I snorted. "It was inhaled within thirty minutes. I barely got a crumb. You spoil them too much."
"Nonsense!" she admonished.
"Listen, are you free tomorrow for dinner? I need to talk to you about something. Just you and me."
"Oh!" She paused at my request. I felt terrible excluding Sarah, but I wanted to keep what I needed to say between Diane and me. Sarah wouldn't understand.
"Of course you can." I was relieved she didn't press me with questions. "Come over anytime after six. I'll make your fav."
My hand tightened on the phone as a nervous drop hit the center of my chest. "Thanks, Di."
Chapter 24
Brian
Iparked up outside Diane's house and took a deep, calming breath. Nerves wracked me as I went over what I would say to her. What I would ask her. How I would explain. Would she be receptive and understanding? Or would she view it as a betrayal of her daughter's memory?
Diane had always been a reasonable and level-headed woman. She was kind, warm-hearted, and understanding. The moment Hannah introduced us, I felt a deep affinity with her. She instantly made me feel welcome, taking me under her wing and treating me like a long-lost son. Even when the bond that initially held us together—Hannah—was lost, she still referred to me as her son and treated me as such.
Still, it was hard to gauge how understanding she would be in this particular circumstance. It was a situation none of us had experienced, and I was very much aware that, while I was part ofthe family, I wasn'tactuallypart of the family and could easily be phased out. My gut clenched at the thought.
I glanced at the house just in time to catch a curtain twitch.
Shit.
How long had I been sitting here trying to find my balls? I hurriedly grabbed the tulips I knew Diane loved and her empty Tupperware container before making my way to the house.
The door swung open just as I reached the porch steps, and a wary-looking Diane greeted me. My brow pulled down as I swept over her harassed appearance. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes held a pensive warning.
I fumbled a step, momentarily thrown off guard. Oh, fuck, what if she already guessed what I was going to say?
"Hey, Di. Sorry I'm a little late."
Diane reached for the flowers I held out, tucking them close to her chest. "That's okay, honey." She kept her voice low, and her hand stayed on the door instead of immediately ushering me in. "Uh, I know you wanted this to be just us, but –"
"Brian!" Sarah's voice sang out as she came sauntering up behind her mother with a bright, welcoming smile. Diane sent me a discreet apologetic look, her brow wrinkled in worry. Taken completely off guard, I froze. My nerves took a nosedive as my carefully curated speech went out the window upon seeing my chirpy sister-in-law.
Who was not meant to be here.
Sarah's feet were bare and her hair loose around her shoulders instead of the high ponytail she usually wore to work. She had clearly been here a while. And I had an awful feeling she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.
"Uh, Sarah. Hi." The air felt heavy with uncomfortable tension as Diane kept a fixed smile on her face.
Something flickered in Sarah's gaze and I realized I was staring at her as if she'd grown two heads. I swept into thehouse and immediately bent down to accept the lingering hug she offered.
Why are you here?
"Sarah had a free afternoon, so she surprised me with a visit," Diane answered my silent question.
"When she told me you were coming over, I decided to stay and cancel my dinner plans," Sarah added, much to my dismay.
I covered up my annoyance with another tight smile that I hoped reached my eyes. "Great."
“Mom was going to make chicken parma, but I'm making my meatball spaghetti instead. It'll be ready in ten." With a cheery wave, she returned to the kitchen, where the scent of garlic and tomato floated in the air.
"Sorry," Diane mumbled in the ensuing silence. "I did tell her you were coming over, but only after she said she had dinner plans. I'm sorry, I-I didn't want to offend her by telling her that you wanted to discuss something with me privately, but –"
"No, no," I patted her arm. It wasn't her fault. "It's okay."
