Saturday I was up early cooking the two dishes I demanded I make for my own daughter’s party. Matt patted my head saying, “Okay, momma bear.” They were probably going to taste like crap compared to his fancy chef skills.
I accepted help, but I couldn’t let everything be taken care of for me. Sure, it sounded great in theory, but it wasn’t in my nature to sit on the sideline while everything was done by everyone else.
Another aspect of my nature was wanting to dodge Della at all costs today.
Luke text me once. No other phone calls or arguments since Monday night.
Luckily for him, it was a good one.
Luke: You have all me, I promise.
I had it in writing, but I didn’t need it. After I cooled my temper—not enough to cave and call him with an apology—I lay in bed one night reminiscing the first time I saw Luke, the first time I harbored a dislike for him, and the first time I fell for him.
It started in elementary school, second grade, Ms. Stark’s class. He had a bowl haircut. It was all the rage for boys in the nineties. I distinctly remember his charm over every girl in the class, the teacher included. He was my first crush.
We grew up. I knew him, he knew me, it was a small town, but we never spoke. Seems I was always watching him from afar, out of reach and out of my league.
When we made it to freshman year of high school, I became well aware of the Bennett brothers in their entirety.
Then Luke’s mom died, and Brady—already eighteen—became his legal guardian. Brady was a senior and Luke a freshman. Both popular football players. Both more charming than the devil himself. They ran the school.
Luke fell in to line with his brother’s reputation of being a cocky douche. That’s when he started dating Della. The on and off of their relationship drove everyone nuts. My aversion to the adolescent Luke Bennett was instant and powerful.
After graduation, I was with Della at the Bennett house one night. Luke had been sending me hateful glares as I flirted with his brother. I was young and stupid and craving attention so I hooked up with Brady. Not all the way, but it did happen sometime after that night. We did it a few more times until Brady finally asked me out.
The evil vibes from Luke flared at an all time max for about a month. His attitude kept me away. It almost felt intentional some times.
But then one night I stayed over at their house, not caring what Luke thought about me. Brady left for a beer run that turned in to a booty call, I later found out. I think Luke knew it, too, because that was the night I saw that charming second grader from Ms. Stark’s class again.
That was the night he became my friend. I put up with Brady, but I believe a hidden part of me dealt with that in order to have the softer side of Luke that no one else got to see.
During the times of dating his cheating brother, and watching Luke devote and demote himself to my best friend, I fell for him.
Even after all this time I never got back up from the fall. Psychically I brushed it off and moved on. But I left my heart at his feet, waiting for Luke to pick it up.
The beautiful thing about time is we have the seconds and minutes and hours to make the best of it. I spent years of mine trying to forget him. I spent these last few days being mad at him. Through it all I’ve experienced every feeling possible for Luke to last me a lifetime.
Except one.
There was one ultimate emotion building inside me. And once I accepted it, all the minutes, days, and years would be ours.
Missing him, I was in a good mood as we decorated Gio and Matt’s house. I couldn’t wait until he walked through the door.
My dad was the first to arrive with Janice. He refused to sit in a car with Della for the two hour journey when she offered. Luke was planning to stay the night, so Janice gave him a second offer. She lived in town, and handled dad’s stubbornness better than any other nurses have in the past from what I’ve learned. She’s a great woman.
Brielle invited two girls from school. Neither one were from that sleepover I picked her up from at the beginning of the school year. She told me she befriended these girls just before school ended, and they went to the same after school program she went to.
The house was decorated beyond my imagination with themed Star Wars everywhere. I bought the basics—plates, napkins, cups, banners. But Matt, not surprisingly, found some online party supply shop and purchased supplies that exceeded all of our expectations.
This had to be what Gio meant by pulling in the reins on Matt.
Then after I saw the cake he made, I lost it a little.
I hugged him fiercely and cried enough tears that required to fix my makeup before people arrived.
I was happy and blessed to have friends like them.
Brielle’s friends came next after dad. Then Della, Paul, and Ethan arrived. I played busy host to avoid being stuck alone with Della.
The kids were ready to jump in the pool. The adults were ready to drink. We all found a balance, and indulged.
The parents of the two other girls were chatting together. I spoke with them a little. Definitely not a part of the snooty sleepover crowd from earlier in the year. Nice people.
I answered the door when the bell rang, making myself at home in Gio and Matt’s house while Matt poured everyone a drink, and Gio tolerated Della on my behalf. Really, he was just getting better and better on my list of “what good friends do.”
Dad and Janice volunteered to be on kid duty while they swam. As soon as alcohol was mentioned he didn’t flinch, secure in the amount of time he’s gone without any, but I could tell he felt more comfortable being away from everyone else who had a glass.
Swinging the heavy front door wide, I came eye to eye with both Bennett brothers.
Luke wrapped his arms around me, laying his mouth firmly on mine. He spoke no words, but I felt his traditional “Hey, gorgeous,” greeting on my lips as he kissed me.
“We good?” he whispered, foreheads touching, mouths parted a inch away.
I nodded, closing my eyes and basking in his strength wrapped around me.
Stepping apart, I met the cold blue eyes of Brady. He didn’t care for our display of affection right in front of him and he made it known with the derision in his glare.
“Brielle’s in the pool, but I can get her out to introduce you if you want,” I offered, trying to be diplomatic even though it was the last method I preferred to be with him.
“No, that’s all right. I’ll hang out inside until she’s had her fun.”
Nodding, I closed the door and they followed me in.
Luke greeted Gio and Matt, praising the latter on his decorating. He was like a kid himself when we showed him the cake.
Too busy to get in the pool for the time being, I still planned on jumping in the inviting cool water at some point. More likely when the party dwindled down some. For that reason, I walked around in a white netted bathing suit cover that resembled a dress with its empire waist. And underneath the legendary blue two piece.
Luke’s eyes followed me everywhere. Crawling up and down my body. Undressing me in his mind.
I noticed him adjust his thin swim trunks multiple times.
When it came time for Brielle’s to meet her father, I preferred it to be a bit more private. I gave her thirty minutes in the pool before asking her to dry off and come inside.
My dad shot glares from the back patio, through the floor to ceiling sliding glass doors, and inside to Brady. A warning for him to not break our little girl’s heart.
Dried off enough to walk through the house, I guided Brielle into an office at the front. It’s separated from the living room and kitchen where everyone else stands around.
There was no telling Luke he didn’t need to be with us. Walking into the office in her two piece Star Wars tankini bathing suit, black with bright colors of the galaxy and pink straps, Brielle glued herself to my leg as I introduced her to her father.
Brady knelt down so he was eye level with her, and Luke stood over my left shoulder.
“Hi, Brielle,” Brady said in a calm voice.
“Hello.”
“Thank you for inviting me today. I know you didn’t have to.”
“Mommy says everyone deserves a second chance.”
Brady lifted grateful eyes to me.
“Seems you got a good mommy.”
“The best,” she smiles with pride and I had to bite down on yet another wave of emotion. “She’s throwing me a Star Wars party even though she doesn’t like the movies.”
“I don’t not like it,” I smile. “It’s more yours and Luke’s thing than mine.”
Brady’s face twitched.
“Your uncle’s always been a big fan,” he comments, emphasizing “uncle” enough for Luke and I to turn his way.
Let the pissing match begin.
“Can I go back in the pool now?” Brielle tilts her back to look up at me.
“Yeah, for a little while longer then everyone has to get out and eat.”
“And then cake?”
“Then cake.”
“Awesome.” She spins away, but stops at the door, watching Brady. “Are you staying for cake?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he replies.
“Cool.” Then she gone.
That was all so…anticlimactic.
Brielle showed no nerves other than when she first walked in and clung to my leg. She was polite, and shockingly enough, Brady was cordial too.
Kids either expressed every emotion all at once, or remained unbothered in the most nerve-racking of times.
Too bad adults couldn’t adapt that way.
“She’s beautiful, Liv,” Brady says almost as an afterthought.
“I know that was short, but give her some time. She just wants to hang with her friends in the pool right now.”
“No, of course, I get it.” He nods, staring at the door she walked out of. Brady stands up from where he’d been crouched down.
“I need to get back out there.”
“Luke, can we talk a minute?”
Luke holds his brother’s gaze, determining Brady’s actions beforehand. At me, he says, “I’ll be out there in minute.”
Later on when the brothers return to the party, Luke conveys with only a look and a shake of his head how their conversation went. Brady lost the niceness he performed with Brielle.
He skulked around the party, being a loner since most people knew him and had no interest in engaging in conversation with him. Matt’s a sweet person, so he tried a couple times. Paul joined Luke when they found Brady staring longingly at Brielle as she carried on with her party, not giving him much of a chance at a one on one.
In fact, the only other time she addressed him was when she opened her gifts and thanked him for the toy he bought her.
Never thought it would happen, but I felt bad for the guy.
Thankfully, that fleeting feeling only lasted fifteen minutes or so.
The party was winding down, Brielle’s two friends left with their parents, and my dad was squeezing Brielle in a goodbye hug.
At the front of the house, I closed the door behind the departing guests, and when I turned around Brady was right there in my space.
“Are you taking off?” I ask.
“Might as well. She’s preoccupied with everyone else.”
“Did you say bye at least?”
“What’s the point. Brielle clearly doesn’t care to have a dad in her life.”
“That’s not true, Brady. She’s not used to having you in her life. It will take some time.”
“It’d probably go easier for me if you weren’t with my brother,” he barks. “You think confusing her like that is a smart parent move, Liv?”
More than ever, I believe Brady’s pride is the only motive for him being back in our lives. He sees his kid falling for, and connecting with Luke, instead of him.
Brady’s a selfish man, always has been. He’s jealous of his little brother in many ways. Growing up, even though they both had the townspeople in the palm of their hands, Luke has always been favored more. Young girls and their mommas were wrapped around their fingers, and daddies were waiting for a reason to shoot them. But Luke charmed with sincerity, he’s kind and honest, and reliable. Total flirt with some grey areas during his teenage years, but he has more swagger than Brady could ever aim to have.
And those good qualities of Luke draws out the bad side of Brady.
His selfishness is why he didn’t want to raise a baby. Until he can prove to me with genuine cause why he wants to be a part of Brielle’s life, I won’t take his crap, and I won’t make things easy for him. Not at the risk of hurting my daughter.
“Excuse me if I don’t care to take parenting lessons from you,” I reply, sidestepping around him.
Brady grabs my arm.
“He’s her uncle. I may be the bad guy because I walked out. But her uncle, Liv.”
“This isn’t about Brielle. This about jealousy of your brother.”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t experienced jealousy. Think no one noticed your reaction every time Della stroked Luke’s arm or laughed at something he said today.”
My jaw locks, grinding my back teeth. He’s just trying to get under my skin.
“Drive safe, Brady.”
“Why can’t we work out our issues for her? Doesn’t Brielle deserve to have a real, whole family? Something you and I never had, but we can give it to her.”
“We may have issues, but there is nothing to work out. You and I never had anything between us but a good time. And the only thing I’m grateful for from it all, is my daughter.”
“So you’re really doing this with Luke,” he says, jaw ticking.
“Luke and I were always meant to do this. We just had to find the right timing.”
Peeling his slimy fingers from around my arm, I walk away.