That was just one of many reasons she’d miss her mother. Both her parents had a way of pitching in right where they were needed before Janey even knew she needed them. And then she was sobbing all over her mother.
“I’m such a big baby,” she said, sniffling.
Linda patted her back and held her the way she had since Janey was a little girl with a skinned knee. “You’re doing the right thing, sweetheart. Even though it’s hard right now, you’ll be so glad you did it.” She pulled back and pushed the hair from Janey’s face. “Think about what an amazing example you’ll be setting for your own daughter by showing her there’s no limit to what she can do if she dreams big and works hard.”
“Your mom is right, Princess,” Big Mac said. “It broke our hearts when David talked you out of vet school the first time around, and we understood why you took a break after you had the babies, but now it’s time to go back and finish what you started. You’ll always regret it if you don’t.”
Janey wiped her face and held her arms out to her son, who was studying her with his little brows knitted with dismay. “You guys will come visit, right?”
“Try to stop us,” Big Mac said.
“Telling you our plan makes me feel better. It’s been so stressful trying to imagine doing this with two kids and the menagerie.” They had a squad of special-needs pets who would travel with them to Ohio.
“Joe will be right there with you to help with everything, and it’ll go by so fast,” Linda said. “You’ll be back for next summer before you know it.”
“I want to blink and be back.” She kissed PJ on the top of his head. “Let’s go rescue Daddy from your sister, buddy.”
“Daddy!”
“He loves his daddy. Thanks, guys, for, you know, every single thing you’ve ever done and continue to do. I don’t know what I’d ever do without you.”
“No need to worry about that, sweetheart,” Big Mac said. “We’re not going anywhere.”
They walked her out and stood in the doorway to wave them off as Joe backed their SUV out of the driveway.
Janey waved until they were out of sight and then broke down into tears again.
“I was hoping you’d feel better after you shared the news with them,” Joe said.
“I do feel better. It’s just hard to know I won’t see them for months. That the kids won’t see them.”
“We’ll see them. We’ll FaceTime every week, and they’ll come visit.”
“I know. It just won’t be the same as having everyone right here.”
When they got home, Joe took Viv from her. “Go take a bath. I’ve got this.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t. Go take some time for you.” He kissed her cheek. “And then we’ll have some time for us.”
“Thank you.” Janey kissed her babies good night and waited until Joe had taken the kids upstairs for baths before she went into the kitchen to pour a glass of wine and let out the dogs. She felt like a fool for being so emotional about something she’d wanted her whole life. Dreams had a funny way of changing to fit the circumstances.
Her dream come true was the man upstairs and the children they shared, their pets, their home, their extended family and friends nearby. She wanted for nothing, except for the unfinished business in Ohio that continued to rub at her like a wound with a scab that refused to heal properly. As the summer had progressed, the voice inside her that wanted her to finish what she’d started had grown harder to ignore, until she’d finally told Joe what had been weighing on her.
He’d responded with encouragement and support, even if her desire to go back to Ohio would turn both their lives upside down for the next two years. “As long as we’re together, we’ll figure it out,” he’d said.
From the beginning, he’d been supportive of her desire to attend vet school, even going so far as to hire Seamus O’Grady to run the ferry company for him while he was with her in Ohio. That’d led to Seamus falling for Joe’s mom, Carolina, which never would’ve happened if they hadn’t gone to Ohio in the first place.
After she let in the dogs, Janey scratched Riley between the ears to console him. He always knew when something was bothering her.
Joe came into the kitchen. “There you are. I was looking for you in the tub.”
She turned to face him. “I haven’t made it there yet.”
“So I see. You okay?”
“I’m better now that my parents know and that they’re happy I’m going to finish.”
“You know they’ve wanted it for you as long as you have.”
“I do know that. They were so mad when I told them I wasn’t going after college.”
He put his hands on her hips and leaned his forehead against hers. “We all were.”
“My babies went down fast.”
“Faster than usual. Running them on the beach was a good idea.”
She flattened her hands on his chest and slid them up to wrap around his neck. “I thought it might be. They were wound up today.”
“Have you heard anything from Abby or Adam?” he asked of her sister-in-law and brother.
“Not yet. Their appointment is in the morning, and they’re staying at Uncle Frank’s tonight.”
“I hope everything is okay.”
“That poor girl has been through so much. I just want her to have a nice, easy pregnancy.”
“Me, too. Let’s turn in early. I’m exhausted.”
He’d done three round trips on the ferries that day, which was one more than he usually did lately.
They let the dogs out, shut off lights, locked doors and headed upstairs, peeking in on sleeping little ones before heading into their bedroom.
Joe unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it on the floor.
“Um, hello,” Janey said, as she did every night in what had become a little ritual that was one of many that made up her days and nights with him.
Laughing, he bent to pick up the discarded shirt. “Just making sure you’re paying attention.”
“I’m paying attention, and after growing up with four bovine brothers, I’m not letting you get away with that stuff.”
“Yes, dear. You gonna take your bath?”
“I’m too tired.”
“Get in bed, and I’ll give you a back rub.”
“I should be giving you one. You worked twelve hours today.”
“So did you. Taking care of kids is no easy job.”
“Neither is driving the ferries.”
Joe laughed. “It’s easy compared to chasing our two wild ones.”
“They do give me a run for my money on my days off from the vet clinic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” That had her sobbing again at the thought of spending so much time away from her babies while in school. “I’ll never get to see them.”
“Aw, hon.” Joe wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, you will. It’s going to be fine. I’ll take very good care of them while you’re in school, and we’ll have family time every weekend. It’s all good.”
“They’re going to forget about me.”