Julian looked from Stephen to Brenden then back to his son with a raised eyebrow. “My night was fine, how was yours?”
“You know, same old same old.” Brenden had no clue why Stephen was acting as if he stole a cookie from the cookie jar.
“Hm… well, I’m off to bed. Brenden, it’s good to see you again, don’t be a stranger,” he said before walking out of the room.
Brenden got up and walked over to the door. “I’m going to head home.” They stared at each other and Brenden felt the sexual pull between them. He cleared his throat before speaking. “Go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?”
“I can’t,” Stephen answered, looking away. Brenden hoped that his disappointment didn’t show on his face. “I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow,” he looked back at him, “would you like to come?”
“Shit.” He scrubbed his face roughly. “I haven’t been really good about this whole baby thing, have I?” Brenden mumbled.
“No, you haven’t, but you have an excuse,” Stephen told him.
“I’m not sure what to do or what to ask,” Brenden commented looking down at Stephen’s midsection. His brows creased together. The t-shirt that Stephen had on was a lot tighter and showed just a slight bulge he should have noticed the other day when they spent the night together. “Do you really want me there?”
Stephen smiled, he stepped closer to Brenden, taking one of his hands and placing it on his stomach. “I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t want you there.” He put his free hand on top of Brenden’s. “This is your baby as well, I made the mistake of locking you out the first time, I won’t do that again.”
“What time is your appointment?”
“Five, it’s at the hospital.”
Brenden smiled, then leaned down and kissed him quickly on the lips. He opened his eyes and stared into Stephen’s. He wanted more. He wanted to take Stephen up to his bedroom and make love to him all night. But he had to hold back. They needed to resolve things between them before they had sex again. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Stephen nodded as he stepped back and opened the door. Brenden walked out the door, then stopped when Stephen spoke. “Nicholas thinks he’s done something wrong, which is why you haven’t been to see him. He misses you.”
“Is he the only one?” Brenden couldn’t help but ask.
Stephen smiled. “Bring me some more sweets the next time you visit, and I will give you a better answer.”
** ** ** ** **
Brenden sat in his kitchen the next day, staring at his half-eaten meal. His mind was miles away. He knew it would happen sooner or later and there was nothing he would be able to do about it. All three women were staring at him, and he knew it. He’d woken up later than he wanted that morning and was planning on running a few errands before meeting Stephen for his doctor’s appointment. Before he could finish his first cup of coffee, he’d heard his older sister, Marisol’s, voice coming from the living room. He knew if his sister was there so was their mother.
“What is the matter, my Brenden?” His mother was Italian and rolled the “R” in his name. “You have been sighing and staring at the palms of your hands for the past three hours.”
“How do you know something is wrong?” he asked her.
She quirked a perfectly arched brow, as if to say does a cat like cream. “I’m your mother,” she stated as a matter of fact.
“Besides,” his sister Carmella started. “Lasagna is your favorite, on any given day you’d have eaten the entire thing by now.”
“So what’s bugging you, baby bro?” Marisol asked. She sat down at the table and touched his forearm. “Tell us what is bothering you.”
Brenden set his fork down and pushed his meal away, no use in trying to eat it. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “I found out some time ago that I have a four-year-old son.” His mother gasped, and his sister’s eyes widened. “And I also have a baby on the way, by the same person,” he added quickly before one of them could ask him another question.
“Oh mio Dio, Brenden! Che meraviglia, sei stato benedetto dai santi!” she said excitedly. His sisters both hugged him and congratulated him before sitting down. “Cosa e successo? Perche sembri cosi triste?”Translation (Oh my God, Brenden! What a wonder you have been blessed by the saints! What happened because you look so sad)
“I don’t know, Mamma.” He shook his head and pushed his plate away from him. “I’ve dreamed of being a father so many times. When I was married to Kathie.” Brenden paused and looked at his mother, typically at the sound of Kathie’s name she would spit and curse her name, and his sisters would scowl. When he did not get a response from them, he continued his story. “I thought we’d have had a bunch of kids by now. Since I figured it wouldn’t happen, I put it out of my mind and focused on my job, and now that my dream has come true I’m not sure how to handle it. I’ve said and done some dumb shi… stuff since I found out.”
“How do you feel about this person?” his mother asked him.
“I feel so many things—anger, hurt, happy, and…”
“Love,” Carmella finished for him.
“That feeling is mixed in there,” Brenden answered. “He is someone from my past, and someone who could also be my future.”
Rosa tsked. “You men and your pride. Tell us what happened.”
