Jack grabbed five brown bags out of a kitchen drawer and began to write a child’s names on each. In each bag, Jack stuffed leftover pizza from last night wrapped in tin foil, a juice box, an apple, and a note of encouragement for each kid. The note is just a light-hearted way for Jack to show his support without expressing emotion, something he simply was not good at. He gave another agitated look towards the empty staircase. Just as he was about to go upstairs with a megaphone and rudely wake everyone up, they came stampeding down the steps, one by one. Tommy was down first, and the others sleepily followed, clearly not looking forward to the school day.
"Everybody in the truck, Gus and Grandma aren't back yet. They are still in Scotland... or is it Stockholm? I don't remember. Anyway, we're grabbing breakfast on the way."
"They are in St. Petersburg, and they'll be back late tonight," Tristan reminded her father.
“Russia? You’d think I would remember something like that.”
“They’re not in Russia!” Tristan said shaking her head in disbelief. “Florida, Dad. The Sunshine State.”
“That doesn’t sound right.”
Rolling her eyes at her father, Tristan grabbed her backpack off the floor of the foyer and headed for the front door. Walking through the broad doorway, she met Adam and Liam on the front porch, deep in conversation. As soon as they saw her, their voices hushed, and their serious faces turned warm. Tristan couldn't help but wonder if they had been talking about her. The thought disappeared when the rest of her siblings tried to push their way out the door, moving her aside.
Two hours later, after family had eaten breakfast at Jack's favorite diner, Monte's, the restaurant Cole's father owned, they arrived in the gravel parking lot of the Steeplechase Academy. A massive building of stone and granite, Steeplechase looked more like a bank or a mansion than a school. With four floors of classrooms, a large school yard, a playground, and a gymnasium, Steeplechase appears to be more along the lines of a college than a high school. A prestigious school with a strong academic foundation and flourishing athletic program, the only reason Jack could afford the tuition payments was due to a hearty payout from a life insurance policy.
The moment the vehicle pulled into the parking space, Tommy and Shane jumped out of the truck to join their buddies Cole and Dominic, who were standing by the entrance of the school. Tristan and Blake followed at a slower, more leisurely pace. Tristan definitely was not in a rush to get to class. Liam meanwhile headed across the street to Harry’s Hardware Store where he worked part-time.
Tristan tugged on Blake's arm, “Hold on a sec. I have to say goodbye to Dad.” She ran back to her father's silver truck and kissed her father goodbye, leaving him with a surprised look on his face. She would be the only child to say goodbye to him that morning. Jack remained in the driver's seat for a moment as he glanced at his eldest son Adam.
"Can we bury this for a few hours?” said Jack referring to their exchange from the previous evening. I need your help with something.”
Adam nudged his broad shoulders as he exited the truck and began to walk towards the school. Casually, he glanced back at his father and asked, "You coming, or what?”
Jack replied, "Yeah, just keep me calm."
*
Jack and Adam walked into the marble foyer of the Steeplechase Academy where they were greeted by Melissa Kent, one of Adam's former classmates. "Hey, Ad! What are you doing here?" Melissa asked with a charming smile. Adam followed the young receptionist into the school office, with his father following behind.
"I just thought I would pay my good friend Melissa here a visit," said Adam convincingly.
Behind Adam, Jack rolled his eyes like a little school girl. Clearly, his son was not going to offer the back-up he so desperately needed today. Melissa began to search through her desk drawer for two visitor passes. In a feminine and flowery cursive, she wrote their names on a tag, and handed one to each of them. Jack took his name tag, peeled off the back and gently placed it on his blue polo shirt. He then gave his eldest son a reproachful glare as Adam continued to eye up the pretty receptionist.
"Am I to understand that you’re going to stay here?" asked Jack with an incredulous tone to his voice.
"Yeah, I'll wait for you right here," Adam said with a smile as he winked at Melissa. Rolling his eyes, Jack exited the office and made his way up to the second floor. The hallways were eerily quiet; class must have already begun. It seemed so strange to be walking through the halls of Steeplechase. Somehow he remembered the school as being much bigger than it was. Strangely enough it looked exactly the same, only much, much smaller. Slowly, he wandered to room 219, where Bernard Kendricks was teaching his first period English class. Jack took a breath before knocking on the heavy classroom door. After a moment, he opened the door and stood in the entryway as he waited for the teacher's attention. Jack noticed as he entered that all the children in the room stopped chatting and fidgeting and sat perfectly still; all eyes were upon him. Even the four children who lived in the Morrow household didn't dare move a muscle. Cole, trying to get on Jack’s good side, waved with a smile.