by Anna Castor
“I came home from therapy shopping after that phone call from Brenda, and he had a surprise for me. He showed me the nursery he’d made that day. He’d painted the room, laid out a nice fluffy carpet, Cait’s name on the wall, surrounded by smiling giraffes… everything.”
Bree swiped her tears from her cheeks. She witnessed how Cait cried at the other side of the table. She’d seen her sister only cry on maybe three other occasions.
“In that moment, I knew I could never leave him. He was my family. He would be such a loving father. How could I deny my child their father? So I said nothing about the phone call. And although I suspected Rob knew Brenda had called me, he never brought it up.”
“Mom… so you knew all along about Brenda?” Kera said.
“Yes. After having Cait, things were good between your father and I. I got pregnant with Kera and I really thought that by that time, Rob had left Brenda. He’d been around for everything. Cait’s first tooth, her first steps…”
Joan wiped a tear and held Cait’s eye. “Your first word was da-da.”
Cait took a napkin from the table and wiped her nose. Tears tumbled down her cheeks.
“But the pink cloud I was on turned dark real soon after I told Rob I was pregnant again. He said he was happy, but I was losing him. I felt it to my bones. He came home one day with lipstick behind his ear. I guess Brenda was making a point by then, she was still in the game. Except it wasn’t a game to me. Brenda might think because Rob married her, that she was the love of his life and I was a mere distraction. But it wasn’t like that.”
Bree sighed and traced the tablecloth with her finger. She’d never suspected her mom to be the other woman. Sure, they knew her parents had their up and downs. But this was shocking. Finding out that everything she knew about her childhood had been a lie, stung.
Declan traced her cheek with his thumb. She wasn’t aware she’d been crying. He kissed her cheek, and she closed her eyes. His touch soothed her. Declan always felt like home to her. Home.
She narrowed her eyes at the thought of her childhood home. What a farce it all had been. She turned towards her mother when she continued her story.
“I kicked him out of my house. It was the first time I confronted Rob about this. He tried to tell me some story about being overwhelmed with the baby news that he had a one-night-stand with some girl he’d met at a bar. But when I threw Brenda in his face, he’d stopped lying. He finally told me he’d been married to Brenda ever since he was eighteen. She was his high school sweetheart, and he’d gotten her pregnant. Brenda’s parents made them marry, and he said I was a breath of fresh air to him.”
“But after that, you still stayed with him?” Cait said in a high-pitched voice like she couldn’t believe it. Just like Bree couldn’t believe it either.
“You even had Fianna, Bree, and Gwenn together?” Cait crossed her arms in front of her chest and narrowed her eyes.
“I told you, you girls were going to judge me. And you’re right to do so. Even though I wouldn’t ever change having you girls, it’s true that I regret some of my actions. I should have stayed strong when I’d kicked him out the first time. But he always knew how to draw me back in.
“He came along with gifts for you girls, helped me out when I was so tired of getting little to no sleep because Kera was teething. I didn’t know what to do, so I called him for help. I was all alone and at my wits' end.”
Bree’s heart broke for her mother. She couldn’t imagine going through her own pregnancy alone and even raising five girls on her own. She placed her hand on her abdomen and prayed that the twins were still safe and sound swimming together in her belly. Declan gave her a reassuring squeeze on her thigh.
“We’d been keeping in touch about the girls while he lived with Brenda. Then one day, Rob stood on my doorstep with all his bags packed. He said he was done with Brenda and that he was going to file for a divorce. I couldn’t believe it at first. But he promised me that this was what he’d wanted. He wanted to be with us girls.”
Joan searched for Cait’s eyes again, but Cait stared at her fingers tracing the tablecloth. Bree looked from Cait over to Kera, who seemed shell-shocked with her mother’s story.
“I let him back into my home, into your lives and into my heart,” Joan said.
“That’s why I don’t have a lot of memories of Dad when I was younger,” Cait mumbled.
“Yes, you were seven when Rob came back, and Kera was almost four years old.”
“And then you got pregnant with me,” Fianna said.
Joan nodded.
“Yes, two years later we had Bree and Gwenn made our family complete two years after that.”
“Really mother?” Gwenn said. “I completed this family? He had a complete other family on the side, didn’t he? Oh wait, we were the ones on the side. The bastards. Not them.”
Bree winced at Gwenn’s words. But they were true, weren’t they? Rob hadn’t married their mother. So they were the bastards and not his other children.
Gwenn shoved her chair from the table. “I’m going for a smoke.”
“Are you still doing that? Think of—” Joan said.
“You are in no position to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do, Mom,” Gwenn spat. Bree cleared her throat theatrically, trying to diffuse the situation. But Gwenn waved her hand around the room.
“I think that’s the moral of this story today. You always held us to such high standards. Pushing us to reach further and to make something of our lives. I always wanted to make you so proud. I hated to let you down if I failed at something. You’re such a hypocrite!”
Joan stood from her chair and leaned on the table with both hands flat.
“Young lady, I am still your mother. I can still call you out on smoking if I please to do so. My mistakes of the past made me into the woman that I am today. I know that I’ve hurt Brenda by sneaking around her back with her husband. But I’ve hurt you girls the most. I was lost after Rob told me he was going back to her. He told me she was having twins, and he needed to be with her. I know I checked out on you girls for a long time after that.”
Bree tried to get out of her chair to hug her mother. But Declan clasped his hand on her thigh. He lightly shook his head. He probably was worried for her. Her mother had acted like a crazy person, throwing dishes around. Or maybe he realized Joan needed to get this all of her chest first.
“And you know what? I picked myself up. I got a degree online. I crawled out of the darkness that surrounded me and made something of myself as a PA to a billionaire. I can proudly say that I can support not only myself but also any of my five girls if you need me to. You’d rather sleep on your sister’s couch instead of staying with me. But that’s not the point.”
A soft smile ghosted Gwenn’s lips as she looked over at Bree. Bree smiled back at her sister, knowing they both felt their powerful connection. No matter what Joan had done in the past, or would tell them now. As sisters and best friends, they would forever have each other’s back.
“I’ll never want or need another man. Never again. And I made damn sure that my girls didn’t make my mistakes. I got on your nerves to get you girls independent. You are so strong. And I am so proud of you. Of all of you…” Joan said while looking at every one of her daughters.
Bree swallowed the lump in her throat. She nodded when her eyes met her mother’s eyes.
Gwenn sat back down in her chair. “I don’t get it. Why would he do this to us?”
Her shoulders shook as she cried. Fianna placed her hand on Gwenn’s shoulder and hugged her.
Declan kissed Bree on her cheek. “I’m getting the desserts ready for you girls. Leave you some time to talk without me.”
“There’s chocolate in the fridge, Dec. And…. Thank you…” Joan said. Declan nodded before he gave Bree’s mother a soft smile.
Bree watched this handsome, caring man walk out of the dining room to get her and her family chocolate. It was at that moment she realized he did
n’t need to tell her. His actions spoke louder than words. Declan Mills is in love with Bree Ryan.
Rob may have said he’d loved her mother, but his actions told a completely different story.
After this night, she was going for Declan without playing it safe. No need to guard her heart, like her mother would have advised her. No. She was no longer listening to people warning her about how one sided her love for him is.
What the hell did her mother know about love, anyway? She had this sick relationship with an egomaniac. How dare she compare Declan to that man?
She willed her breathing to slow down. There was still one thing she needed to know. After taking a couple of sips of water, Bree joined the side of the table where Joan sat on her own. She fixed her mother a glass of wine.
“Have you ever had contact with Rob since he’d left us?” Bree asked.
Joan shook her head, but something in the way her eyes widened told Bree she was lying.
“Mom, now is the time to tell us everything. It’s okay,” Bree urged.
Joan took the glass of wine that Bree had poured and brought it to her lips. She took her time before answering.
“He contacted me once in a while for the first two years after he’d left. I told him we didn’t need him.”
“Mom!” Cait gasped and shook her head in disbelief. Bree’s lip trembled. She was about to burst out in tears. All this time, she thought he’d just left them. Unbelievable.
“And all these years I thought my Dad didn’t want me,” Cait said. “That he never loved me because he never looked back.”
“Cait, he loved you. He loved all of you… but he loved himself more. And I couldn’t let him hurt you like he’ hurt me. I needed to protect you from him.”
Bree placed a hand on her abdomen. She wondered if she would have done the same. Joan had been convinced she’d done it to protect her daughters. She was so glad she wouldn’t have to worry about any of that with Dec being the father of their twins.
“Protect us from our own father?” Gwenn said, crumpling a napkin.
“You’ll see what I mean If you’ll ever meet him again. You’ll see that I was right for what I did when you were kids.”
“I was eighteen and needed my father! I totally lost it that summer he left, and I slept with four guys in one week!” Cait yelled as she slammed her palm on the tabletop, making a small vase jump on impact.
Bree jumped in her seat. She felt for her oldest sister. She had seen their parents at their worst during all of their fights and break-ups. And when Cait said she’d needed her father, Bree realized how much she’d missed him growing up. Her chest tightened.
“Sounds like one hell of a summer, sis,” Gwenn tried to joke.
“I lost my virginity to Robert Jackson,” Cait said. “The guy that in the same night took two other girls upstairs. All because I wanted to prove to myself that someone liked me!”
Gwenn had the decency to look down. “Sorry. I didn’t know.”
“We all carry our hurt differently,” Cait said. “This has affected every one of us on some level. It’s not right you made those decisions for us, Mom. We—I—needed a father figure…”
“I can’t change the past, sweetheart. I know my decisions caused so much pain. But I still think I saved you girls from much more heartbreak in the end.”
“Declan told me that our cousin Jessie wants to meet us,” Bree said.
“Jessie?” Cait instantly straightened her stance.
Declan walked in with a tray filled with chocolate muffins, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate chip cookies.
“Finally, something to eat,” Gwenn said.
“Yes! I couldn’t even finish my entrée,” Fianna said, throwing a look at her mother.
The sisters took back their spots around the table while Declan served them their dessert.
“Thanks, Dec. You’re the best,” Gwenn said.
“No problem. I’m glad to give you your fix,” he said. He smiled at Bree and she mouthed ‘thank you’ to him. He winked back.
“Dec, did Jessie tell you she wanted to meet us?” Cait asked, mindlessly making circles with her spoon in her ice cream bowl.
“How do you know this Jessie person?” Joan asked.
“We met her today on the job that went wrong. I can’t tell you about anything of it. Just leave it at that.” Cait said, dismissing her mother. “And? Did she?”
Declan laid down his spoon and wiped his mouth with his napkin. He nodded. “She said she wanted to help you. That’s she’s grateful for what you’ve done today.”
“Can anybody tell me what the fuck is going on here?” Gwenn said.
“Fine! Dec and I were on a call to check out a critical situation. As you all know, I went off my rockers and totally flipped when I saw a man holding a knife to a child’s throat.”
The sisters took a sharp intake of breath around the dining table.
Bree placed her hand on Dec’s hand. She searched his eyes, but he held his emotions to himself. She wanted to be there for him. To ask him more, but she knew he wouldn’t tell her with everyone around at the table.
Declan leaned in to say something, but Cait said, “It’s all on me. I take responsibility if it ever comes out I told anyone. I’m quitting anyway.”
“So I kicked this asshole unconscious—”
“Cait!” Joan scolded.
“Sorry Mom, I mean when I served this rather unsavory fellow my foot to his face.”
Joan didn’t respond but rolled her eyes.
“And then I heard Declan say we forgot to clear all rooms—”
“What the fuck?” Gwenn asked. “Was it your first day on the job or something? You always clear the premises first. Always.”
“I’m not even going to answer that. So I walk into this bedroom with clothes thrown on the floor like there had been an altercation. I don’t see anyone there, so I search for signs of drugs lying around, for other weapons… I look at some pictures of several families. The next thing I know, I see a picture of a guy with his family. A guy that looks awfully a lot like the asshole that left us behind all those years.”
Bree’s eyes zoomed in on the picture of Rob in the middle of the table. Although almost twenty years older, she would also have recognized her father.
“And he’s smiling. He’s happy with his three sons and two beautiful daughters. He had his arm around his wife and one around one of the girls. I wanted to be that girl in the picture.” Cait cleared her throat and Bree brought a hand to her chest, understanding Cait’s pain.
“I may have been a bit out of it and told the victim we’re related after she told me that the guy in the picture was her uncle Rob. So yeah, that’s that. I’m suspended from my job. I found out my Dad has a whole other family, and I saved my newfound cousin and her young daughter from a man that was threatening to kill the little girl.”
Cait grabbed her wine. “So, yeah. I said to myself today: ‘Fuck it all.’ Yes, I got drunk this afternoon. And I don’t see any reason I shouldn’t drink now. Cheers!”
“Drinking is never the solution, sis,” Kera said.
“No. I know that. But for me, on this day? It’s a great escape from reality.”
“Until come morning and reality hits you right in the face,” Fianna said.
“Just let me have this night, okay?” Cait said. “Tomorrow, I’m going to be your responsible big sister again. Not tonight.”
Waking up with his nose stuck in Bree’s curls was Heaven. Last night had been very emotional for Bree.
Being there for her at one of the lowest nights for her family had meant everything to him.
He’d noticed the shift in Bree right after her mother’s revelations. After she’d finished her dessert, she got up and sat down on his lap. She’d taken his cheeks in her hands and kissed him in front of her family.
Joan cleared her throat, but unlike her normal self, she didn’t even make a snide remark. Bree had broken their kiss and
had whispered, “Thank you for being you.”
He couldn’t wait to tell her today how much he loved her.
Her sweet little snores made him smile. He traced lazy circles with his finger on Bree’s soft tummy.
Good morning, Little Loves.
He still couldn’t believe they were having twins. Twins! He should have thought about the possibility, since he was part of fraternal twins.
A ping alerted him of an incoming text. He slipped his arm from under Bree and grabbed his phone. He muted the device before he read the text.
RO: Everything is ready.
Declan smiled.
DECLAN: Thanks, bro.
RO: It’s still not too late. I can take everything down and hide the evidence.
While Declan thought about the right reply to set him straight, Ro sent another text.
RO: Nah, I’m not doing that. Not even if you asked me to, G.I. Joe. She’s good for ye.
It was a good thing Ronan was now supportive of Bree and him. It felt right.
RO: If ye don’t make her yers, I’m swoopin’ in. And ye know how all the ladies like me better…
Declan rolled his eyes and snorted. Bree turned around and brought her arm around his waist.
She kissed his shoulder before she laid her head down. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Love.”
“What were you snorting over here for?” She tried to spy his texts.
He placed the phone back on his bedside table and rolled her so she rested with her back on the bed.
“Hmmm, someone needs to be taught a lesson,” he said.
She laughed like she couldn’t believe he’d said that. “Ooooh. I’m so scared. Are you going to cuff me to your bed?”
Well now, there was an idea.
He kissed her nose and shot off from the bed. Her footsteps followed him for a moment before she turned right to the bathroom. Declan went into his spare room where he kept a safe with a spare gun and some extra cuffs.
His cock jumped at the thought of having Bree at his mercy.
