Page 77 of Regancy & Savior
“Who? Joseph is having another?” I questioned. She was confusing me now.
“No, silly. I think I’m ready for my first one from you and Taurus.” She had this pleasant smile on her face when I had just choked on the saliva in my mouth.
“Girl, you’re crazy.”
“No, I’m serious, Lane. Taurus is a good height and—” She started.
“Now, Mama, what does his height have to do with this conversation?”
“If you would’ve let me finish… I was saying he has good height, so that if you have a son, he’ll never have to look up into another man’s eyes. Women don’t take the small men serious.” She laughed at her own unfunny joke.
“Your husband and son are both short.”
“Aht! Aht! Soon-to-be ex, and that is my point. Shorter men have a harder time being taken seriously. I didn’t know that until after your brother was born.”
“You’re a mess. Now will you tell me why your son wants me to meet him for lunch today?” I asked.
She looked surprised. “Are you gonna go?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I agreed to meet him, but I keep changing my mind. I don’t really feel like sitting across from him while he does the whole ‘woe is me’ routine. It’s not going to happen.”
My mother nodded her head. “Maybe it’s different. Maybe he really wants to make amends and fix things between you two.”
I giggled. “Sure. After fucking my ex-fiancé and making my life a living hell most of my childhood, why don’t we bury the hatchet?”
“Don’t be like that, Lane. Some things happen for a reason. Don’t hold on to things that you should leave by the wayside. I’m not saying you should forgive him or hold a grudge. I’m just saying you should look where you are now. You have a man who loves you to pieces, and we’re about to set the date on when I should expect my grandchild.” She smiled and winked at me.
I laughed at her.Over my dead body, lady.
I didn’t know why I was even here, but I was here, begrudgingly. My mama said it might’ve been his attempt at fixing our relationship or the lack thereof. Immediately, I wanted to know why, but then again, I didn’t care. After a much-needed long and meaningful conversation with my mother, I agreed to come. However, I didn’t agree without a fair warning to her. I let her know if her son showed his ass, I was leaving him right here at this table. Once again, I didn’t even know why I was here. My brother and I had been damn near estranged for a reason. He didn’t like me as a child, and his attitude made me indifferent about him. He was shitty to me our entire childhood for reasons beyond my knowledge, and now here he was, ready to tell hisstory. I had half a mind to get up and leave.Damnit, he’s here. I’m too late.
I watched my brother ease through the crowded place as he approached the high table I was sitting at. I was currently on my first Earl Grey martini, and I knew this was my limit. However, I didn’t need to drive, because Taurus had insisted on me taking his driver.
“Lane,” he greeted sourly. He acted as if my name tasted like shit the way he said it.
“Joseph.” I smiled politely because it took too much energy to reciprocate negativity.
“How are you? I hope everything is good.” I could tell he didn’t mean that. He was just making small talk. What I did find funny was the fact that I had never noticed some of his feminine qualities until now. He spoke with his hands and then intertwined them, before bending them and resting his chin on them.
“I can’t complain. How about yourself? How are the kids?” I felt like I was making small talk with a judge or somebody who I didn’t wanna talk to. This entire conversation was forced, and I know he felt it like I did.
“They’re great.” He smiled and looked off because there was literally nothing else to make meaningless conversations about.
“Okay. Let’s cut the BS, Joseph. Why am I here?”
“I need you to marry Sabastian. He needs to marry a woman of your stature in order to get his trust fund in entire?—”
I couldn’t even hold the laughter that radiated all the way from the pit of my stomach out of my mouth. He had to be out of his mind if he thought any part of this was okay. “Why don’t you marry him?” I couldn’t resist the urge to throw a petty jab.
“I knew you’d be childish and not understand the severity of the situation.” He tried to belittle me because I was of no use to him.
I couldn’t help but cackle in his face some more. “Allow me to be whatever you need in order to help you think that I’m some sort of villain in your little love story. Just remember that you are a middle-aged man with two daughters and two sons. I’d definitely watch the plans I make that don’t involve their wellbeing. Especially since you seem like you’re trying to find a way out of the lifeyoubuilt withyourwife.” I emphasized.
He shook his head. “Well, I apologize. Everybody can’t be like the perfect Lane. Lane this, and Lane that.” He started his shit, and that was my cue to leave him sitting his miserable ass right there.
I laughed. “I am not perfect, nor do I aspire to be. However, I do know?—”
“How dare you talk down to me like I’m beneath you? We grew up in the same home with the same?—”
