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“Now, I’ll never have my own apartment. My career is in limbo,” she shifts her gaze up to mine, “and the only thing I’m certain about isyou.” A smile spreads across her face. “There was a moment in the exam room today, before we found out about the twins. I looked at you and how excited you were and I had this sense of calm. Seeing you in that moment, that’s when I knew for certain that I loved you.”
With a huge grin on my face, I pull her to me and press my lips to hers.
We get lost in a heated kiss until Sophie yelps because her ice cream has melted onto her hand. There’s so much to discuss, so many things we’ll need to figure out, but for the rest of the evening, we cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie, enjoying it just being the two of us.
CHAPTER37
Sophie
It’s been two weeks since the dinner party at Emma and Griffin’s. Other than our brief encounter at the charity event, I haven’t seen or heard from my brother until he texted me on Friday and asked if I could come by late Sunday morning.
After working a wedding yesterday until the early hours of this morning, I’m exhausted, but while I was at the wedding, I got another idea for my internship presentation. A way to incorporate what I’ve learned this summer with my passion for sustainable weddings. I’m excited to keep working on the project. And while there’s still a looming question mark of what I’m going to do when the internship ends, I’m hoping that finalizing my project will give me some clarity.
I hesitate outside Emma and Griffin’s apartment door. Technically, I still live here, but with the way we left things between us, it feels odd to just walk in. He’s expecting me, so I give up the debate and use the code to unlock the door.
The second I enter the apartment, the smell of chocolate chip pancakes causes an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.
“Hey, it’s me,” I call as I shut the door and slip out of my sandals.
I find Griffin in the kitchen, a dish towel thrown over his shoulder as he holds a bowl of batter over a stove top skillet. Even though the luxury high-end appliance kitchen is different, the visual of Griffin meticulously making pancakes for us is the same.
For a moment, it feels like nothing has changed. But then I think about seeing him at the charity event and how he couldn’t even look me in the eye. My stomach flips with the uncertainty of how this is going to go.
“Hey.” He smooths out the batter with a spoon, then turns to look at me. “Are you hungry?”
I swallow back the emotion that is threatening to spill out of me and force a smile.
“For happy face pancakes? Always.” I glance around the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”
“The bacon’s already in the microwave. Would you cut up the strawberries?”
I pull out a cutting board and paring knife, then grab the basket of fresh strawberries from the refrigerator. Even with the unresolved tension between us, it still feels good to be here together preparing our traditional Sunday breakfast.
“Where’s Emma?” I ask, slicing into a strawberry.
“She went to brunch with Chloe and Jess.”
It’s important that it’s just the two of us, but right now, I could use Emma’s ability to fill awkward silence. Because that’s what it is as we both work quietly.
Finally, Griffin brings two plates over with a large pancake on each, I set the fruit on top, and he takes the bacon out of the microwave to place as the mouth. He uses the can of whipped cream to spray on the hair, then I follow him to the table that is already set with napkins and silverware.
I was hopeful about clearing the air, but the longer we don’t talk, the more anxious I’m becoming.
I take a bite, but I can’t even taste it, my stomach too tied in knots to register the sweet pancake.
Griffin chews a bite of pancake, then sets his fork down.
“This is the last time I’m going to make these pancakes for us.”
At his words, my heart drops out of my chest. This is not at all what I expected when he invited me over.
“What? Why?” The alarm is evident in my voice.What does this mean?
“Soph, we started happy face pancake Sundays twelve years ago to create a tradition. It was a way for us to bond and find stability after Mom died. It signified the start of me being your official guardian and you the young girl that I needed to take care of.
“I’ll admit to being overprotective when you were growing up, but it was because I couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to you. I still can’t, but I’m not your guardian anymore.” He smiles ruefully. “Change is hard. I struggled with committing to Emma because I was afraid how it would impact you, and when you told me you got the internship here, I was relieved because I didn’t have to face that change. I was able to stay in the same place with you. Finding out about you and Hunter, that you’re pregnant, was a huge wake-up call. I was never mad at you, never disappointed inyou. I was frustrated with myself that I couldn’t be what you needed in that moment, a supportive brother, even a friend, because I was too wrapped up in being your protector. I couldn’t let go of the relationship dynamic we’ve had, because I thought if I did, I’d lose you. But it turns out that was happening anyway.”
“You didn’t lose me.” I shake my head adamantly, my eyes wet with unshed tears. “I wanted so badly to have a fresh start with you here. I’ve felt like I was a burden that you graciously took on all those years and I wanted to prove that I could be self-sufficient. I wanted to take that weight off your shoulders.”
