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“I told you it’s none of your business.”
“Well, if you’re not going to tell me, maybe I should call up Mom. You usually tell her everything, so I assume—”
“Don’t you dare,” she says through clenched teeth.
When I continue to stare steadily at her, that outraged expression of hers falters. “Okay, yes. I’m meeting with Finn, but it’s not what it sounds like. Apparently, he’s had a big breakthrough recently in his counseling with his pastor, and he wants to apologize. He never really—”
“So he’s meeting you somewhere? Why can’t he just do it over the phone?”
She averts her gaze. “It’s a big apology. He thinks it needs to be in person.”
“I’m assuming his wife is coming since married Christian men don’t believe in meeting other women alone.”
Indignation flashes in Sofia’s eyes. “We’re meeting in public. His wife isn’t walking with the Lord right now, so it wouldn’t—”
When I burst into incredulous laughter, Sofia’s indignant expression shifts into what looks like rage, but I don’t care.
I’ve reached my limit with her obsession with Finn.
“You of all people should know that I believe in marriage above all,” she says, her voice quivering with anger. “I would never do anything to jeopardize what he has with his wife. No matter what he did to me.”
Even in my rage, my chest aches. She really believes from the bottom of her heart she would never do what he did to her.
“You’re making a mistake doing this,” I say softly.
Her nostrils flare. “We’ll have to agree to disagree.”
I grunt. “I guess we will.”
Dread clamps my chest. I never really thought my sister would have an affair with Finn, though everything seems to be pointing in that direction.
* * *
“You’re stressed,” Livvy says, her fingers momentarily freezing around the delicate dried flower she’s about to place into a small glass bottle.
A sigh escapes me as I halt my fingers, holding another wedding favor we’re crafting for her wedding, which is now less than two weeks away. I’m not as groggy as I was earlier, but I can’t keep my mind from wandering during the rote task.
Livvy can always sense my inner turmoil.
“I can’t help it. What do you think of this?” I ask as I lift a nearly finished favor, trying to redirect our attention back to the task.
She squints at it, her mind seeming elsewhere. “Pretty. But…what is it exactly? Are you worried Brandon’s going to be stubborn forever?”
I press another petite blossom into the glass enclosure. “He’s not going to change his mind, Livvy. He’s set on ending things between us.”
“Maybe for now.” Her gaze is fixed on the dried flower between her fingers. “But I don’t see how he could stay that way. Every time he’s around your dad, he’ll be reminded of you.”
I seal the bottle and set it next to the row of others we’ve completed. “I think it’s more than just my dad, to be honest. I don’t think he wants a partner who’s an atheist.”
Livvy sighs. “It doesn’t make sense, though. He’s so levelheaded. If I was able to accept Cole as an atheist, how can Brandon not accept you? You’re so wonderful.”
A smile rises to my lips even as coldness settles in my gut. “Thank you.”
A momentary silence fills the room, and a sluggish melancholy drifts over me, making my body heavy. I love him, but I’ll get over him. Daisy’s maternity leave will be over soon, and then I won’t have to be in his warm presence all the time.
Plus, I’ll start avoiding family gatherings.
The thought of that leaves a heavy loneliness in my gut.
