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“What’s going on?” I say when once I’m completely in the living room.
“Sit down, honey,” my mom says in a tone that only intensifies the fluttering in my stomach.
I take a seat between Zane and Jax. I pull my feet up and tuck them under Zane and lean into Jax who drapes his arm over my shoulder in an attempt to soothe the frayed nerves I know he can sense.
“What’s going on?” I ask again looking at Zane and Jax, both of whom only shrug.
“We have something we need to tell you. Including you, Jax, because your family and this affects you too.” I look up to Jax to see him smile softly at my mom.
“Well, I’ve been promoted,” my dad says proudly.
“Hey, that’s great old man,” Zane chortles.
“It is. It’s more responsibility but it’s also significantly more money,” my dad continues.
“That’s wonderful, Dad, but I’m not sure why we needed a family meeting for you to tell us all this,” I say a little warily because I feel like there’s a big shoe about to drop any second now.
“David you need to just tell them, dear. Stop beating around the bush. They’re adults now. Not children who need to be coaxed and handled.”
Nope that does absolutely nothing to calm my frayed nerves. With a sigh my dad continues, “I’m being relocated. I have to be in London in a month.”
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“It means that we have to pack everything, sell the house, and the cars. The company will be providing our transportation and living arrangements once we’re there.”
“What does that mean for us?” Zane asks.
“Your mother will be staying here until the house is sold. You will be leaving for college in August. That should be plenty of time to get your stuff packed. Whatever you can’t have in the dorms will have to go into storage or it will be sent to London with us.”
Tears start to burn my eyes. Sell our house – the house I grew up in? My parents are moving away? I know I’m supposed to be an adult technically but suddenly I don’t feel so grown up. I don’t want my parents moving halfway around the world. I still need them close. I know I’m leaving for college in a couple of months but what about breaks? Where do we go when school’s not in session?
Jax pulls me in close to him and plants a kiss in my hair. I catch a look from my mother that says, even though she’s seen this done by him a million times, she can tell something is different. She looks happy and sad all at once.
“Why can’t you just tell them no, Dad?” I ask, my voice cracking with tears.
My dad leans back against the chair he’s sitting. He takes his glasses off and starts rubbing his forehead. “I’ve been telling them no, Zoey.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Zoey, your father’s company has been trying to get him to relocate for years to another office. They think he is too valuable to stay here, but he’s fought them on it for you and your brother. We didn’t want to take you away from everything you’d ever known. We didn’t want to take you away from Jax.”
Jax removes his arm from my shoulder and sits up a little straighter from the statement. “Is that why you say this involves me too?”
“Yes,” she smiles at him sweetly. “Once we’re gone, we need you to be there for them. They have each other, but you’ve become the glue that holds them together. You keep their feet on the grounds so to speak.”
“I will always be there for both of them,” he says. “I love them both more than anything.”
“We know you will, son,” my father says reaching over and patting his knee. “The bond you have formed with our children is something that you don’t see very often. It’s lasting.”
Jax looks at his hands. I can see him getting emotional. Jax, typical guy he is, doesn’t like showing anyone when he’s emotional.
Zane has gotten quiet in the last few minutes. That worries me because Zane is never quiet. I lean away from Jax into my brother wrapping my arm around his and linking our fingers together. “R. U. OK?” I draw with my free hand on to the back of his. He leans over placing a kiss on my temple. No one else probably sees the slight shake of his head like I do.
“Kids, I don’t like this. I don’t want to move across an ocean from my children, but the company needs leadership for our European division. The board members aren’t taking ‘no’ for an answer this time. I either accept the position or find a new company,” my dad explains with a slight shake to his voice, his own emotions threatening to get the best of him. It’s a strange sight because I’ve never thought of my dad as anything but strong. “I could find a job with another company. Possibly making the same money. Maybe even better. But I’ve been with Skyline since I graduated from law school. I love my company. I have poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this organization, and built a name for myself through them.” He releases a long exhale as he squeezes the bridge of his nose. I can see him holding back his own tears. “That being said, if you kids want us to stay here – for me to leave my company – I will.”
Zane jerks up from his slumped position. “Absolutely not, Dad.”
I look at him, shocked. Why would he not want our father to change companies? It would keep our parents close to us, and we wouldn’t have to sell our childhood home.
