A Missed Opportunity

48

✧𝙽𝚘𝚊𝚑✧

I think everyone can acknowledge what bad timing this is. I mean, it's really bad.

Not to place the blame on anyone, but had Kiara just said yes a little bit sooner the timing wouldn't have been so bad. She glared at me when I told her that, but she's always had a hard time accepting the truth.

There really is no great time though, honestly. And I know the longer I wait, the worse it'll be. I still very much hate bringing news to my sister that I know is gonna piss her off. Lately, it feels like that's all I've been doing. Pissing her off left and right.

I try to hold off on it as long as I can. Unfortunately for me, I'm not even here for thirty minutes before her eyes are narrowing skeptically. "What?" She urges.

I frown. "Hm?"

"What's wrong with you?" She pushes bluntly. I grimace a little when the kid behind me somehow manages to kick me in the head.

"Nothing." I mutter as I reach behind me to grab Elaina. She giggles while I drag her into my lap, sitting crisscross on the ground.

"That's your 'I'm hiding something' face."

"It's not."

"It is!" She insists stubbornly. "Tell me." She demands. "Or else I'll invite Mom, Dad, Kiara, and Cameron to dinner that way you have to come."

I scoff. "You'd punish your new baby like that? He's, like, two weeks old!"

"And Mom and Dad are dying to see him."

My eyes drift to the clueless baby cradled in her arms. Poor guy doesn't deserve all that at his young age. He barely even knows he's alive yet. "Fine." I breathe.

Aaliyah grins triumphantly. "What is it?" I start to frown at her. Very slowly, her grin starts to fade when she realizes it's not a game that she just won. It's serious. "What?" She mumbles, sounding unsure now.

"Kiara and I, um...We went on a date last weekend, Aaliyah. Pretty sure there's going to be another."

She stares silently for so long, I feel myself start sinking behind the kid in my lap to use her as a shield. She'll be fine. Her mother loves her.

"That's it?"

I frown. "What? I—Yeah. That's...it."

She looks disappointed, groaning and rolling her eyes as she looks down at the baby in her arms. The baby that they still have yet to name, mind you. "Noah, Kiara told me that, like, the morning after your date." She dryly informs.

I blink. "She did?" And she didn't tell me? What the fuck!

"Yeah." She shrugs. She starts rocking back and forth when the baby fusses in her arms. "You broke your promise, you jerk. You said you wouldn't look at her."

"I'm sorry."

She frowns at that. Sighs and looks down at the baby. "It's okay." She decides. "I'm sorry I made it seem like you'd hurt her. I don't think you would."

I chuckle to myself. "Yes, you do."

"Not any more than what a normal guy would in a normal relationship." She's quick to add. "She'll probably hurt you at one point or another too."

"Probably." I agree quietly with a short nod.

"Just try not to." She pleads. "She's a great person."

"She is."