Page 58 of It Happened Back Then
I whisper, “I’ve been avoiding Bennett.”
“I can see that. Now tell me why.”
He sits down next to me, and I shake my head. “Lief, I don’t know where to begin. It’s been years of complications.”
“Break it down for me in terms that won’t lead to me kicking his ass.”
I shake my head again. “It’s not anything he did. It’s me. It’s seeing Savannah here. There's just a lot I've been carrying around, and he’s catching the brunt of it. But by the looks of this text, it appears we’re really done this time.”
Lief scoffs. “No way. He loves you.”
“No. He’s not waiting anymore. He’s found the one.”
“You’rehis one. Just go talk to him.” He says it in a way that makes it sounds so easy, but it's definitely not.
“That’s the thing. I finally decided to tell him,” I swallow, not wanting to say too much. “I wanted to tell him everything, and now he doesn’t want to hear it. I can’t blame him.”
He narrows his eyes on me. “What's everything?”
“Promise me you won’t freak out.”
His body goes rigid. “No fucking way! You don't get to say that to me and expect me not to react.”
“Okay, just listen.” I swallow hard and grab his hand. “I’m pregnant.” He stands so suddenly he knocks over his chair. “Lief!”
“No fucking way. Go talk to him.Now. I’ll kill him myself if he doesn't listen to you.” He begins to pace, and I follow him around the store. “He’s not done, Blossom. I can guarantee you that. Not with this news.”
I start to giggle because this overbearing brother thing is kind of funny.
He slaps his thighs. “What could possibly be funny right now?”
I smile and pull him in for a hug. “You. This protective thing you have going on is kinda cute.”
He scoffs but doesn’t push me away. Instead, he just holds me, and we hug in the middle of the store. “I’m going to be an uncle again, huh?”
“You are.”
“Then I guess congratulations are in order, little sister.”
“Thanks, big brother.”
CHAPTER 29 - BLOSSOM
I’m alone at the boutique. The bell over the door hasn’t chimed in almost an hour, and the silence is both welcoming yet unsettling. With silence comes thoughts, but some of them are needed. I need to work it all out in my mind.
I sit at the little table near the front, a cup of peppermint tea cooling beside my open laptop. There’s no work being done now though. Instead I am focusing on last-minute details for January’s bachelorette party and big day. This wedding is going to be the first big event this family has without my dad. And for the most part, we’ve been coasting through it. Excited, happy days of planning, dress fittings, cake tastings, it’s all been fun. But when the event coordinator at the hall asked for lineups to give to the DJ, the instant drop from euphoria was hard.
The Father of the Bride was an empty slot. I’m not sure any of us gave it much thought up to then, but seeing it sparked grief. January shut down in silence, Meadow disappeared from the room, Mom plastered on that weird smileagain, and I had to push on with the list like everything was fine.
But Lief?
Thank god for my brother who always knows how to step up and save the day, in anything we do, just like our dad would have done. Before there could be questions asked, Lief grabbed the pen and filled in his name.
Tears came, but it was okay. We’re all learning how to move forward, still.
I smooth down a name tag sticker on the place cards and smile as I read Lily’s. “Flower Girl Extraordinaire.”She already believes she’s the real star of this wedding, so I can assume she’ll be over the moon to see her name displayed on the table. As I fill out the remaining place cards, I come to mine and what is supposed to be Bennett’s. I don’t know whether to fill it out or not.
I’ve been thinking about Bennett constantly. His text replays in my head. I have to do something soon, I don’t know what that is, but if we don’t talk this out, Lief is going to lose his mind.
