Page 76 of Family Bonds: Alana & Brennan
Her mother moved closer to hug her. “Do not be embarrassed. I’m happy for you. You said you were trying weeks ago but then said nothing else. I had hoped there was someone. Who is he and how did you meet? You said Kelsey or Karen, so they must know him.”
“His name is Brennan Austin and he’s a partner at the firm. He transferred here from Boston a few months ago with his three-year-old daughter.”
“Ahh, you love kids,” her mother said. “Have you met his daughter?”
“His daughter is the one who threw us together. Or helped nudge the way,” she said.
“Now this I’ve got to hear.”
“And I want to tell you,” she said, smiling. In the past she’d kept so much of her personal life private and regretted that.
No more. If she was missing something, she wanted someone else to tell her the signs.
She just hoped there wasn’t anything to worry about.
23
DOING THE RIGHT THING
“Rene has the worst timing imaginable,” his mother said at noon when he picked up Becca.
He’d planned on coming earlier, but when he got the text that Rene was going to be on the ferry at one, he cleaned the house first before getting his daughter. She’d only tear it apart and he’d be stressed running around before they left again.
If he’d hoped that Rene would forget or not reach out, he buried that thought down deep.
“What was I supposed to do?” he asked.
“Tell her no,” his mother said. “You have that right.”
Brennan walked into the living room to see Becca watching her movie. She’d come running to him for a big hug and kiss, told him all about her night filled with Christmas movies and then went to watch one again while he talked with his mother.
“She hasn’t seen Becca since her birthday over the summer. I wasn’t sure she’d reach out and I don’t feel right telling her no. I know I’m doing the right thing.”
“You always worry that Becca is going to blame you for having no relationship with her mother.”
“I don’t know if she will or not, but I’m not willing to take that chance. This isn’t the life I pictured in my mind when I thought of having children.”
His mother sighed. “I know you wanted duel parent upbringing. That you missed out not having a father in your life.”
“Never think that,” he said. The last thing he needed was his mother to feel guilty that she’d done it alone. “You did a great job with me. You showed me that one person can not only do it all but do a wonderful job at it.”
“That’s right. Don’t you forget it either. But now you might have someone else. Are you worried this is going to cause problems with Rene showing up today? That is what I meant about the worst timing.”
“I’m not too worried,” he said. “If anything, Alana was almost too accepting of it.”
“And that bothers you?”
He sighed. “I hate that I’m looking for things that might not be there.”
“Then don’t.” His mother was squinting her eyes and pointing a finger at him. “You’ve always gotten in your head without cause.”
“I have cause,” he said. “Becca has to come first.”
“You put her first, but you need to do that for yourself too.”
“Mom, I want to move on and I have been trying. I just worry that Alana is saying she is okay with this when she’s not.”
“Stop,” his mother said. “You’re so afraid that some woman won’t take Becca in as her own or treat her as her own because of the way Rene treats her. Very few people out there are as malicious as Rene.”
