Page 24 of Brando

“Any day now. I was actually due yesterday, and I’m so ready to have this baby already.”

Mia nods, a thoughtful look on her face as she continues to watch Allegra’s hand as it massages her stomach. We spent so much time together when we were younger, I memorized all of Mia’s mannerisms, all her expressions and their meanings. Everything that meant anything to her. The look on her face now is the one she would have on her face back then anytime she would speak of her sisters and her love for them.

“Do you like children?” Allegra asks, her movements halting. She frowns, reaches out unexpectedly and puts a hand over Mia’s own shaking hand. I hadn’t noticed, but Allegra had. Mia was trying to mask the sadness in her eyes, but she couldn’t prevent the shaking in her hands or the way her body wasrevolting against her own trauma. “I hope you’ll come visit after I have the baby,” Allegra is quick to add, and this somewhat picks up Mia’s mood.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Mia tells her.

The rest of the dinner passes with light chatter, an uneasy truce hanging in the air as everyone delicately navigates around the tension from earlier in the evening. Scar continues to share stories about Allegra's pregnancy cravings, breaking into hearty laughter that briefly lifts the ominous cloud over us. I catch Mia smiling genuinely for the first time tonight, her gaze lingering on Scar and Allegra's interaction with what I can only imagine is respect tinged with envy.

As the plates are cleared and desserts are served, Rafi leans back in his chair, eyeing Mia with a renewed curiosity. “So, Mia,” he starts, his voice casual but edged with intrigue, “how did you really meet Brando?”

Mia stiffens slightly beside me, her fork pausing mid-air. I give her a reassuring look before answering for her. “It was all quite mundane, really. We knew each other years agon in school and happened to bump into each other at a coffee shop.” It’s not a blatant lie, it’s a half lie.

“Must have been some bump,” Rafi chuckles, clearly not buying it. He’s always had a knack for sniffing out secrets. “You’ve never brought anyone to dinner before.”

I can feel Mia tensing up beside me as the scrutiny intensifies. She sets down her fork, her appetite clearly gone. “Dinner was wonderful,” she says, looking at Allegra. A silent plea for help, an attempt to deflect further questioning by changing the subject.

The conversation soon shifts away from us, much to my relief. Allegra shares her plans for a mural in the nursery, detailing the color schemes and decorations. The excitementin her voice is palpable, and it momentarily distracts everyone from Mia and me.

After dinner, as we all stand to leave, Scar pulls me aside with a firm grip on my shoulder. “I sense trouble, brother,” he murmurs under his breath so only I can hear. “Are you okay?”

I nod silently, aware of the weight of his words. As we step out into the crisp night air, Mia shivers slightly beside me, wrapping her arms around herself.

“You alright?” I ask softly as I drape my jacket over her shoulders.

“Yes,” she whispers back, her voice barely audible over the bustling city sounds around us. “Your family is amazing.”

“Even the knucklehead that considers himself my baby brother?”

She laughs at that, then nods slowly, looking up at me with those deep blue eyes that seem to hold worlds of unspoken thoughts.

“He’s not so bad,” she admits quietly.

We stopfor coffee on our way back to the penthouse. I feel bad about the way I treated her earlier and how angry and short I was over her past relationship with Frank. I can’t keep blaming her because I didn’t step up and let my intentions be known. Of course she was going to have a life outside of me. She was going to date and live and love and do all the things that normal teenage girls do. The fact that we were friends didn’t mean she was exclusively mine and always would be. We were friends, for crying out loud, nothing more. If I’d wanted something more, I should have stepped up and let her know. But I didn’t. No, I was a coward as a teenager. I didn’t think I deserved her, eventhough she never showed me anything less than unconditional love.

I don’t make a move from the carpark after we’re handed our drinks. We sit in the silence sipping our coffee, lost in our individual thoughts. Mia is the first to speak.

“I’m sorry, Brando. I never considered how me being in your life could be affecting your life. Never even thought about the time you’re losing away from your family and your work.”

“My life is under control, Mia. At the moment, you and your sisters are my priority.”

“Until you can get us on a plane out of here?” She sounds almost sad at the prospect.

“If there’s another option, we’ll explore it,” I tell her.

“Wouldn’t it just be easier if I stayed with Mason?”

“Easier for who, Mia?”

She’s quiet as she looks down at her latte. I set mine in the cup holder and turn over the ignition, preparing to leave the car park.

“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, Brando,” she whispers.

“Same. Yet here we are. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you, Mia.”

“I know you won't,” she murmurs after a long silence, her voice barely above a whisper. Her faith in me is unwavering. “But I can't help but feel like I'm pulling you into a mess that's not yours to fix.”

I keep my eyes on the road, focusing on the rhythmic flash of the streetlights. “I’m making it my business,” I reply, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

---