They made their way out into the car park and started getting into their cars.
"Why don't I ride with Jac and Emma so Mikey can have the front seat and they're not all squashed in the back?" Evie suggested, a hopeful smile on her face that reminded Jac so much of her father's that she nodded without a second thought.
"Alright, see you in a few minutes then," Fletch finished as he hopped into the driver's seat and pulled the door shut.
Evie took the passenger seat and pulled her seatbelt across her torso, clipping it into place. Jac pulled out of the parking space and turned the radio on, barely audible but there all the same.
"So, are you and Dad dating?" Evie asked nonchalantly and Jac swerved just slightly as her head snapped sideways to face Evie. "Oh don't act so shocked. Everyone thinks it."
"And who, precisely, is everyone?"
"Well, Auntie Serena certainly didn't say no when I asked her, and all three of the little ones are drawing the pair of you holding hands so they clearly know something we don't," Evie responded candidly, glancing back to see Emma, sound asleep in her car seat.
"Your Dad and I aren't dating, Evie. We're friends, that's all," Jac answered and she was glad that years as a surgeon had given her the poker face of champions because her own doubts around the word 'friend' would have been written all over her face.
Evie pursed her lips and took a moment to consider her response. Jac kept her eyes on the road, waiting for the teen to say something.
"You're either lying to yourself or you're lying to me. I've seen you two together and there isn't a doubt in my mind, especially not after today," Evie offers and suddenly Jac feels like the child in the car. "We wouldn't mind, none of us would. We just want Dad to be happy, so as long as you aren't going to break Dad's heart then we'll welcome you with open arms."
Jac had to take a moment to process that. She just got invited to fall in love with Adrian Fletcher and it was against all her better judgement that she shook her head and remained focused on the road.
"Evie, your Dad and I are just friends. I don't know where you've got the idea that we might be something more than that from, but it's not true. And I'm certainly not capable of breaking your Dad's heart," Jac answered and it was true, she could never break Fletch's heart, primarily because it wasn't hers to break.
They continued to drive and a tense silence fell over the car, it was only when the entered the estate where the Fletcher house was situated that Evie spoke again.
"Whether you are or you aren't, I want you to promise me that you aren't going to hurt him. I know the stories about what you're like, and I don't believe you're really like that but a lot of it is based in fact. Joseph, Jonny, Jasmine, it doesn't seem like you're very good at keeping the people you love close. I know this seems like I'm being mean or I'm trying to keep you away from him but I'm not, if you want to make him happy then I want you in his life, I just need to hear you promise."
Jac was baffled by Evie's words. She hadn't gotten into the car expecting an ultimatum of any kind and yet here she was.
They turned onto Walsop Street and Jac pulled up onto the drive outside the Fletcher household, right behind the people carrier which had arrived ahead of them. Jac got out of the car and headed to the backseat to extract a napping Emma from her carseat, locking the car before heading for the front door.
"I promise." Jac finished confidently as she felt the teen's presence at her side and reached for the door handle, letting herself in.
Inside, the girls found Fletch trying to put together a picnic of sorts. Jac nudged Emma awake and sat her down at the dinner table, rolling up her sleeves and busying herself with chopping cherry tomatoes.
It didn't take long to construct between the two of them, especially with Mikey and Evie keeping the kids out of the way. It was remarkable how much faster things happened with two pairs of hands.
By half past two, the seven of them were squeezed around the dining table, digging in to what looked like a lovely lunch.
Everybody was in a good mood, the kids were babbling about the animals they saw, Mikey was enjoying the food, and Evie had an absent smile on her face. Jac had shoved what Evie had said to the back of her mind for now, she would worry about it later, and Fletch was just pleased to have the entire gang in one place for more than five minutes.
The youngsters settled down in the living room in front of an episode of Peppa Pig while Jac and Fletch took on the task of the washing up. Evie and Mikey had both retreated to their bedrooms after far too much time spent being sociable.
"Today was really nice, Emma enjoyed spending some time with kids her own age outside of creche. Thank you again for letting us come along," Jac offered as she handed Fletch a handful of dry cutlery to be put away.
"Nonsense, Jac. The pair of you are always welcome and I hope you know that," Fletch responded as he placed the knives and forks one-by-one into their spaces. "I hope you had a good time as well, you know. Not everything is about whether Emma enjoyed herself."
"Sorry, you're right, I had a lovely time too. It was nice to spend some time around another adult who I wasn't either cutting open or telling what to do for once," Jac admitted, allowing a hint of a smile to creep onto her face. "We should, uh, get going though. I'll see you tomorrow at work?"
"I'm never anywhere else," he responded light-heartedly, continuing with his housekeeping as Jac made her way to the living room and removed Emma, much to her dismay, from her spot in front of the television.
As he heard the front door close, he thought about how nice it had been today to see Jac being herself for once and not that shell of herself she pretended to be at work. He hoped to see her again soon. Was this a one-time thing, though?
