WHITNEY’S POV
I wake up a few hours later to the sound of Brad’s phone going off. I get up off the couch and see on a wall clock that it is a quarter ‘til seven. I go into Maddie’s room and wake her so she can get ready for school.
When she gets out of bed I go past Brad’s room as his phone goes off again. I wonder who is calling him. I peek into his room and see him lying in his bed with his arm over his face. I hear light snoring coming from him and I smile, remembering how he used to snore just like that when were living together for a short time in his small apartment.
His phone rings again and I make my way into his room and grab his phone off the nightstand and I see April’s name flashing across the screen. I decide to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Whitney? What are you doing answering Brad’s phone?”
“It’s a long story.” I sigh.
“Oh, well I was calling Brad to see if he wanted me to take Maddie to school today. He’ll be late for work if he takes her.”
“Yeah, just come over. I’ll let you in.”
“You’re at Brad’s place?”
“Yeah, how else would I be answering his phone?”
“Hmmm. Well, I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”
After we hang up I fix Maddie something quick to eat and April shows up with her son exactly thirty minutes after our call ended.
Maddie hugs her and April tells her to go wait in the car and to take Benji with her. She does so and April looks at me.
“I heard about your mother.” she starts.
“Did Brad tell you?” I question.
She shakes her head. “It was on the news last night. I’m really sorry. I’m just glad that Maddie got to know she was her grandmother before she…”
I hold out my hand to stop her and fight tears. “I know and thank you. Let’s wait to tell Maddie until a little later okay?”
She agrees and leaves to take the kids to school. After closing and locking the door, I collapse on the couch and bury my face in my hands and cry for a minute before getting up to clean Maddie’s breakfast dishes.
BRAD’S POV
I woke up the next morning to my cell phone ringing. I had overslept thanks to the wine. When I answer the phone a man is on the other line and he introduces himself as an agent for American Life, the insurance company Hilary had her policy with.
