may 2nd, 2026
4:10 pm
BRANDON GRUNTED AS he lifted the box containing dinner plates and smaller salad plates and carried to the kitchen of his new home.
Him and Kimberly were now located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington D.C, their house a simple two story house.
"Some help would be nice!" Brandon called to where Kimberly was fixing her hair in the bathroom.
"I'm gonna break a nail! I can't, babe!" Kimberly called back.
Brandon sighed but gently placed the box on the shale gray granite counter top before whirling around and heading back towards the garage.
He passed Kimberly who was trying to fashion her blonde hair into a side braid.
"Oh! Babe!" She called, making Brandon stop right in his tracks and then stick his head into the bathroom on the first floor.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Can you get lunch?"
"Sure. Whatchu feel like eating?"
Kimberly shrugged then turned back to the mirror, "Chinese sounds good. Can you get me sesame chicken?"
"Aight." Brandon replied, "Imma be back."
"KK." Kimberly said back.
Brandon strolled to the garage, where there were cardboard boxes still stacked on top of each other on the far side of the space.
His car was parked right in the driveway, as to carefully avoid making the boxes topple from their tower further inside.
After closing the garage door, Brandon moved the gear shift into reverse in order to start driving.
The closest Chinese food restaurant was fifteen minutes away and adjacent to a thriving farmer's market.
"Ah, damn." Brandon muttered softly to himself, upon noticing that there were no available parking spots in front of the Chinese restaurant.
Brandon skillfully weaved through lanes in order to make a U-Turn and avoid missing the restaurant altogether.
When Brandon got out of the car, he rubbed his hands together and then breathed a little on them, in an attempt to warm them up.
"Sunny, I told you that the snap peas are this way." A feminine voice sounded.
Brandon paused to listen because, honestly, how many Sunnies could be in the area?
Sure enough, her distinct voice reacted to the girl speaking to her, "Bro, I saw them over here like three weeks ago."
"You're tripping," The other girl laughed.
Brandon snapped his head towards the sound and spotted Sunday in a baby pink bodysuit, clean Air Force 1s and a jean jacket that covered her bare shoulders, standing in front of the stand that held tomatoes.
Sunday shrugged, her glossy lips curving into a smile, "Maybe just a bit."
She hadn't noticed Brandon yet which made him wonder if he should go over there, considering how the last encounter went.
But he was curious about Henry.
What was wrong with him for you to speed off like that?
And if something did happen, is he okay?
Brandon didn't realize that he was inadvertently stepping towards her and her friend as they talked and walked.
Neither of them had noticed him yet and Brandon was more than content to turn around and head the opposite way so that he didn't look like he was stalking her.
Brandon stopped and pretended to be interested in the stand that carried asparagus.
Then he made the mistake of looking up.
Sunday and her friend had moved to a stand that had sweet potatoes.
Sunday was paying the farmer in cash while her friend was clearly looking for a different stand.
Her and Brandon made eye contact for a split second and he quickly dropped his gaze back to the vegetable below him.
But it was too late and he could faintly hear Sunday yelp, "Hide me."
Brandon sighed and rubbed his forehead in preparation of another awkward conversation.
They lived in the same city now, they were bound to run into each other occasionally and Brandon didn't want every time to be this dramatic for him.
So with that thought in mind, Brandon turned on his heel and slowly walked towards them, fully aware that he was now meeting Sunday's gaze.
"What are you doing here?" Sunday asked as soon as he close enough.
"Hi to you too." Brandon replied.
Her friend coughed a little in a poor attempt to hide a laugh.
"Jeanette, this is B.J. B.J, this is my friend Jeanette."
Jeanette waved, a smirk on her face, "Imma go over here."
Then she moved to the avocado stand.
"What are you doing here?" Sunday repeated.
"I got traded. I play for the Wizards now." Brandon said.
"Of course you do. Because that's just my luck." Sunday muttered, her face down towards the root vegetables.
Brandon furrowed his brows, a little confused by her statement.
We didn't have a bad break up so what's the problem?
"You good?" Brandon asked.
"Yeah," Sunday replied, "Just a bit surprised. You requested a trade?"
"Not exactly. They requested me so now I'm here. Um... How's your father?"
"I can't talk about that here. If I do, I'm gonna start sobbing in front of everyone. Next topic, please." Sunday requested.
Brandon blinked once then twice, "I don't want it to be weird every time we run into each other."
Sunday turned her face up towards him and Brandon had to force himself not to step back.
Sunday had always been beautiful, in his opinion, but the time he had spent away from her had made her even more attractive.
He coughed a little at these forbidden thoughts, willing his heart not to beat so fast.
You have a fiancee.
You love her.
"It's gonna be a little awkward. We have history." Sunday reminded him.
"And what? You think I forgot that?"
Sunday pressed her lips together and Brandon licked his bottom lip at the great want, no, need, to kiss her.
"I think that if you see me around, a wave is enough."
Ouch.
Sunday must've seen the slight hurt on his face because she sighed, "I just.. I'm not exactly all excited to be just friends with you. You have to understand."
"I-I understand. But I just want you to know that if you need me I'm here." Brandon couldn't help but to lace one pair of their hands to seal the statement, "Hopefully we can get to a place of friendship."
Sunday let his hand stay for thirty more seconds then sighed and let go, "Yeah, one day. Thanks. I should go."
"Same. I'm supposed to be getting Chinese food."
Sunday turned her head to look at the restaurant behind them, "Don't go there. There's a better one near Ford's Theatre."
"Thanks. Um, I'll see you around?"
Sunday flashed him a smile and Brandon had to bite back his own smile, "Yeah. Yeah, sure."
Brandon nodded and then turned to walk to his car.
Once he was alone in the vehicle, Brandon dragged one hand down the length of his face, exasperated.
He needed to get a grip.
NOTE FROM KY
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