Page 35 of Adoration: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 2)

“Now.” His voice came through the phone line and I dropped the phone hitting Brandon on his head.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” I murmured to Brandon, rubbing his head.

“What?” Alexander’s voice actually held shock. That was the first emotion I heard from the man since I met him.

“Not you,” I corrected myself quickly. “I dropped my phone on someone’s head so I was apologizing.”

“Hmmm,” was all he said and I wondered if he thought I was a crazy idiot. “Janet told me you were upset and had a death in the family.”

I sniffed. If I said anything else, I’d start sobbing and I didn’t want to cry in front of Brandon nor Alexander. “Something like that.” My voice shook slightly. I tried hard to keep it together.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he commented and strangely enough his calm voice helped me this time.

“Thanks,” I muttered. For some odd reason, it occurred to me this was probably the most we spoke without agitating each other since I met him.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” I was actually surprised by his offer. He always gave the impression of being completely detached, it was hard to process his question.

“I’m sorry for not showing up today,” I muttered.

“Take the rest of the week off,” he told me. “Will we see you on Monday?’

“Yes,” I assured him. “Thank you so much.”

I was amazed. I would have the rest of the week to figure out what to do with all this and how to go about that.

“You’re welcome, Liberty,” he told me. “See you on Monday.”

In a haze, I realized he called me Liberty, my chest warmed at the sound of my name on his lips.

I put the phone away and focused on Brandon, his little body still in my arms.

What do I say? How do I say it?

We sat like that on the kitchen floor for minutes. I felt lost about what to do, what I should do. Lena was my rock when Mom died. Who was going to be our rock now? I glanced at the little boy in my arms. I had to be his rock, like Lena was mine.

“Livy,” Brandon’s voice reached me. “I’m hungry.”

Ah, yes. I should feed him.

“What would you like to eat?” I asked him. “Whatever you want, I’ll fix it.”

His eyes lit up. “Pancakes?” he asked hopefully.

“Ok,” I chuckled. “Pancakes, it is. Do you want something special on them?”

“Chocolate chips?” His big blue eyes were begging.

“Hmmm,” I wondered. “Not sure if that makes it a healthy breakfast.”

His disappointed look hit me hard. “But,” I added, “pancakes are not healthy anyhow. So chocolate chip pancakes it is.”

“Yay,” he squealed happily and my heart twitched.

“But we’ll have to eat a healthy lunch and dinner. Deal?”

He nodded eagerly. I had a feeling he’d agree to anything as long as he got his chocolate chip pancakes.

Twenty minutes later, we were sitting at the table; Brandon eating his pancakes and me sipping my third cup of coffee. I hadn’t felt this unsteady since I lost my mother. I had Lena and Layla to lean on, then. God, I should’ve called Layla.

---