Chapter 28

Emma

I had just finished up making the bed and putting away the laundry that I started before breakfast. I clapped my hands together and looked around the house, taking in a deep breath of the flowery scent coming from the Ocean Breeze Orchids that I had brought home from the flower market. I had been there for over a week, and I was enjoying every second of it. Every moment with Brandt was more and more special, and every walk in the city I took made me feel at home. I knew that if I ever had a chance to be a family with Brandt, even before I knew he was not married, I would feel good and happy, but it was more than that now. I never fully realized how much I would love being part of something like that. I never realized how good I was at taking care of a family, keeping everyone together, and being there for the people I loved so much. I thought I would go crazy being at home, but I had found a love in the simplicity, a motivation knowing that these two people were relying on me for things and that when they ate my cooking or smelled the flowers, they looked to me with love and comfort.

I stopped to take a call from Brandt, and I laughed, figuring he had forgotten the strawberries I just texted him about. I was craving strawberries so much, and I couldn’t wait to dig into them when he got home. When I answered, though, it wasn’t about the strawberries. It was him telling me about some emergency at work that he had to handle. Of course, I was disappointed, but I knew he had a job that required him to jump when it needed him.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll get Sicily started on her homework if you aren’t back in time.”

“Thank you, my love,” he said. “I will try to hurry, and I’ll have my driver bring the groceries over.”

“Sounds good,” I said happily before hanging up.

I held the phone close to me and smiled, feeling the love inside of me growing more and more. I waited for the groceries to be delivered and put them away, all except the strawberries of course. I cut the berries up into small pieces and put them in a bowl before pouring cream over top. I didn’t know why I put the cream on them, but as I relaxed into the couch, I was more than glad that I did. It was exactly what I was craving. I finished up the strawberries and relaxed into the couch, propping my feet up and looking out over the cityscape. It would be a few hours before Sicily got home from school, so I had time to relax.

I sat back watching the clouds moving overhead, thinking about what I would do when I lived there all the time. Of course, I would want to have a job, but that would have to wait until after the baby was born. Until then, I supposed I would do the same thing I had been doing, taking care of the house, the family, and spending my time getting ready for the baby. It sounded like a vacation, and it made me giggle. I wanted to talk to Brandt about it, to find out if he had any expectations of me. If I knew him well enough, he would have zero expectations and would want me to do whatever made me happy. Taking care of him and Sicily made me happy.

I leaned my neck back and closed my eyes, feeling so comfortable and at ease. Right before I could doze off, though, there was a knock at the door. I opened my eyes and thought about who it could be, but with the groceries already delivered, I had no idea. It could be Brandt’s mother, but she usually called. Maybe she was coming up to have tea on the balcony with me again. That was really nice. I got up off the couch, stabilizing myself and shuffled up the stairs and to the door. I stood there for a second, fixing myself before opening up. I pulled the door open and smiled, scrunching my eyes together when I realized it wasn’t his mother standing there. Instead, a pretty blond woman who seemed familiar was standing there, looking at me with wide eyes. Immediately, I realized who she was. She was Brandt’s ex-wife, the woman from the pictures on the fridge.

“Hello,” I said. “Can I help you?”

“Is Brandt home?” she asked gruffly.

“No, he’s at work,” I said.

“Sicily?”

“She’s at school,” I replied. “Is there something I can—”

She huffed and pushed past me, the fur on the collar of her shawl floating up into my face. I brushed my nose and sneezed, closing the door and turning around. She stomped down into the living room and looked around before settling into the couch and crossing her legs. I took a deep breath and smiled, walking over to the steps leading into the living room. I looked at her and turned my head, crossing my arms over my chest.

“I’m sorry to be rude, but I don’t know you, and Brandt won’t be home for another couple hours.”

She looked around the house, ignoring me, grimacing at the painting over the fireplace. I wiped the smile off my face and stared at her, slightly irritated by the intrusion. I knew Brandt would not want her there, but what was I supposed to do?

“You’re a pretty little thing,” she said. “I can see he’s upping his game on his playthings.”

“You really shouldn’t be here,” I said firmly.

“It’s funny to watch Brandt’s cycling of women through his life, though this is the first to be here without him.” She laughed. “He always did have a taste for cute little things. You don’t seem like the kind of girl who’s from New York though.”

“I’m not,” I said. “I’m from Maine.”

“That’s adorable,” she said. “He’s going way beyond the city boundaries now.”

I tried to keep my cool, standing there with gritted teeth listening to her go on and on about how much of a player Brandt was. I just wanted her to leave, and I had no idea what she wanted with me. She would have known Brandt would be at work, so maybe she did come there to see me.

“There are so many things I could tell you about that man,” she said, her eyes rolling over me. “Wait, what an adorable little baby bump. Congratulations, Momma. I can remember when I got pregnant with Sicily. Brandt was always so sweet, running out to get me food when I was hungry, catering to my every whim. Who knew he was also meeting with other girls when he was picking up ice cream for his pregnant wife? I’m not still mad about it, though. It’s all in the past, for me at least.

I closed my cardigan around my belly and took in a deep breath. She was making me incredibly uncomfortable, but I was in no shape to kick her out. I thought about calling Brandt, but I knew it would cause a problem, and I didn’t want any problems with this woman.

“You know what still gets me, though? The way he tells our story,” she said. “He goes around telling everyone I just up and left one day, not speaking to them for over two years. It really bothers me that he says that. It makes me look like a terrible woman.”

“Right,” I said. “Then what really happened?”

“I can see you’re not in the mood to hear me out,” she said sadly.

“No,” I said, sighing. “Go ahead.”

“He had too many girlfriends, and I was in the way,” she said. “So, he used his power and his money to push me out of the picture. He kept me away from my daughter and poisoned her against me. I didn’t run off. If I did, why would I have an apartment in Manhattan?”

I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to give in to this woman, but with what she was saying and the way she looked so brokenhearted, I had a hard time not trusting what she was saying. She even had a tear trickling down her cheek, and my emotions were fighting me. I loosened up a little and unfurled my brow.

“The truth is,” she said. “I was coming here today to beg you to leave him alone. He had promised me we could try, that I could be Sicily’s mother again, something I have wanted since he shipped me away.”

I backed up and sat down on the stool, watching Josie sit there looking around. I was upset, and whatever was going on between her and Brandt was obviously more complicated than I’d thought. Tears were burning at the corner of my eye, but the last thing I wanted to do was cry in front of this woman. All signs were pointing to the fact that I had been duped. Was he really planning on starting a family with me? Or was it all a lie, and as soon as I was gone, he was going to bring Josie back into the picture? I shook my head as she walked up and rubbed my shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know this is hard for you.”

I looked up at her and blinked, not saying a word. I got up from the stool and walked into the bedroom, trying to hold it together. Immediately, I started packing my things into my suitcase, not even caring how they went in. I grabbed another bag and threw all my personal items in there. I changed my clothes and pulled my jacket and shoes on, walking straight out of the apartment as fast as I could. I didn’t leave a note or anything. This time, it was completely over, and I would never put myself in that situation again. I breathed deeply as I moved down the elevator and pulled my luggage through the lobby. The man at the front rushed over and picked them up, not asking any questions, just helping me outside to a car waiting out front.

“I’ll take a cab,” I said, turning down Brandt’s driver.

I climbed into the cab, and we headed off to the airport. When I got there, I checked my bags and headed over to the counter to purchase a ticket. There was a flight leaving in twenty minutes, which was perfect. I just wanted to get out of the city as fast as I could. I went through security and walked through the airport, finding my terminal. They weren’t boarding just yet, so I walked over to the window and looked at the planes leaving and landing. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, but it was Brandt. I shook my head and took a deep breath, shoving it back in my pocket. I didn’t want to talk to him, to hear any more lies from anyone. The whole situation was a mess, and I couldn’t believe people actually lived their lives like that.

They boarded the plane, and I took my seat, rubbing my belly and feeling the nausea set in for the first time since before Brandt showed up in Camden. I needed to calm down, take a deep breath, and just relax. I leaned my head back and sighed, feeling the plane roll forward down the tarmac and into the air. I couldn’t believe I had made such a huge mistake.