Page 13 of Bound by Love
“Mom, although I wish we could have you stay with us, as you can see, our apartment is bursting at the seams at the moment. However, if you’re willing to assist with errands, it would be a significant help to Brie and I.”
Brie could suddenly breathe again. With a few careful words, Sir had respectfully informed them that they would need to get a hotel and that he would determine how they could be most helpful without interfering.
Leave it to Sir,Brie thought.I love my husband!
Sir continued, “Even more important to me, I would appreciate if you could take your daughter out and give her time away from this place. She has been a devoted wife and caregiver almost to a fault, and she could seriously use a little ‘me’ time.”
“Of course, Thane. It would be my joy,” her mom answered, smiling at Brie.
While it was a sweet idea, Briereallydidn’t want to go. She decided to speak up, even though it might displease both Sir and her parents. “I don’t want to leave your side, Sir.”
The look he gave her was tender and kind. “Babygirl, you have been at my side for months. It’s important that you take time for yourself and enjoy this last trimester of pregnancy.”
“Oh, honey.” Her mother wrapped her arms around Brie’s stiff body. “I would love to go shopping with you for some stylish maternity clothes.”
“And I would like to spend time talking to my daughteralone. I’m tired of the silent treatment you’ve subjected us to,” her father added.
Brie groaned inside. It didn’t seem fair that she should be dragged away from the comfort of Sir and Rytsar’s company only to be harassed by her father. She looked at Sir sadly, trying to convey her mixed emotions.
He gave her a sympathetic smile as he sealed her fate. “I would love to see my beautiful wife dress up for a change. Show off your baby bump with pride, my dear.”
Brie returned his smile but couldn’t hold back the heavy sigh that escaped. She understood he’d given her a gentle command.
“Why are you reluctant?” her father demanded angrily, insulted by Brie’s obvious reluctance.
Thankfully, Rytsar spoke up. “I believe your daughter has been so busy caring for everyone else that she’s forgotten what it is like to be cared for. It will do her good to spend time with the people who raised her.”
Although Brie didn’t agree with Rytsar that she needed to be cared for, at least his reply put her father at ease. Maybe she would survive this day…
As much as she was dreading it, her mom was bubbling with enthusiasm. “Hon, remember when we went shopping for your wedding dress? Think of all the laughing we did that day, and now it’s going to be for maternity clothes.” She looked at Brie, beaming with pride. “I can’t believe my little girl is having a baby.”
The memory of their adventures trying to find the perfect wedding dress was dear to Brie and she realized she was being unfair to them. She had, after all, been the one to close herself off completely after the crash.
Although her motivation had been to protect the tenuous relationship her father had with Sir, her actions had hurt them deeply. Yet, here they were, wanting to help Brie out. She gazed at her mom with new understanding. “Yes, Mom, it would be nice to shop together again.”
The smile that spread across her father’s face emphasized to Brie that his wife’s happiness was his main concern and it softened her heart. When she went to hug him again, she meant it when she said, “It will be good to spend time together, Daddy.”
Her mom insisted Brie sit up front with her father on their way to the mall. Although Brie would have preferred sitting with her mother, she agreed, not wanting to cause any more friction between them.
Sir had given her a pep talk just before leaving, reminding Brie to look at the situation from her parents’ perspective, especially given that she was about to be a mother herself.
Staring down at her belly, Brie wondered how she would feel if, sometime in the future, her daughter suffered a tragedy but refused any help. It would absolutely break her heart to be cut off like that.
Turning to her dad, she took the first step toward reconciliation. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I know how I handled things after the crash really hurt both of you. I never meant to, but I was a mess and wasn’t thinking of anyone else. I couldn’t lose Thane. He was my only focus…” Her voice caught, and she stopped for a moment.
“I understand, dear,” her mother said from the back, patting her shoulder reassuringly.
“Let her continue,” her father insisted.
Brie took a deep breath, steeling herself before she continued. “I would have reached out to you eventually, but when Rytsar disappeared, things got even worse for us.”
Her parents had no idea how bad…
“I know about Lilly,” her father stated.
Brie stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean?”
“I shared that email with your father,” her mother informed Brie. “I couldn’t stand there being any secrets between the three of us.”
