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“I will,” Beckett promised.
“Here’s your dad, honey,” Bam said. Her voice was tight, and Beckett knew that voice, too. That was how you sounded when you were holding back the tears.
“Hi, Janey Rabbit,” Beckett said.
“Dad,”Janey said. “I told you not to call me that!”
He smiled despite himself. “OK. How’re you going there? Baked the cookies and all?”
She started to tell him, and he let himself drift. Let himself be glad, all the way to his soul, that he could talk to his kids. That he’d been able to tell Quinn’s parents she’d be OK. That this time, he’d been there.
When Janey ran down, he said, “Sounds good. Troy around?”
“Yes,” Janey said.
“Yes,” Troy piped up.
“Hi, mate,” Beckett said, and got that tight throat again. “I need to tell you both something serious. We won’t be back in time for Christmas.”
“Dad,” Janey said, “you can’t! It’sChristmas!You promised!”
“I know,” he said. “I did promise. But I—we—”
“I wanted to have cocoa, though,” Troy said. “And have you and Quinn watch while we open our stockings. Quinn said that was going to be her favorite part. Shewantsto watch!”
Beckett said, “Listen to me. It’s time to be very serious and very grown-up. Quinn had an accident. She’s going to be—”
“Is she going to die?” Troy asked. His voice high, tight.
“No. She’s not going to die. She’s going to be fine. But she needs another day or two to get better before she can fly home. We’ll do our Christmas when we get there, I promise. We’ll have cocoa and watch you open your stockings and … and all the other things, just like we planned. It’ll be a shifted Christmas, that’s all.”
“You promised before, though,” Janey said. “Is she really OK? What happened?”
That was not a conversation he could have now. “It was an accident,” he said again.
“Like Mummy?” That was Troy.
“No. Not like Mummy.” Too much like Mummy, actually. “She has some bruises, and she’s very tired, but she’s going to be OK, and we’ll see you both very soon.”
“I wish I could cuddle her,” Troy said. “Quinn says I do the best hugs. I can be very gentle.”
There Beckett was, misting up again. “Yeah, mate. She loves your cuddles. She’ll be back to cuddle you soon.”
“OK,” Troy said doubtfully.
“OK,” Beckett said back. “I love you. Go eat your breakfast. Janey, one more thing.”
“Yeah?”
“Is Troy gone?”
“Yes. He went in the kitchen.”
“I’m going to need you to be helpful,” he said, “and very strong, the way you’ve been with me. Can you help Troy not be too sad on Christmas? Play with him, and remind him we’ll be home soon? Help Quinn’s mum and dad, too, because it’s hard for them that Quinn had an accident and they can’t be with her right now.”
“Oh,” Janey said. “OK. But I don’t know what to do.”
“Just be yourself,” he said. “Do baking with Bam, and help with the washing-up.” He hesitated, then said, “Remember what your mum would say.”
