Aftershock: A Charity McAdams Novella Read Online Free Page B

family? Are your mom and dad still over on Hillcrest?” Sandy asks.
    I nod and swallow my bite. “Yeah. My Dad is still working at the school and my mom has been doing some wedding planning on the side, to keep busy.”
    Brandon and I share a secret smile, remembering the night I ran into him at the airport when waiting to pick up a groomsman on one of the “favors” I was doing for my mom. If not for that night, I’m not sure any of this would be happening.
    “What about Valerie?”
    “Valerie recently got married and is about five months pregnant with their first baby. She’s due in October,” I answer. “It’s a girl.”
    “Oh! How exciting!” Sandy cheers. “I bet your mom is so excited to be having a grandbaby!”
    “Yeah, she is,” I answer, trying to force myself to smile. I’m happy for my sister, but I just get so tired of hearing about “baby this, baby that” whenever I’m around either my Mom or sister. “I’m actually helping to plan the baby shower in a couple months.”
    “That’s great! What a sweet thing to do,” she gushes. Sandy is the type of person that if she wasn’t 100% genuine, she would probably come across as borderline annoying because she’s always happy and bubbly. It seems that even cancer has not taken away her enthusiastic spirit.
    We fall into an easy conversation as we eat. I keep pretty quiet and watch the interactions around me. No one brings up the past or asks any awkward questions. I guess I figured the evening would have an “elephant in the room” vibe, but it seems to be quite the opposite, very comfortable and natural.
    When dinner is done, Brandon insists his mom stay seated as he and his brothers clear the dishes. I reach to gather up a few of the serving bowls to help them, but Sandy grabs my hand. “Let’s go to the den and catch up, let the men do the cleaning?” She suggests with a wink.
    I nod and try to smile, but inwardly, I feel like one of the contestants on the show The Bachelor, being dragged off to “have a little chat” with the parents of their would-be boyfriend.
     

Chapter Six
    I follow Sandy to the den and we get settled on an overstuffed love seat. She tucks her feet under her and pulls a blanket over her legs before taking my hands. She holds them in hers and just stares at me for a moment, smiling. “My dear Charity, you have no idea how happy I am that you are back in Brandon’s life,” she says.
    I’m not sure how to respond for a moment. “Thank you for saying that. It still doesn’t feel like this is all really happening. It’s certainly not something I ever imagined,” I confess.
    “I can’t say that I knew this would happen, but I hoped. You have no idea how miserable he was when he left,” she says. She looks down at our hands. “He had some pretty dark times. Of course, I’m sure you did too.”
    I nod, trying not to let those emotions overcome me. “Did you know he was going to break it off?” I’m not sure it’s truly appropriate to ask, but the question is suddenly blaring at me and I can’t ignore it.
    “No, honey, not until afterwards. He stayed with friends for the weeks after the wedding was called off, before he moved to California. I didn’t see him much. I think he thought we were mad at him, or disappointed. Which I guess we were, in some ways. I certainly wish he had handled things differently, for your sake and his own.”
    She pauses, looking uncertain for a moment. “Can I ask you something?”
    “Of course.”
    “Were you upset, with Rick and me?” She looks nervous. “I just mean, did you feel like we took sides?”
    I shake my head, surprised by her question. “No, not at all.”
    She sighs. “We always loved you like a daughter and when everything happened, well, I’m afraid we didn’t handle it the best way we could. Rick and I have both felt guilty over the years, it felt like we abandoned you. For that, we are both truly sorry.”
    A tear escapes and I lower my