Time Traveler: E216. A Short Extension

But the joy that Ann saw in Robin as he celebrated with their daughter was only apparent because, while he tried his best to make sure Jessi had the happiest birthday ever, he kept asking himself what would happen to his daughters after the divorce? Would they stay with Ann, and would he be able to see them from time to time? Or would Ann ban him from seeing them? If the latter, how would he bear to live without his little girls?

Jessi was too young to understand what was going on, let alone Wanda and Carrie, but all three would need their father and mother equally; and Robin wanted to continue to be close to them, no matter what happened to his marriage.

As the afternoon wore on, he couldn’t stop thinking and second guessing…What if I waited a little longer to talk to Ann? If he let this day go by, for Jessi? What if he talked to Ann at some other time? No, the birthday was the deadline, he had promised Juliette; there was no excuse, he had to tell Ann the truth already and prove to Juliette that he knew how to keep his word. That was the plan, he should stick to it.

Only he wouldn’t carry that out in the middle of Jessi’s birthday party. He’d talk to Ann, yes, but until the next morning, it would be a short extension of just a few hours…

This is what he thought about as he put Jessica to bed.
“Yeah, I’ll sort everything out tomorrow. Please, Jul, wait for me just a bit longer.”

“Honey, are you coming to bed?” Ann asked walking in the room.
“No, sorry, I… I’ll be at the workshop until late, you’d better not wait up for me.”
“Sure, see you tomorrow then, I guess,” Ann sighed and went out quietly.

Once alone, standing in the middle of the room, watching his daughters sleep peacefully, Robin let out a sigh. Perhaps this would be the last night the little Crane girls would have their father right by their bedsides, watching over their sleep.

He wasn’t going to live there anymore, but he wasn’t going to desert them. Somehow, he’d make sure to be there for them forever, if Ann would let him.
“Ask me whatever you want, Ann, but please don’t take them away from me”.

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