Homelands Pt. 03 Ch. 06

Brianna reached under the table and patted my thigh.

Such a simple gesture, really. But it served as a powerful reminder of how I'd managed to fall in love with a woman I'd once considered something like my arch-enemy.

My cousin wouldn't have liked Lily all that much either. But she knew how terrified I was of telling my mother what had happened. How sure I was that my mother would react quite differently than she had. Had no doubt noticed the tone of my mother's voice, and known that it had only reinforced such concerns.

Perhaps Brianna really was the better fit for me.

"It's complicated," I said.

Which was, you know, putting it mildly.

I drew a deep breath. "She's gone now. Let's leave it at that."

I felt guilty for not telling my mother the full story. At the start of the conversation, I'd fully intended to come clean. But how was I supposed to, now, after she all but reminded me that, from the start, she'd warned that I hadn't thought things through enough?

Which, for the record, she had.

But was it really necessary to remind me?

"I went to try to make amends with her father, and he demanded that Mel and Sean marry two of his remaining children. That's why they're not here. But I guess you know that. And, no, I don't know how we're going to get Mel and Sean back."

"No, actually, I didn't," my mother said, her voice hard. "Not how it happened, anyway. All Iva told us was that they were being held captive in another court. She didn't say how that came to be. And she certainly didn't mention that you were responsible."

I started to protest. But I was, really. No sense denying it.

"Frank," she said, somehow turning my name into a four syllable word.

"I know," I said.

"No, honey, I'm not sure you do get it. This isn't like being late on your credit card bill or putting your homework off to the last minute or any of the other crap I used to nag you about. So don't roll your eyes at me the way you always did back then. We're talking about your brother's children. You have to do something. Like, now."

My cousin put her hand on my shoulder.

"And you, little lady," my mother said, turning her gaze on her niece. "I get that you want to convince my son that he'd be happier with you than he would be with me. You're probably right about that, and he probably needs to have the message to be driven home as often as possible. By both of us. But you can do your part to make that case some other fucking time. Just now,there's no call for you to go trying to make me out to be some mean old harpy because I'm telling him that rescuing his niece and nephew isn't a problem that can be put off til tomorrow. It's not. I understand that you never learned to value your family the way your mother did, but my son knows better."

Bobby looked like he wanted to be anywhere but at that table just then.

Not that I could blame him.

For her part, Brianna looked like she was about to give my mother a piece of her mind.

I turned to my cousin and said, "Don't."

She stared at me, her emerald green eyes wide and her nostrils flaring. I hated seeing that look on her face, and not because it made me scared of what would happen if she unleashed her wrath upon me. Because I hated the idea of angering her. Of hurting her. Of letting her think that I didn't love her enough to stand up for her.

So I turned to Mom and said, "You're right." Then I paused, and just as she started to give an emphatic nod, I continued. "About me fucking up, and the fact that I need to make it right. But what you just said to Brianna? Way out of line. You need to take it back."

This time, it was my mother's eyes that went wide.

I felt my cousin's Libido soar. But though I'd have loved to see the expression on Brianna's face, I didn't take my eyes off my mother.

"Well?" I said.

"Fine," she snapped. "I'm sorry, Brianna." She turned back to me. "Happy?"

It couldn't have sounded much less sincere, but it was as good as we were going to get.

I took my cousin by the hand and stood up. "Let's go see Todd. He needs to hear it from me too. Then we'll figure out what we can do."

Brianna might have asked why I was including her in those plans. But she didn't. And I loved her all the more for that.

"No, Frank," my mother cut in. "You need to go straight to the Shadowed Glade. I'll tell Todd what's going on. And you can apologize to him when you come back. With his children. You'll find him a whole lot more forgiving then."

She was right.

As always.