She took one more calculated breath and opened the door. Anna was still on the phone with Christine, but her eyes locked on Brooke the second Brooke was through the door. She was sitting at the foot of their bed, her ankles crossed neatly
“Holy shit,” Anna said, not even bothering to hide the slow drop of her gaze.
“I want to see. Flip me around,” Christine said through the phone. Anna didn’t bother looking for the button on the screen to switch cameras, she turned the whole phone around in her hands.“Damn, B. You clean up so fucking nice. You two are going to be the hottest couple there.”
Brooke felt herself blush. She wasn’t sure how to take compliments at all, but she definitely wasn’t sure how to react to the way that Anna was looking at her. When neither Anna nor Brooke ever responded to Christine, Chris finally spoke again.“Alright, well I’m glad I got to chat with you both, but I’m going to let you go. Have fun tonight! Even a little too much fun.” She giggled a bit at her own suggestion.“Don’t forget to take photos of how hot you look together!”
Brooke and Anna both managed pitiful attempts at goodbyes and were then left, completely alone in the silence of their room. Brooke clenched her jaw a few times, trying to work up the nerve to speak.“That’s a great dress.” She managed.
Anna blushed and looked down at it.“You don’t think it’s too much?”
Brooke shook her head no.“No, I think you’ll be the most beautiful woman there.” Well, shit. That was honest.
Anna stood up from the edge of the bed.“I think I’ll be the second most beautiful woman there,” she said while stepping decidedly into Brooke’s space.“I saw your bag of pocket squares.” She held one up in between them. It was a burgundy and navy paisley pattern. It matched their outfits perfectly.“May I?” She asked, her eyes dropping to the breast pocket of Brooke's suit jacket.
Brooke nodded. Her eyes followed Anna’s hands as she neatly pleated the handkerchief and folded it in half. A bouquet fold. Brooke was impressed. She was also completely mesmerized by Anna’s finger’s dipping into her breast pocket to help smooth out the pocket square inside the pocket, and fan it out at the top.
“Perfect,” Anna whispered. Her hand slid carefully over to Brooke's bicep.“Are you ready to go?”
No, Brooke was not ready to go. She was about ready to sit down and try and get her heart rate back to normal, but Anna looked so genuinely excited that she would only ask her to wait long enough for Brooke to lace up her brown dress shoes.
When they emerged from their bedroom, Nate let out a low whistle.“Well hot damn, you two.”
Brooke blushed at Nate’s compliment. It did make her stand a bit straighter though, proud of herself and of Anna, honestly.
“Will you take our photo, Nate?” Anna asked.“We get fancy every now and then, but I think this might be the fanciest we’ve gotten together.”
“Of course,” Nate answered, immediately coming over to take their picture.
Brooke still wasn’t used to taking photos. She wasn’t sure how to pose or where to put her hands. Anna seemed to sense it in her and took over. She grabbed one of Brooke's hands and led it to her own waist. Then she leaned in and wrapped her own arms around Brooke and snuggled in tightly to her side.“There, that’s better,” she whispered.
Mel actually did a little happy dance when Brooke and Anna stepped through the front door of the upscale restaurant. Anna was her usual radiant self, smiling brightly as she dragged Brooke along. Their fingers were interlaced with practiced ease now, Brooke noticed. She focused on their hands instead of looking around the crowd of Mel’s friends and family, afraid that her mother’s judgmental eyes would be amongst the crowd.
“You came,” Mel bounced and wrapped Anna in a big hug, followed by an even tighter hug for Brooke.“And you look incredible.”
Brooke never let go of Anna’s hand. She forced an uncomfortable smile.
“Of course we did, and thank you,” Anna supplied brightly, giving Brooke’s hand a few squeezes of reassurance.
“Well come on in, let me introduce you to my friends.” Mel led them deeper into the space that she had rented for her bridal shower. All of her friends quieted down to see who had joined their close knit group.“Everyone, this is Brooke—Nathaniel’s sister—and her girlfriend, Anna.”
Brooke’s chin lifted proudly, determined to not let herself be judged by these people, this room of strangers. The judgment never came, instead they were met with a round of greetings and a girl—who they later learned was named Jasmine—shuffling over a seat so that Brooke and Anna could sit next to each other for dinner. Anna scooted her chair ever so slightly closer to Brooke's as they sat down and let her hand rest on Brooke's thigh. Brooke stopped breathing, fully aware of the flush creeping up from beneath the collar of her pressed button down. Anna smiled up at Brooke through her thick eyelashes. Brooke’s heart fluttered in her chest as soft as the flutter of Anna’s lashes.
Brooke forced herself to tear her gaze from Anna’s face and glance at the menu, not really caring what the options were. She had been so nervous for this dinner she didn’t have much of an appetite. She would just order the salmon, that was usually the safest option at a restaurant she knew nothing about. She was just about to say as much to Anna when the restaurant door opened again and in walked her mother. A pained, strangled sound left her throat. Anna’s eyes snapped up to see what had caused the noise. Her hand tightened protectively on Brooke’s thigh. Thirteen years. Thirteen years had passed, and yet her mother was every bit as intimidating as she had been the last time Brooke had seen her. She had that same hard set look to her face. An impassive, damming judgment that could rock Brooke to her very core.
“Sybil, hi. So lovely of you to join us,” Mel said. Her voice hit an octave higher than normal, the cheer in her voice obviously forced. Mel stood and weaved her way around the table, making her way to hug Sybil Kent.
“It’s okay, B. I’m here,” Anna whispered.
Brooke flexed and unflexed her jaw, grinding her back molars.“Thank you,” she whispered. Anna’s hand pulled Brooke's right leg firmly and fully against her left. The full on contact kept Brooke from jiggling it anxiously. Anna was helping her to not have a visible reaction and Brooke knew it. She would love the woman forever for it.
“Sybil, please feel free to sit wherever you like.” Mel gestured to the far edges of the long table, playing the ever so gracious hostess, giving Sybil permission to sit anywhere. But of course, the seat diagonal from Brooke was still vacant, and Sybil Kent did not back down from a challenge. Or as she would call it, an opportunity.
Brooke stayed frozen in place. Her eyes were the only part of her that moved, tracking her mother’s movement. Her mother finally dared to glance at her, lifting a challenging eyebrow as she settled into her seat, scooting forward so that she would be at the exact right, and precise distance from the table. Brooke knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, that you should sit exactly ten centimeters from the table. She felt her spine start to straighten under her mother’s reproving gaze.
“Brooke,” her mother said, nodding in acknowledgment of Brooke's existence. Honestly, her mother speaking first made her feel like she had won something somehow.
“Mother,” Brooke said, not dropping her gaze.
