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, congratulations 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.