Page 96 of Secret Love

“Yep, it’s me, peanut,” I yell back.

“Come on back. I thought I might get a minute with you to myself, but they’re so excited about the dessert we’ve got, they’ll probably cram dinner down your throat if you don’t eat it fast enough.” Bree laughs and is already moving briskly toward the kitchen.

“Way to get me curious and leave me hanging,” I call behind her.

She smiles at me over her shoulder and I grumble like I’m irritated even though I’m not. Nothing can wreck my mood tonight. Tru loves me.

I hug the girls and we sit down at the table.

“Why don’t you pass your plate once you’ve got the noodles and I’ll serve the sauce,” Bree says.

“Everything looks great.” I smile at Cassidy who’s accidentally bumped into my foot.

“Audrey made the spaghetti sauce,” Bree says, smiling at Audrey.

“Sign me up.” I pass my plate to Bree and she pours the sauce on and puts three meatballs in the center.

“Thank you.”

I take a few bites, commenting on how good it is, but mostly wondering when I should come out with my news. The table jostles and our silverware rattles, which startles everyone. I look over at Bree and see how nervous and fidgety she’s acting.

“You okay over there?”

“What? Yeah.” She laughs. She makes a face. “I’m okay. Great, actually. I’ve just got something to tell all of you, and I guess I’m a little nervous.”

We all stop and look at her. I set down my fork.

“What is it, Mom?” Cassidy asks.

Bree looks at her girls and puts her hand on her neck before she leans in. “Alex asked me to marry him and I said yes!”

There’s silence for a few seconds and then I lift my glass to her. It’s only water, but it’ll still work.

“Congratulations! That’s great news, Bree. Right, girls?” I add when they don’t say anything.

“Congratulations, Mom,” Audrey says, her smile sweet.

She clinks her glass to mine and everyone else does it too, a delayed reaction.

“Do we get to be in the wedding?” Gracie asks, perking up.

“I’d love for you to be in the wedding if you want to,” Bree says. “All three of you.”

She looks at Cassidy, who’s twisting her cloth napkin as tight as it will go.

“Alex will never replace your dad, no matter what,” Bree tells Cassidy. “But isn’t it great to have two men in your life who care about you so much?”

When Cassidy finally looks up at Bree, she nods and smiles and it’s like we all exhale at once.

“Congratulations,” she says simply. But it’s enough.

Bree relaxes into her seat and then for the rest of the meal, we talk about all things wedding.

“Alex wanted to be here tonight too, but I thought it’d be best if I told you first. Maybe we can have a little party to celebrate with him tomorrow night though,” she tells the girls.

I personally wish he had been here tonight, and I hope that if…nowhenI get to this stage with Tru, that the girls will be farther along in their relationship with her than Alex is. But it’s not my place to decide that. I know we’re all just doing the best we can do and we won’t always make the right call.

However, I’m certain the right call for me tonight is to wait to share the news about Tru. As much as I’m dying to tell them, I want Bree to have her moment and I don’t want to pile onto the girls when this is already a lot.

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