Both Rabbit and I were solemn as the chopper took off and we watched our home fading from view. Our hands were clasped tightly together and I kept my gaze on her, trying to match my breathing with hers. John wasted no time lifting off once we were onboard, and I was sure he was under strict instructions not to listen to any sudden excuses as to not leaving. I squeezed her hand gently and raised it to my mouth, kissing it lovingly; grateful she was there with me. I knew she was anxious about returning to Toronto and even more anxious about being away from the children for a long period of time. We needed each other to be strong.
Arriving at the airport, it was a relief to see Adam’s large frame waiting for us, his wife, Heather, by his side. Hugs and pleasantries were exchanged and John shook my hand, promising to be ready to take off the next day by 6 p.m. “You have your phone?” I asked quietly. Smiling in understanding, he nodded. “We can take off anytime, if needed, Joshua. Just call and I’ll make all the necessary arrangements.”
“Thanks, John.”
He grinned and waved at us before leaving to file his paperwork and I turned to Adam. “What’s the plan?”
He chuckled and withdrew a sheet of paper from his pocket. “Well, according to Cecilia’s itinerary, once we check you into the hotel, we have time for lunch before you need to be at the office. Cecilia, in her great wisdom, has you staying in a hotel that is walking distance from your publishers, as well as one of our favorite restaurants. So, let’s start there, shall we?”
I nodded and we walked to the car, Lizzy’s hand tightly clasping mine. My phone chirped with an incoming message and I grinned when I saw the pictures that came on the screen. Smiling, I handed the phone to Lizzy and watched her delight as she looked at pictures of the twins waking up from their nap and having a bottle. Cecilia was obviously taking the pictures while Daniel and Ellen fed the babies, Bear watching over them. Squeezing her hand, I leaned over and whispered to her. “They’re both fine, Mommy.” Her eyes were misty as she nodded at me, handing the phone back, but not speaking. Leaning over, I kissed her forehead. “I’m sure Cecilia will send pictures all day. And, you can call as often as you want, okay?”
“That’s a good thing.” She nodded.
Wrapping my arm around her, I drew her tightly against me in the back of the car. “It is, Rabbit.”
Adam and Heather were full of gossip and funny stories during lunch, helping both Lizzy and I relax. Cecilia had indeed picked a great hotel and the building my meetings were in was literally a ten minute walk away. It would cross another item off my list: taking a walk on the streets in Toronto, something I had not done since the attack.
“How long do you expect your meetings to be?” Adam asked as we were eating lunch.
I shrugged. “No more than a few hours. It is mostly to meet everyone, go over the illustrations and the book layouts, and make a final decision on how to package them.”
Adam nodded. “And you, Lizzy?” His tone, as always, was gentle when he spoke to her. “What are your plans?”
“I was going to accompany Joshua, and just wait in the reception area until he was done. I have a book with me.”
Adam and Heather exchanged a glance.
“I wanted to introduce her to some people there, but we hadn’t decided on exactly what was happening after that,” I hedged. The truth was, I wanted Rabbit to go back to the hotel and relax and she was insisting on staying in the building to wait for me. I didn’t want her sitting alone in a waiting room for the afternoon, but she seemed to feel she needed to be there, and she felt she would be uncomfortable sitting in during my meetings, even though I assured her she was welcome.
Heather spoke up. “I thought maybe you would like to go shopping, Lizzy. I know you don’t get into the big city very often and thought you would like to go to a few different stores? There is an amazing children’s store here. So many wonderful things for your little ones!”