by Amy Brent
Brandt opened my car door and helped me out of the car, giving me his arm as we walked up to the front door. I was really excited to introduce him to my parents, especially since they were hoping that I would find him and bring him into the baby’s life. My mom opened the door wide and smiled, immediately hugging him tightly.
“Brandt,” she said. “It is so good to meet you. I’m Joyce, and this is George, my husband.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” he said, shaking his hand firmly.
“Nice to finally meet you, too, son,” he said. “Come on in. Dinner just got put down on the table.”
I sat with my head propped on my hand, watching Brandt talk about his company, his family, and his daughter Sicily. He was so charismatic and well-spoken, and my mom couldn’t even resist his charming smile. The way he lit up about Sicily warmed my heart, and I hoped it was the same way when it came to our child.
“Sicily is in a gifted school in New York,” he said. “She tested on a seventh-grade level when she entered the school, and now she does advanced high school studies. It’s a way to keep her in school the normal amount of time, let her grow and mature, before sending her to college. I didn’t want her skipping grades, but a regular school wasn’t cutting it.”
“That’s fascinating,” my mother said. “Hopefully, we will get to meet her someday.”
“She would love that,” Brandt said, flashing me an excited smile. “She’d love to come to Camden and see it. She’s been so busy with school, she has never really traveled much outside of the city and to Jersey with her grandmother, my mother.”
“And what about the baby that’s on the way? Will you be taking Emma to New York?” my dad asked.
“Dad,” I said, cutting in. “We haven’t gotten to that yet. We’ll work all of that out.”
“I’m sorry,” my father said. “I guess I was just curious.”
“You have every right to be,” Brandt said. “And whatever we decide, it’ll be in both Emma’s and the child’s best interests.”
My mother stood up. “That’s wonderful. I’m going to grab dessert.”
Brandt looked over me and winked, turning back to my father as he asked more questions about the technology at Cogent. By the time we were done, he’d promised my father a full tour of the facility, which appeased him very much. We walked to the door, and I hugged my dad, Brandt going right in to hug my mom. He shook my father’s hand and smiled over at me.
“Thank you for dinner,” he said. “It was wonderful getting to know you.”
“You, too, Brandt,” my mother said.
“I look forward to visiting you in New York one day,” my father said, making me giggle thinking about him in his fishing boots walking through the city.
We walked back to the car and headed out, moving toward my house to drop me off. I yawned, not realizing how tired I was. Brandt smiled and rubbed his hand over my belly and down to my hand. When we pulled up in front of my house, he walked me to the door and took me by the hands, kissing both of them.
“I loved meeting your parents,” he said.
“I think they loved you more.” I laughed.
“Listen, I have to go back to the city for a little while. My plane leaves in the morning,” he said. “Sicily misses me so much, and I miss her too. I want to spend a little time with her, do some stuff at work that needs to be taken care of, and maybe get my clothes washed.”
“I understand,” I said, feeling my heart sink.
“I want you to come with me,” he said.
“What? You want me to come back to New York with you?”
“Yes.” He chuckled. “Meet Sicily, my mother, and see how you like it there.”
“I don’t know,” I said, biting my lip. “I don’t know if Greg will give me the time off.”
“How about this? You tell Greg what company I own, and tell him if he gives you the time off, I’ll get one of my big-time New York City graphic artists on a plane to take over for you while you’re gone,” he said.
“He would love that.” It only took seconds for me to decide what my answer would be. You know what? I’ll do it. I want to see how you live, meet your family, and I don’t want to be away from you.”
“Me either,” he said, leaning in and kissing me sweetly. “So, I’ll pick you up first thing in the morning for the nine o’clock flight.”
“I’ll be ready.” I smiled as I watched him walk to his car, eager anticipation starting to build at the thought of our impromptu trip.
Off to where it all began.
Chapter 23
Brandt
Emma was packed, excited, and ready to go when I got to her house that morning. I could tell she had stayed up most of the night packing, and from the looks of Caroline passed out asleep on her couch, she’d helped too. During the plane ride, I held her hand tightly, feeling so relaxed and ready for the next steps. When the plane started its descent, I leaned over and kissed Emma softly on the cheek to wake her up. She was absolutely exhausted and had fallen asleep within the first ten minutes of being in the air. I couldn’t blame her for being so tired. She was pregnant, and from what she had told me, her hormones were waging war against her since the beginning. Add the fact that she’d been up all night packing, and I had a very tired but still beautiful woman on my hands.
We walked hand in hand off the plane and down to the luggage area where my driver collected our bags. Emma seemed impressed and thankful that she didn’t have to lug any baggage any farther, not that I would have let her. We got in the car and started toward the penthouse. I had gotten so used to no traffic in Camden that New York was almost shocking to me. I was a little nervous taking Emma back to the house because I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Sicily about it at all. Not only did she not know Emma was coming, but she also had no idea that Emma was pregnant. It was definitely going to be an interesting evening for the three of us. Luckily, since we had taken such an early flight, Sicily would still be at school. This would give us some time alone to get acclimated. Plus I had to go into the office for a little bit and catch a meeting about our big project.
It was going to be a long day for me, and I hoped that Emma got comfortable at the house. I felt bad for leaving her there the first day she arrived. I wanted her to feel at home in my home so she would start feeling out how it might be to live in New York. I looked out the window and smiled as we pulled up in front of the complex. The doorman came out and got our luggage from the car and brought it upstairs for us. When he was gone, I showed her around the apartment, pointing out that I would clear some space for her things that night.
“I have to go in for just a couple of hours,” I said, pulling Emma into my arms. “I promise I’ll hurry.”
“I understand.” She smiled. “I’ll probably curl up on your couch and take another nap.”
“Feel free to sleep anywhere you like.” I smiled.
She kissed me goodbye, and I headed out to the office, barely able to pull myself away from her. The meeting was just getting started when I arrived, and I sat there happily listening to all the progress they had been making in only a week’s time. I could feel Trevor’s eyes glaring over at me as I listened, and I knew I was going to have to talk to him before I left to go back. When the meeting was over, I went to my office and looked through the messages on my desk.
“Hey there. Welcome back,” Trevor said, walking in and sitting down. “We missed you around here.”
“I’m sure.” I chuckled.
“How did everything go? You look happy and relaxed,” he said.
“It went amazing,” I said. “She’s here in New York with me at the apartment.”
“Really? Already?”
“Well, some things were a surprise like the fact that she was pregnant with my child when I showed up,” I said, laughing. “And to be honest, I didn’t want to leave her behind. Things were even better than I imagined they would be.”
“That’s really great,” he said. “Man, congratu
lations on the baby. That must have been a shock to the system.”
“A little.” I chuckled. “But it’s okay. She and I, we just fit together, and I’m more than happy to start a life with her and the baby.”
“I’m really happy for you,” he said. “Just be more careful this time. She bolted once, and I don’t want you to get caught off guard.”
I stood and grabbed my suit jacket. “I appreciate the concern, but I don’t think it’ll be the same this time. She bolted last time because she thought I was married.”
“That makes sense then.”
We talked for a few more minutes, and then I left, wanting to get back before Sicily got home. When I arrived, I put the key in the lock and walked in, seeing Emma poke her head around the corner. She walked over, handed me a hot cup of coffee, and kissed me on the cheek.
“I’m glad you’re home,” she whispered. “I hope you don’t mind. I made some coffee.”
“Not at all,” I said, smiling. “I want you to make yourself at home.”
She smiled and walked back into the kitchen as I took off my jacket and tie and sat down on the couch. I couldn’t help noticing how nice it was to have Emma there, waiting for me when I got home from work. She fit in perfectly in the house, and it really felt like a home with her standing there in shorts and a T-shirt, barefoot, pretzels in her mouth, and her little round belly rubbing the counter. She was adorable and sexy and beautiful all at the same time. I was about to call her over to sit with me when the front door opened, and Sicily came running in, stopping wide-eyed when she saw me.
“Dad,” she yelled, throwing down her book bag and jumping on top of me. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you too,” I said, looking up at my mom. “Both of you.”
Emma came out of the kitchen and smiled sweetly at my mom and watched as I hugged Sicily. She showed me the bracelet my mom had made her and started talking about the new robotics project she was working on. She hadn’t yet noticed Emma standing there smiling. Sicily looked at my eyes and followed them back behind her before sitting down next to me and smiling sweetly.
“Hi,” she said, looking down at Emma’s baby belly.
Her head jolted to me and then back to Emma several times. My mother laughed and so did Emma, watching Sicily freak out. I chuckled and grabbed her face, kissing her little forehead.
“Sicily, this is Emma, my girlfriend,” I said. “You’re going to be a big sister.”
“What?” she squealed in excitement. “That was fast!”
She got up off the couch as we all chuckled at her comment and walked up to Emma, wrapping her arms gently around her body and holding her face to Emma’s belly. Emma looked up at me with tears in her eyes and stroked the back of Sicily’s head. It was the best reaction I think Sicily could have ever had, and I was really proud of her. She pulled back and took Emma by the hand.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” Sicily said quietly. “Let me show you around properly.”
“I would love that,” Emma said, winking at me.
I sat watching as Emma and Sicily walked all over the apartment with Sicily giving commentary on everything in there. Emma listened carefully, talking, cracking jokes, and genuinely enjoying herself with Sicily. I couldn’t believe how fast the two of them bonded and how absolutely amazing Emma was with Sicily. My mom walked over and sat down next to me, watching them walk into Sicily’s room.
“Are you happy?” she asked.
“More than I ever have been my whole life,” I said, turning to her.
“Good,” she said. “She’s very beautiful, and it looks like you found her in the nick of time. It’s funny how the universe works, isn’t it? I think you had to get past all your fears before you saw her again because someone knew you would need to be strong and happy when you saw her again.”
“That baby is going to be perfect, just like Sicily,” I said. “And I’m really excited to be a dad again.”
“You are a hell of one, so it fits you.” Mom stood up. “I’ll get started on dinner.”
Sicily brought Emma back out to the living room, telling her she needed to knock out some homework before I got on her. I chuckled and nodded as Sicily grabbed her bag and disappeared into the back. Before I could even approach the kitchen, Emma had introduced herself and asked if she could help. My mother was so sweet and, of course, put her to work cutting up vegetables and talking to her about her life in Camden. She fit right in with us, her sarcastic humor and all, and there wasn’t a bit of shyness in her voice. I could have sat there forever that day, just watching the three most important people in my life cooking together, laughing, and talking about everything they could think of. Emma looked renewed, like all the stress in her life had been washed away when she stepped foot in the apartment.
I grabbed a beer and went out on the balcony, leaning on the railing and looking out over the city. I stood there for about an hour with the warming hum of giggles in the background. I sipped my beer and watched the sun start to dip below the skyscrapers, casting rays of light through the city streets.
“It’s beautiful out here,” Emma said, putting her arms around my waist and laying her head on my back. “A girl could get used to this really fast.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” I chuckled, squeezing her arm.
“Dinner is ready,” she said, leaning back as I turned around and kissed her.
“Great. I’m starving.”
Sicily insisted that Emma sit next to her at dinner, and we all listened intently as Sicily told us about her day, her school work, the school play that she got a part in, and her upcoming robotics competition. Emma asked questions and nodded her head at the answers, enthralled with the type of education Sicily was getting. My mother ate her dinner, watching the two and beaming over at me with happiness. I could tell she approved of Emma, and that was a really good feeling because she’d never really felt that way about Josie. They had always had a difficult relationship since Josie was snobbish and liked other people to wait on her.
When dinner was done, Mom served us some dessert, and I sat back in my chair watching and listening to everything going on. Emma and Sicily were talking about the ice-skaters she’d seen the last time she was in New York, which oddly sounded like the ones I had seen. My mother asked her about her parents, and they laughed, talking about the smell of a fisherman at the dinner table. My father loved to fish, and I could feel him there with us at that moment. My mother’s eyes twinkled, listening to the stories about small-town life, reminding her of where she’d grown up in upstate New York before all the big business moved in. It was a beautiful evening, and I really couldn’t have imagined it getting any better than it was right then.
Chapter 24
Emma
I yawned, rolling onto my back and pulling my arms over my head. I stretched long and hard, feeling the comfortable bed with blankets and pillows all around me. The sun was shining through the cracks in the blinds on the windows, and I could feel the warmth of it hitting my face. I breathed in the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen, and my stomach rumbled, feeling hungry as usual. That was probably the best night’s sleep I had gotten in a really long time, and I hadn’t even remembered falling asleep the night before. I rolled over and looked at the clock, reading that it was a little after eight. Eight was sleeping in for me lately, with all the work that Greg and I had lined up. I felt better knowing I’d left him with a pro, and he was more than happy to accept the deal when I left. If the guy filling in for me wasn’t paid so well at Cogent, I’d be afraid of going back to Camden without a job to go home to. I knew Greg was loyal, though, and he loved working with me, even if he didn’t always show it.
Besides the sound of breakfast cooking, the house was quiet, and I assumed they had let me sleep while Sicily got ready and left for school. I had no idea what time she went in, but from the sound of the workload she had, she probably went before the sun came up. She really loved her school, but I
couldn’t imagine having that kind of education when I was growing up. At the same time, Sicily was more intelligent than me when I’d graduated college, and she was only seven years old. I pulled myself up in the bed and leaned back against the headboard, looking around the room. I couldn’t believe I was there in New York City again, waking up in Brandt’s bed and staying at his beautiful top-floor penthouse home. If someone had told me I would be doing this three months before, I would have said it was crazy. I never thought that something like this could happen to me. I felt so comfortable there, too, like I was meant to live in his home, which was one of my biggest worries before I came.
Not only was his home comforting, but so was his family. They were the absolute best, and I was so happy that I was given such a warm welcome. Sicily was an incredibly amazing little girl with a spirit that I could barely even believe was real. She had laid her head on my belly, whispering to her new little brother or sister, and taking my heart right with her. I was attached right then and there in the first ten minutes of meeting her. It was amazing and beautiful, and I knew that it made Brandt super happy.
I pulled myself reluctantly out of the covers and went to my suitcase to find it empty. I turned and opened the drawers of his dresser, smiling down at all my things neatly folded in his drawers. He had made room for my things and put them all away. He was the sweetest. I pulled out a pair of leggings and a T-shirt and walked out into the kitchen, finding Brandt dressed for work in a very nice suit, plating eggs, bacon, and toast and turning toward me with a charming smile. I laughed, sitting down at the breakfast bar and taking a sip of the orange juice in front of me. I looked over and saw the juicer on the counter and realized he’d squeezed me fresh juice. Either he was the perfect man, or he was going miles out of his way to impress me. Whichever it was, I was not about to complain.
