We were sitting outside the courtroom at Brad's scheduled time. I was a sweaty bundle of nerves and felt like puking. Scott, Andy, Brad, and I were all there.
The current session ended and we stepped in as the people before us left.
The judge was stern looking but seemed a lot kinder than he appeared. He asked Brad a lot of questions, and since I was present, he talked with me also.
"I have reviewed all the reports", he finally concluded. "I took into account your relationship with the victim, her history with this man, and his background, as well. What my perspective was prior to talking to the two of you has been reinforced. I am dropping these charges against you. I see this as self defense for a third party, meaning you were trying to help your girlfriend escape from a man who had kidnapped her and previously attempted to murder her. I see no reason for this to go any further".
I was so relieved I started crying and thanked the Judge profusely, throwing my arms around Brad's neck and squeezing him tightly.
"I knew it was going to be okay, baby", Brad said confidently, grinning at me.
"I didn't", I said. "Jay has been dragging me down for five years. I'm always expecting the worst if he's been involved".
Brad gave me a sad smile and kissed my forehead.
"We need to get back to work, sweetheart", Andy told me. "But celebrating tonight? Supper? Yes?"
"Yeah, that would be-".
"Call Kendra. Find out where and when then make the reservations, will ya sweetheart?", he asked, already walking down the hall.
"He's my ride", Brad said, grabbing my hand and pulling me along.
"Where do you want to go?", I asked.
"Anywhere with you, baby", he said, giving me a wink and making me melt. "Can you see if Bre and Steve want to go, too?"
"Absolutely", I said. "They were part of this".
"I know", Brad said, "make reservations for that Italian place Andy likes".
"Oh, good idea", I said.
...........................................................................
At lunchtime, Brad gave me a call.
"Baby, your ring is done. You need to try it on, inspect it, and bring it home if there's no concerns".
"YAY!", I squealed, and he chuckled.
I drove directly to the jewelry store, tried on the ring, fell in love with it, and never wanted to take it off. However, I allowed them to put it in a box and a bag for me, and headed on back home to exercise and clean.
...........................................................................
"Hey, beautiful", Brad greeted his stunning bride-to-be as he stepped in through the garage door. She was wearing an emerald colored sweater with an emerald, brown, and navy blue decorative scarf around her neck. She had her hair in a thick french braid and her dark jeans hugged her curves like they had been cut for her body alone.
He kissed her with the passion he felt, not letting go when she started to pull away, but yanking her body up against his instead.
He felt her lips smile against his and she turned her face away.
"I've got reservations for six", she said.
"I won't mess up your hair", he whispered in her ear. "You know we have time".
She turned her face back up to his. She was smiling. "I don't believe that for one minute", she said.
He picked her up and wrapped her legs around him anyway. As she bent her face back down to his and started kissing him again, he kicked his shoes off and walked upstairs.
...........................................................................
"I had an idea", Brad said as we were getting dressed.
"What, like, while we were-?"
He chuckled. "No. Earlier. I know we're not doing super traditional but are you going to have Andy give you away?"
The thought made me tear up. I froze with my pants only halfway on and stared at Brad through my tears.
"Ohhhh, that would mean so much to him! To me! Yes, thank you, darling!", I said, grabbing his face and kissing him. "Thank you for thinking of that!"
He smiled proudly.
"I'll let the pastor know that detail", I said. "Were you thinking we should talk to Andy about that tonight?"
"Yes", he said as I got my pants all the way on. "Because there was more to my thought. Can I have Steve be my best man? I was thinking he could simply hold the rings. He doesn't need to do anything else".
"Oh, Brad", I said, tearing up again. "You are the sweetest man! That will touch Steve so much! Please, yes! I'll bring the rings tonight and he can hold onto them".
Brad smiled again.
He was such a fantastic human.
...........................................................................
Bre was holding, and gushing over, baby Gianna as they waited for a table. Brad and Paige had not yet arrived, and Steve was chatting with Andy.
Steve had been a lot better since Brad yelled at him, and while Steve never told her about the conversation, his behavior had improved, which meant he took it to heart. Steve had been more attentive, and had taken to telling her quite frequently how beautiful she was and how much he loved her. She hadn't yet gotten a chance to thank Brad.
Then suddenly there they were. The attractive couple that were Brad and Paige blew in the front door, and every eye in the vicinity was drawn to them. Brad was casually gorgeous and Paige was strikingly beautiful. They also looked insanely happy. Bre felt the nagging wound in her chest crack open a little again as she watched her husband's head pop up.
"Hey guys!", he called out.
They waved and hung up their jackets by the door then made their way over. Bre kept her attention on Gi's precious face to distract her from the negative emotions brewing.
"That baby looks good on you", Brad said quietly in his deep voice next to her, and comfortably draped his arm across her shoulders.
"Hiya, baby", he said to Gi, whose face was immediately drawn to his. She instantly smiled and squeaked at him.
Bre absolutely melted. "Oh my gosh, that was so cute!", she said, tearing up.
Gi continued watching Brad and smiled again.
"Goodness, she adores you!", Bre said, glancing at his face next to hers.
He was smiling lovingly at the baby in her hands.
"You want her?", Bre asked.
He didn't say anything but took Gi from her, tucking her confidently in his arm like a little football and stroking her fuzzy brown head.
"Gosh, Brad", Bre breathed. "I'd say that baby looks even better on you. You're a natural".
He met her gaze and smiled. "That's what everyone keeps saying", he said. "It was a lot of practice growing up, actually". He quickly filled her in on the details. Bre's hand flew to her heart.
"Your mom sounds amazing", she said, feeling herself get a little choked up.
"She was", he agreed.
A waitress came to take them to their table, and as they were walking over, Brad asked, "I hope you're still craving this?"
"Yeah, I...wait, you didn't pick this place for me, did you?", she asked, stunned.
He simply gave her a wink and smiled.
"Oh, you did not!", she said, feeling embarrassed.
"Shhh", he whispered with a smile. "I wanted to come here. No one knows why".
He was so incredibly thoughtful she almost started crying.
"Thank you for talking to Steve, by the way", she whispered. "He's been better".
"Glad to hear it", he replied. "Let me know right away if that changes".
Gi fell asleep in Brad's arm and he held her through dinner, not even hindered in the slightest. Bre was impressed he didn't spill anything on her, either.
After dinner, everyone except her was enjoying a bottle of wine Andy bought. Paige cleared her throat. All eyes turned to her. She was beaming.
"Obviously we are celebrating Brad's freedom tonight", she said, "and we love you all for coming but we have two more things we want to discuss". She turned to Andy.
"Andy, there are not words for how much Brad and I appreciate you. We love you so much. You've been an amazing brother to me, and filled the role of dad, too. It would mean so much to Brad and I if you would give me away at our wedding".
Andy had been smirking at the beginning of the speech, then trying to keep his face calm, then it was filled with so much raw emotion, Bre felt her pregnancy hormones take over, and she felt tears start slipping down her own cheek as they started falling down Andy's. He stared at his sister and then said in a broken voice, "I'd be absolutely honored".
Paige flew to where he was sitting, kissed his temple, and embraced him.
Kendra smiled affectionately at her husband while he swiped at his tears. Brad stood and reached across the table, shaking his hand. He was still holding Gi. Then he sat and turned to Steve, who was on the end of the table on the other side of Bre.
"Steve, you've been my brother forever, and my best friend for most of that time, also. You've taken care of Paige when I couldn't, and you're the only family I have. Would you be my best man?"
Steve's eyes teared up and he nodded. "Yes, man. Thank you. I'd be honored", he said, getting up and hugging Brad carefully around Gi.
Paige also stood and handed Steve a bag. "These are the rings and the extent of your responsibilities as best man", she said. "We're doing very little traditional here".
He took them and immediately looked nervous.
"I'll help you keep them safe, honey", Bre assured him and everyone laughed.
After they finally got home Bre realized she hadn't even seen the rings yet. Paige hadn't told her anything about them.
"Honey, let me see them!", she said, walking into their bedroom. "Paigie didn't even tell me about them".
"I actually didn't know anything about them, either", Steve said, handing her the bag.
She opened the first box she grabbed. It was huge so it was clearly Brad's.
"Oh, this is very unique...very interesting", she said, running her finger across the wood. "This suits him".
Then she opened the second box. Paige's was almost exactly the same, except smaller, and with a row of tiny diamonds encircling the band, as well.
"I didn't see her wearing an engagement ring", Bre said. "Is this it? Just this one ring?"
Steve was studying both. "I'm thinking yes", he said. "Paigie doesn't like big rings".
"I cannot believe you never got her a ring", Bre scolded him. "You told me you proposed...and I'm guessing you did it on one knee like you did for me, so what? You had nothing? Why? Did you want her to pick it or what?"
She looked at her husband's face as she closed the box and set it back in the bag. He looked...strange.
"Honey, I got her a ring", he said. "I never said I didn't. What I said was that she never wore the ring".
"Oh. Yeah, I guess you did. Hmmm, Paige actually worded it that way, too, when I asked her if you had done as good for her as you did for me", she said. "So you got it for her but she didn't wear it?"
"Exactly", Steve said. "She didn't like it".
"Well, what did it look like?", Bre asked curiously, setting the bag of rings on top of a dresser.
Steve said nothing so she turned to look at him. His cheeks were red.
"Honey, it's on your finger", he said.
...........................................................................
I had just brushed my teeth and washed my face while Brad was checking the news on his phone in the living room, when someone pounded on the front door.
I jumped and flew to the top of the stairs as Brad called up, "It's Steve".
What the hell?
I flew down the stairs, wondering what on earth he was doing at our house, and I saw tears on his face. He was near hysterical.
"Brad, she kicked me out! She hates me! I couldn't lie to her! She's furious I kept it from her! I don't know what to do".
Brad took him by the shoulders and steered him to the couch.
"Did she find out Paige kissed you?", he asked, his brow furrowing.
"No!", Steve wailed. "She found out her ring was the one I proposed to Paige with!"
He started sobbing into his hands.
"I thought you told her about that before you got married?", I asked, confused.
"I intended to", he cried, "but Drew, and you, then remodeling, and then she got pregnant, and I forgot all about it!"
"Shit", Brad breathed, meeting my eyes.
"You guys started talking about rings because you had ours?", I guessed.
He nodded, head in hands.
"Stay here", I said. "I'll go talk to her".
"Absolutely not!", Brad snapped, looking murderous. "You are the very last person in the world she needs to see right now! Stay here. Calm him down. I'll go".
"But you don't know the whole story-", I started.
"So tell me", he snapped.
"Steve wanted to be married, so he went to the jewelry store thinking about getting a ring for his future wife. Not me specifically, but his future wife with no picture of anyone particular in his head. That's what he was thinking when he was in there, and that's the ring he was drawn to. That's why I didn't like it. Because it wasn't for me at all. It didn't suit me because it actually wasn't meant for me. It was meant for her, he just didn't know that yet. I never wore it and it is perfect for her. That's why he gave it to her. It was meant for her, not me".
"Did you tell her that, Steve?", Brad asked.
"Tried to", he sniffed. "She threw the ring at me, chucked a suitcase at me, and told me to leave".
"She threw a suitcase?!?", I asked in disbelief.
"I'll text you updates later", Brad said, meeting my eyes.
Then he was gone.
...........................................................................
Bre had never been angrier in her entire life. Not even when she broke up with Wes. That had been a long time coming and she was prepared for it. This was a huge blow that she was not prepared for. This was even harder than dealing with Paige being pregnant because that was an accident. This was Steve willfully hiding something from her, something so important...
She had thrown the ring at Steve and ordered him out. He picked it up, tried to explain, tried to approach her.
"If you touch me, you will regret it!", she said fiercely and she meant it. "Get out of this house!"
She started pulling out his clothes and tossed them into a suitcase, ignoring his pleading and explanations, then she threw the full suitcase at him.
"NOW!!!"
Maggie skittered down the hall and downstairs in fear. Bre had never shouted around her before.
He left.
She stormed downstairs and watched his truck lights until she couldn't see them, then she slid down the wall in the front entryway and started sobbing as Maggie came and sat next to her feet.
...........................................................................
Brad was livid...again, at Steve...again.
That fucking dipshit.
Paige was nearly as ignorant, thinking she was going to run over there and fix everything.
Brad didn't think Bre would like him leaving the two of them alone, but he couldn't let a devastated pregnant woman sit alone, either. He would ensure she was okay, and maybe one of her sisters could come over so he could go back and supervise the drama twins.
Brad pulled up the long dirt drive, loped up to the house, taking the porch steps three at a time, and walked right in without knocking.
Bre lifted her head from her arms and met his eyes with tears on her devastated face.
"Shit", he breathed.
She was on the floor in the entry way with her knees pulled up, and had her head resting on her arms, which were folded across the tops of her knees. He pushed the door shut as he sank to his knees next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
She started sobbing against his shoulder. He said nothing and simply held her. He had never had to comfort her like this before. It was typically the other way around.
Suddenly she bolted up, stumbling to the bathroom, and he knew what was happening before it happened.
Fuck.
She hadn't had time to close the door and he was right behind her anyway. He quickly grabbed all of her hair out of the way as he did with Paige. Hers was shorter, smoother, softer, but just as thick.
"You don't have to", she said as soon as she could take a breath.
He didn't bother replying. She flushed the toilet and threw up some more. Eventually she stopped and flushed again. He handed her a wad of toilet paper.
When she started to get up, he lifted her to standing, again, like he did for Paige. She was so much taller. She was shaking and swayed slightly, grabbing the sink.
"I gotcha", he said quietly, arms around her waist, feeling that belly bump on his forearm. A wave of deja vu washed over him and his worry for her increased. She turned toward the sink and he grabbed her hair back again as she splashed water on her face. As she reached for the towel, her hand was shaking and it infuriated him.
She wiped her face, stood, and said, "I'm so sorry", in a shaking voice.
"You don't get to be sorry about this", Brad said. He knew he sounded pissed and hoped it didn't scare her. He wasn't mad at her.
"I need to get upstairs to brush my teeth", she said, not looking at him.
"Arms around my neck", he instructed, immediately bending to pick her up.
"Oh, no, Brad, you couldn't possibly-", she started, and he picked her up.
Her arms went around his neck and she lowered her head to his shoulder.
"I'm too heavy for you", she said, sounding embarrassed.
"Woman, you're gonna make me mad", he grumbled, heading for the stairs.
She was about thirty pounds heavier than Paige, he guessed, but he could manage just fine. She was not too heavy for him at all. He got her to the upstairs bathroom, carefully set her down, and finally took his jacket and shoes off as she was brushing her teeth, dropping them on the floor next to the bathroom. He wasn't leaving her unsupervised.
When she was done, she tried to brush past him again and he stopped her in the doorway. She wasn't looking at him. He stood there until she looked at him. The expression in her eyes killed him.
"Talk to me", he said, and she started crying again.
"I'm not okay", she said, sounding strangled. "I was his second choice, and I thought I was okay with that, but I don't know if I am. I don't know if I can handle being married to someone who doesn't love me as much as I love them! That's how it was with Wes and I vowed I wouldn't do it again!"
She started sobbing in earnest and his heart broke.
"Jesus, Bre", he said, taking her face in his hands. He had never seen her like this before and it made him a little scared. Steve had fucked her up pretty badly. "Look at me".
He waited until her eyes met his. "You were not his second choice. Steve's a fucking idiot but he knows he doesn't belong with Paige. He knows he belongs with you".
She shook her head no and he held it still.
"Yes", he insisted.
"No one could possibly choose me over Paige", she said, sounding so heartbroken, it floored him.
Her tears were running into his fingers.
"Paige is a pain in the ass", Brad said. "She's destructive, impulsive, and irrational. I wasn't kidding when I told you that I often prefer your personality to hers. There's a shit ton of men that would much prefer to be married to you. I guarantee it. If circumstances were different for all of us, I think I'd be one of them".
She stopped crying and stared at him with wide eyes. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms back around her.
"You need to calm down", he said. "You need to lay down".
He gently led her into her room and laid right down next to her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her back up against his chest. Eventually she stopped shaking and sniffling. She was still for awhile and he wondered if she was asleep.
Though everything was different now, this was the room he had laid in while Steve got Paige pregnant down the hall. He had held Steve's baby growing inside Paige and now he was holding Steve's baby growing inside Bre.
Mother fucking Steve.
He internally groaned. Such a dumb ass. A good guy, a good heart, but fucking brain dead when it came to women.
"You should probably leave", Bre suddenly said.
"Do you want me to leave?", he asked gruffly and she took a shuddering breath.
"No, but...".
"Your husband laid with my girlfriend just like this in my bed after Drew died", he said bluntly. "I'll be damned if I let you feel guilty for doing the same thing".
And they did more than that, too, he thought but didn't say.
"How do you know?", she asked, sounding surprised.
"They both basically told me when they were explaining how they had comforted each other and needed me to be okay with them continuing to interact, and Paige also confessed it to me when I asked her if she had sex with Rev in my bed".
She stiffened.
"Didn't you know?", he asked, suddenly horrified he had accidentally dropped more on her.
"I did know they laid in the same bed", she said quietly. "It appeared to me they were on completely separate sides of it".
"You're the one who changed the bedding?", he guessed.
He had come home from Japan to clean sheets and was disappointed he couldn't smell Paige's hair on her pillow.
"Yeah", she whispered, starting to cry again. "He doesn't love me like he does her", she said. "I'm never going to be enough".
Brad squeezed her. He wasn't going to be able to convince her otherwise. Only Steve could do that.
"Let's talk about the ring", he said against the back of her head.
"Did you know?", she asked accusingly.
"Yeah, babe, I did", he said sadly, unconsciously slipping into his affectionate term for Paige. "When I accidentally hit Paige in the eye in the parking lot and took off for Japan, it was because Steve was hugging her in the parking lot. You knew about that, right?"
"Yeah...?"
"The reason he was hugging her is because he had told her he was going to ask you to marry him, and asked what she thought about him giving you that ring".
"He got her permission to give it to me?", she asked. "Wait, what am I thinking, of course he did", she said bitterly. "He told me he hugged her because he was proud of her for gaining weight".
Brad continued, "Steve was telling me to stop as Paige grabbed my shoulder, so when I smacked her off of me without looking, I had assumed it was Steve grabbing me. I ended up hurting her. She explained what it was about and I left for Japan. So, I did know, but your ring literally never crossed my mind again until tonight".
"Her ring, you mean".
"Baby, she never wore it. I knew that the first week I met her because when Steve told me they were engaged, I asked why she didn't have a ring on. Apparently Steve feels like he was drawn to that ring for you, but got confused and tried to give it to Paige only because he hadn't met you yet".
"He should have told me", she said bitterly.
"I agree, but he couldn't tell you before he asked you to marry him, could he?"
"No, but he could have before we actually got married. I feel like our whole marriage is a lie".
"Because of a ring? Bre, you know better than that. I know how level-headed you are. You know damn well stuff doesn't build relationships".
He scooted back and rolled her over to face him. She resisted and was a lot stronger than Paige. He almost laughed but held it in. He was pretty sure she couldn't handle being laughed at right now. She was still crying and looked miserable.
"Yeah, stuff doesn't, but trust and honesty do, and he broke that by what he did".
"You're right", he said, looking into her eyes. "As Paige did to me. I decided I was willing to work through it because I was better with her than I was without her, in spite of all her lying. You need to make that decision about Steve".
"I knew about Rev but didn't tell you", she admitted, looking miserable. "If Paige hadn't had a commitment to telling you, I would have, though. I honestly didn't realize it had happened way back when it did. When Steve told me the details I wanted to kill her".
She looked furious and he believed her.
"Thank you", he said.
She sighed. "I don't know what to do. I'm so hurt".
"If he had told you about it before you got married, what do you think you would have done?"
She thought for a moment. "I still would have been hurt. I don't think I would have wanted to keep it. I mean, I loved it and thought it was perfect for me, but now it seems...tainted".
He laid his hand on her face.
"What do you want to do right now? Do you need something in your stomach? Do you want to go to sleep?"
She slowly sat up.
"You can go", she said. "I'll have some toast and go to bed".
"Not leaving you alone, kid", he said, getting up with her. She didn't protest. "If you want me to leave, someone else needs to come here to stay with you".
He pulled his phone out. It was ten. He texted Paige- Staying here. She's not good. Threw up, shaking. How's Steve?
Paige had replied by the time Brad had followed Bre to the kitchen.
Shitty. He's had a drink but isn't calm. He wants to talk to her.
Brad replied with some hostility- Not happening tonight, and plopped his phone on the island.
"I got it, babe", he said, reaching around her as she opened a cabinet, and grabbing down a plate. "Go sit".
"You don't-", she started.
"I know I don't have to", he said gently. "Go sit". She sat at the island.
"What do you want to drink?", he asked, as he put down the the toast.
"I'll make some tea", she said, starting to stand, but he simply turned and stared at her with his arms crossed. She sat back down and gave him instructions.
She ate the toast and sipped the tea with Brad sitting quietly next to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
"How you doing now?"
"It's really late. I'm sorry for disrupting your life", she said.
"I've done it to you more times than I can count", he said. "You ready to try sleeping?"
"Maybe. I need to let Maggie out again".
"I got it", he said, jumping up.
"Maggie?", he called and she came to him right away. He let her out the patio door and watched her run out.
He turned back to Bre, waited until she looked at him, then asked, "Where do you want me to sleep?"
Her forehead wrinkled. "I guess the room Paige stayed in when she was here last".
He let Maggie in, locked the door, turned off the patio light, then walked back to Bre and leaned against the island.
"Is that where you want me to stay or where you think I should stay?", he asked.
She teared up again and looked away, tugging at his heart. He carefully put his hand over the top of hers.
"Bre, you're a mess", he said quietly. "Don't you trust me not to take advantage of that?"
She met his eyes again. "Of course!", she said, looking horrified.
"Then let me comfort you. Please. It's the least I can do after everything you've done for me".
She slowly nodded.
...........................................................................
"Brad is staying there", Paige said, looking up from her phone, a crease between her delicate eyebrows. She met his eyes. "He says she's not good and she threw up".
"Shit", Steve said, running a hand through his hair for the millionth time. His heart was breaking. He would have never thought in a million years Bre would have reacted like this.
"Everything hits harder when you're pregnant", Paige said quietly.
She knew.
"I think you should have another drink and go to sleep", she said. "I'll lay down here by you if it makes you feel better".
"Thanks, hun", he said, nodding.
Paige refilled his drink, squeezed his shoulder, and left the room. She came back in casual clothes, which he knew she used for pajamas, and an armload of blankets and pillows.
"Where's your suitcase?", she asked.
"It's in the truck", he said, starting to stand.
"I'll get it", she said, holding out her hand.
"No, hun", he refused, taking her by the arms and moving her aside gently so he could get past. "It's too cold out there for ya".
He stepped back into his shoes and was about to walk out when he noticed something.
"Is this where you almost shot him?", he asked, touching the splintered wood on the door frame. He could see the bullet hole when he looked closer.
"Yep. That was his warning shot. I should have never given him a warning but I thought I had to tell him to get out before I shot him or it was illegal".
Steve looked at her in disbelief.
"Yeah, I know...stupid. I won't make that mistake again".
"I'm so thankful you're alive, hun", he breathed.
Steve got his stuff and changed. Paige was sitting on the couch in his spot, drinking his whiskey, when he came back. She handed it back over to him as he sat.
"What am I gonna do?", he asked, finishing the drink.
"You're going to leave her alone tonight, send her a text in the morning, try calling her on her break, and try to see her after work. You're going to get her to listen to your perspective but you're going to admit what you did was wrong and you're going to beg for her forgiveness".
Steve nodded. She was right. That sounded like a good plan. "All right, Paigie", he said.
"You ready to try sleeping?", she asked.
He sighed. "I guess so".
She stood then stooped and kissed his forehead. "It will be okay", she said. "Worst case scenario you buy her another ring, almost the same but slightly better".
He sighed. He didn't think that was going to fix it.
...........................................................................
Bre laid on her bed with a light quilt. Brad turned off the light and laid against her back again, on the outside of the quilt, like a perfect gentleman. She did really want him close. He comforted her like no one had before. Every time Steve was hurting her feelings, Brad knew and did or said something to make her feel better. He was calm, insightful, and very wise. He felt a lot older than Steve, though they were the same age, and only three years older than she was.
"Is this okay?", Brad asked, putting his arm around her again, resting it on her baby belly. It felt protective and kind, like he was taking care of them both.
"Yeah, thank you", she said, tearing up again. "Can I ask you something personal?", she asked.
"Anything".
"I don't want to offend you", she hesitated.
"I don't get mad at you", he said in his calm, deep voice.
"Why don't you want to be a father? I think you'd be incredible".
"It's not that I don't want to, I simply don't care more one way than the other. I'm choosing Paige, who can't have more children and doesn't want to adopt. If Drew had lived, I would have been his step-father and enjoyed that, too".
He rubbed her belly lightly. "I'll be Uncle Brad, which is even better because I get to do all the fun stuff and none of the discipline stuff".
"I'm so sorry about Drew", she said quietly. "Did Paige tell you this baby's middle name is Drew, regardless if it's a boy or girl?"
"She didn't!", he said, sounding shocked. "I bet she was really touched".
"Sounds like it. Steve told her".
Bre felt the tears coming again and stopped talking, shoving her face into the pillow. She felt out of control and irrational. She did not typically behave like this. Her only consolation was that Paige was worse than this on an average Monday so he couldn't possibly be phased by her.
She felt him turning her by pulling her shoulder and she willingly rolled over to him this time.
"You gotta stop and you gotta try to rest, kiddo", he said gently, wiping the tears from her face in the dark. "I don't want you getting sick again".
"I know", she said, starting to shake again. "I can't seem to get myself under control".
He pulled her closer and adjusted so she could rest her head on his chest.
"Deep breath", he instructed her.
She did it.
"Hold it", he said.
She did.
"Let go".
She let it out.
"Again", he told her.
He continued to talk her through taking breaths, and it quickly calmed her, then she realized how utterly exhausted she was. Listening to Brad's deep voice through the recesses of his chest, she drifted off to sleep.
...........................................................................
* Click Vote & keep reading to see if Bre forgives Steve! *