Chapter 14
Yvonne couldn’t for the life of her remember what little Phoebe looked like, but Sophia had got this same chill, soft vibe that brought on this weird sense of familianty So when Brandon, who had never had a girlfriend before, brought Sophia home out of the blue and announces they had gone and tied the knot, Yvonne totally got why her bro would get married. so fast. Although their mom thought Brandon’s quickie wedding was all because Sophia had got a bun in the oven and
his sense of duty kicked in
Yvonne wasn’t sure, but she could tell Brandon was actually looking forward to that kid.
She had caught him more than once buried in mommy-and-baby books, stuff about what moms-to-be should eat, do’s
and don’ts, and how to take care of newborns and new moms
However, luck wasnt on their side with the kiddo.
Every time she saw Brandon looking at her daughter, it was like he’s seeing his own through her eyes.
But if he was so into kids, why hadn’t he and Sophia tried for another for the past two years?
Most of the time, Yvonne admitted she couldn’t figure out what was going on in her brother’s head.
“Brandon,” she said, watching his gentle demeanor, and couldn’t help but cautiously ask, “When are you and Sophia thinking of having another kid? You’re not getting any younger, and your career’s solid. It’s about time for a baby, isn’t it? Brandon paused for a sec, totally ignoring her question, and kept playing with the little tyke in his arms.
Yvonne nudged him again, “Brandon, have you guys talked about it or what? Is it Sophia who’s not ready, or is it you? I mean, sure, raising kids can be a pain sometimes, but there’s a lot of joy in it too. I feel like something’s missing between you two, and maybe a kid could bring you closer.”
Brandon froze, his face not looking too hot.
“Brandon?” Yvonne asked, surprised
Brandon turned and dumped the little munchkin into Yvonne’s arms, gave her a look and said, “You don’t have a sister-in-law
Yvonne was speechless.
Brandon was already on his feet, grabbing his car keys off the coffee table.
“Remember to lock up when you leave.”
With that, he was out the door, slamming it behind him so hard Yvonne nearly jumped out of her skin.
She was totally baffled, staring at the door, trying to figure out what just happened. After a quick once-over of the place. she realized there’s no trace of Sophia living there anymore. In fact, the house looked exactly like it did before Brandon was married
Feeling completely lost, Yvonne scratched her head, sensing something’s off, and after a moment, sneaked in a call to her mom, Patricia. “Mom, what’s up with my brother and my sister-in-law?”
“What else could it be? Your brother’s always been overprotective of Sophia,” Patricia replied, her tone not the best since Brandon’s non-response had her stewing.
Even though Brandon wasn’t her biological son, she had raised him since he was two, and as far as she’s concerned, she was no different from his birth mom. But Brandon had always been polite and kept his distance, which made her feel off-balance whenever she thought about it.
Yvonne could hear the passive-aggressiveness in her mom’s voice. “Mom, can we just talk normally, please? I’m at my brother’s place.”
Patricia’s tone softened a bit. “What’s he up to?”
Yvonne said, “He just left”
She added, ‘But something’s off with him today. The place reeks of booze, he got all dark and gloomy when i
Chapter 14
mentioned Sophia, and he told me I don’t have a sister-in-law. They didn’t have a fight and split, did they?
The thought shocked Yvonne, her legs crossing and uncrossing as Patricia pondered, recalling how Sophia left for the airport looking like she was heading abroad for a long stay. If it wasn’t a relationship issue, why else would she be gone so long?
If they really split.
Patricia suggested after a moment. “You’re close to your brother. Why don’t you find out if it’s really over?”
“Why should I find out?”
Patricia said. “To set him up with Novia’s daughter, of course.
Yvonne was speechless.
Patricia “What’s with that reaction? Hannah’s got the looks, the grace, and the family background. What’s not to match with your brother?
“I’m not discussing this with you right now. Whether they match or not is up to my brother, Yvonne cut the conversation short, not wanting to argue about it. “Besides, maybe they’re not even divorced.”
She hung up before Patricia could say anything else, glanced around the empty room, feeling a weird lump in her throat. Not that she was super attached to Sophia, but as someone young and used to lovey-dovey happy endings, she was not thrilled with this kind of split. Plus, she had gotten used to Sophia being her sister-in-law.
She wanted to clear things up with Brandon but was too chicken to call or WhatsApp him. After a lot of hemming and hawing, she hesitantly sent a message to Sophia, who she was not that close with. [Sophia, you’re not home?]
But the message went unanswered
