. You should be supporting me.”
He left before I could answer.
I called Russell. I didn’t expect sympathy anymore, but perhaps he would spare two hours for his granddaughters.
“Brandon promised to watch them. He’s gone, and my meeting’s in forty minutes.”
“He’s got a lot on his plate. Maybe go back to work later. What’s the rush?”
I couldn’t postpone earning my own money because Brandon had other plans.
I called Kelsey.
“Could you move your appointment? I hate asking, but I need help.”
“Give me ten minutes,” she said.
At work, I chose the three early shifts.
Afterward, Kelsey sat beside me while I called the childminder. Three mornings were available, and the cost for two babies took more of my wages than I’d hoped. I wrote down what remained for transport, formula, and food. There was nothing for a rental deposit.
“I can give you six weeks in the room,” Kelsey said. “We’ll share groceries while you’re here.”
“What happens after six weeks?”
“I don’t know yet.”
I looked at the figures again. Staying with Brandon would be easier to pay for. It would also mean relying on the man who’d just walked out on me.
On Friday, we bought ingredients for dinner.
