My Future Husband

Chapter 67

“When did you find out?” Sabrina can’t even look at us, her eyes firmly glued to Brie’s living room floor. The party continues outside, but in here it's far from a celebration.

“A few weeks ago for definite, but May found some pictures back when Anna was in Italy. How long did you know? Or did you always know?” For almost Brie’s entire life she thought she was the product of one night Anna spent with someone she couldn’t even remember, now we know that couldn't be further from the truth.

“I’m sorry, Brie. You have to understand, I didn’t want to lie to you, but I wasn’t left with a lot of options. Even your granny didn’t know the truth.” A small wave of relief washes over me. Granny never lied to us, as much as she's tried to pretend, I know it’s been eating Brie alive to find out if she lied about this.

“So why did you?”

“Because I honestly thought it was for the best. You need to remember, we were fifteen when Anna had you, still kids ourselves. My best friend asked me never to tell you about the one person who completely shattered her, so at the time I promised out of loyalty to her.” She drags her nails through her hair. “There were a few times as you got older I considered breaking that promise, but in all honesty I didn’t think it would help to know that he was still out there somewhere, with full knowledge of you but choosing to leave you behind. I thought it was less cruel for you to just think he never knew, at least then he wouldn't have to be a villain in your story.” In some fucked up way, she actually made the right choice.

Brie was good with not knowing, that peace was what she needed.

“So you knew him?” She nods her head, and Brie clenches my hand. Leah looks on from the doorway, giving her sister the protection she needs from the rest of the party hearing this. “Who is he?”

“I didn’t know him that well, I mostly just used to help Anna sneak out to meet him, but only a handful of times was I still there when he got there. My folks were strict, and I wasn’t like Anna, I didn’t like breaking the rules. I don’t think we ever even had a real conversation, apart from the day you were born.” She falls back against the chair, looking out the window like she's reliving the memory.

“How did Granny not realise that? Brie used to sneak out constantly, but she still caught her I don’t know how many times.”

“Your grandmother’s relationship with the two of you was very different to the one she had with Anna. She was strict with you, but with her... It wasn’t her fault, you both know what Granny went through with her ex-husband, and all she wanted to do was protect Anna from that, but sometimes it was too much. Anna started sneaking out when we were kids, seven and eight years old, just so she could spend an extra hour playing with the rest of us. By the time she was running around with T, she was an expert at it. She had to be, if Granny had found out her fifteen year old daughter was running around with an eighteen year old boy with a record, she would’ve killed her.”

A fifteen year old girl running around with an eighteen year old bad boy behind everyone’s back... The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree.

“T? His name was T?” Steve pulls Brie into his lap, she's trying to act like she's fine but she can't stop shaking.

“That was just what me and Anna used to call him. His nickname was Tick, or Ticker. He was this wild kid, always kicking off, like a bomb waiting to explode, so one of his foster mother’s called him Ticker and it stuck.” A boy with an attitude, I guess we know where Brie got that from.

“So he was a nut case.” Brie scoffs, but you can hear the pain underneath it.

“No, in fact Anna used to say the opposite. He was definitely a loose cannon before he met your mum, but she grounded him. Even over the few times I saw him it was obvious.” She leans right forward on her elbows, playing with her fingers. “They were good for each other, gave each other things they couldn’t get from anyone else. What they had was... He made her better.”