“That’s exactly what we’re telling you, son,” Walt stated.
Brooks grabbed two rolls and dropped one on the plate in front of me. “This day just keeps getting better.”
I kicked him with my foot under the table, as if we were kids again. He was acting inappropriate and he knew it.
“Sorry, we were just worried that you’d think we were lying to keep Branch from B.”
Walt folded his hands. “I’m feeling a bit disturbed myself, Katy. It seems there’s a lot of things that Branch did that we weren’t aware of. If we would have known, we never would have let you accept his proposal.”
Danica cut in. “Of course not. Katy, we knew how Brooks felt about you. I never could understand what made you pick Branch. I mean, I love both of my sons, but they’re very different. I should have said something back then, I suppose.”
I placed both of my hands palms down on the dining room table. “Brooks and I have decided that we’re not going to dwell on what’s already been done. We can’t change any of it.” I looked at Brooks. Aside from his shoving half of a sandwich into his mouth all at one time, he was still smiling. “We just want to move forward, with our daughter and our future.”
B started laughing from across the table. I turned to see the culprit and noticed Brooks showing her his mouth full of food. I hit him with my elbow. He crunched his body up and started coughing and laughing at the same time. B laughed more.
“I can see that some things haven’t changed.” Danica laughed too.
I took a deep breath and look around the table. “How about we start over?”
“Katy, you’re home. As much as I would have loved to be a part of your life for the past two and half years, I understand why you felt like you had to leave. I’m not going to lie. That morning you left was a day I don’t like thinking about, but aside from sending everyone home with their gifts, it wasn’t so bad. Walt and I were worried what would happen when you finally saw Brooks again. My mother used to tell me that absence makes the heart grow fonder. You two grew up in the same house. It wasn’t hard to believe at all.”
“I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I left because I couldn’t bear to see your faces. I thought you’d hate me.”
“We were angry that we let it go as far as it did. Branch hasn’t always been forthcoming, but he made it a point to shove everything about the two of you in his brother’s face. We accept blame for allowing it to happen. The fact that you two found each other again, just proves that it’s right.”
Brooks grabbed my leg and squeezed it. I looked at him and saw him winking. “She thinks you were going to make her sleep in the tree house.”
“We might make you sleep there, but not Katy, and certainly not little Brooklyn, who’s obviously named after her father.” I could see the love in Danica’s eyes and knew that she’d forgiven me. For the time being, I felt happy.
Sure, I wanted to kick the crap out of Branch and his faulty balls, but I had an idea that Brooks was going to handle that for me.
I looked over at my beautiful little girl and finally felt like she’d have the family that I always wanted for her. I could see her coming to visit and celebrating the holidays being spoiled like crazy.
Just knowing that made me feel blessed. I had Brooks to thank for it all. We may have been running from our problems at home, but I’d never felt safer than how I felt at that very moment.
Chapter 43
We spent the entire afternoon catching up. Danica wouldn’t let B get two feet from her. She changed, fed and played with her. Walt took a dozen pictures, making sure to get some of the three of us. I knew they’d be our first family photos together, deeming them priceless.
They wanted to know all about my time away, in which Brooks filled in the blanks with his cleaned up version, that didn’t include my marriage or the fact that I’d kept him from knowing he had a child. By dinner time, they were done with the questions and only wanted to know when they could come visit. The good thing was that I owned my house. I’d had it built from part of my inheritance money. Once I got my legal issues settled, they could come and visit and have plenty of room.
When it got late, after dinner, Brooks and Walt went up into the attic to get the rails for the bed. Walt said that he knew for sure they still had some around.
Danica and I took B up and gave her a bath. It was cool, seeing her in the same tub that I’d gotten my baths in. I belonged there, with this family, even without Brooks in my life. He’d brought me home and I felt complete for the first time since I’d lost my parents. I’d finally found my purpose. Seeing Danica, loving on B, as if she’d known her forever and loved her the same made everything make sense.