Page 51 of Keeping Promises

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Just about two hours later, there is a knock at the apartment door. Hadley left to meet Brynn and Lexi to look at wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses. Hadley had voiced her concerns the past few weeks about this event to me, and I’ve done my best to try to calm her nerves. I know that I don’t get it since it’s not my body, but I see where she is coming from, being nervous. The baby will be born by the time the wedding approaches, and Hadley is worried that her maid-of-honor dress won’t fit. I would be okay if she were entirely naked, but I’m pretty sure the bride and groom, as well as the entire guest list, may have a problem with that.

When Hadley asked what my plans were for the day, I told her “brotherly bonding.” It’s not a complete lie, to be honest. I told her I would lock up before I left the apartment. Now that was a total lie, though, because I have no plans to go out.

I open the door, revealing Ben and Cal. “Hey, I hope you don’t mind, but I figured if we were to get this done before the girls get back, I figured we might need an extra set of hands.”

Ben brushes past me with his hands full, and Cal follows.

Hadley and I took separate showers this morning to keep from delaying her plans. I tried to play it off that I would be good, but we both know that neither of us would be able to keep our hands off each other for very long.

When it was my turn, Hadley flung the curtain back, and I thought maybe she changed her mind and cared to join me, but instead she shouted two words: “Hello, Dolly.” There have been weirder things that have been yelled at me while naked, and I told her so. She didn’t find my joke very funny, but then she explained that she had been staring at the paint swatches while I was in the shower, and she finally decided on the paint color for the nursery—Hello Dolly Pink.

Apparently, all she needed was the magic touch of my dick, and all the hesitation vanished. She also didn’t findthatjoke very funny either. But my plan for the day is to paint the nurseryHello Dolly Pinkto surprise her when she gets home.

While Hadley got ready, I texted Ben, roping him in to help me. He gladly accepted, not having anything else to do today while his fiancée was gone. Since he would be passing the hardware store on his way over, he asked for a list of supplies to pick up and the color she decided on.

So here we are, three men, a nursery, and a shit ton of Hello Dolly Pink.

Ben was right; with Cal’s help, we’ve knocked a fair bit out before lunchtime. The longest part was taping the edges. Once that was done, it was smooth sailing applying the first coat. We’ve just begun prepping for the second coat when Cal’s stomach growls, filling the entire space.

“All right, I need a break. Who’s hungry? I’m buying,” Cal says, placing his roller back in the pan.You won’t hear any complaints from me.

We collectively decide on subs from the local sub shop. They’re delicious and close enough that he could walk to pick up our order. Cal jots down our orders in his phone before heading out.

Ben and I keep working. The room is silent while we fall into a groove. Ben is applying a second coat by the window while I’m sitting on the floor painting the baseboards.

“What’s on your mind, Asher?” Ben has his back toward me; how could he possibly know that something was up?

“How do you do that?”

He shrugs as he leans down, coating the roller in another layer of paint. “I don’t know. Call it intuition from raising you all those years, or maybe it’s because you’re thinking loudly.” He chuckles. “So what do you want to talk about? Whatever it is, I’d start talking if you’re going to do so before Cal returns.”

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t had ulterior motives this morning asking my brother for help in hopes that maybe he could give me peace of mind and maybe work through some of these feelings that nightmare dredged up.

I exhale loudly, setting my brush down, and scrub my hands over my face. “Can I ask you a weird and personal question?”

“As long as it’s not about my sex life, sure.”

“I’m serious, Ben.”

“And so am I. I’m sorry, ask anything you want.”

I try to find the words. “Are you ever scared of losing Lexi, the same way we lost Mom and Dad?”

“Well, I didn’t see that coming.” Ben sets the roller down and grips the back of his neck. “Of course I do. But I don’t let it rule my life. If I worried about it all the time, I would miss out on the now. If I could wrap her up in a blanket and put her in a bubble, never letting her go, I would. She’s the love of my life. I can’t bear the thought of losing her. Instead, I hold her tighter, love her harder, and spend my life just being with her. Where’s this coming from?”

There’s no use in lying to him. “I’ve been thinking about Mom and Dad today. Well, a lot lately with the baby and all, but last night I… I had this dream. Fuck, man, it was so real.” My voice catches.

Ben comes up beside me and takes a seat. “You want to talk about it?”

I go about explaining the dream and how it transitioned from a memory into something more. The pain I felt this morning when I woke up intertwines itself around my heart, squeezing the life out of me. It takes my breath away. I have to close my eyes and steady my breathing to feel the tightness relieve.

Ben places his hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know what to say. Your mind is trying to process the serious life changes right now—you’re preparing for a child, and your feelings, I believe, are changing for Hadley, am I correct?” I nod. “I’m happy for you, for both of you. I know it’s a lot to take in, but don’t be scared to let her in. Maybe talk to her about what you’re feeling.”

“Food’s here,” Cal shouts from the living room.

“So what’s going on with you two?” Ben asks as he helps me up. Knowing the girls, they’re probably already gossiping, so it’s only a matter of time before Lexi spills the beans to Ben anyway.

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