Braylee was equally nervous as she stood behind her father waiting for him to open the door. Maybe she should have just dropped them off? Her mother wasn’t the least bit interested in a visit with her. That was perfectly evident after Braylee had not received even one phone call while she’d been hospitalized. It was silly, but she clung to Stephanie’s words that their mother had asked about her. Most likely, it was a lie to make her feel better, but that was all she had to hold on to. Considering, she was now going to be a mother, Braylee had to, at least, attempt one more time. She could face down hardened criminals and heads of states, but this felt harder than that. Having the buffer of her father and Stephanie between them was welcomed. Braylee also didn’t want her father stressed out about her relationship or lack thereof with her mother. He needed to focus on his sobriety. She would just play it by ear and depending on how the visit shaped up, Braylee would decide if she should leave early or stay for dinner. A stressful situation was made even more so when Alexandro insisted that he be by her side tonight. Braylee wasn’t all that excited about having him around to watch the dysfunction of her family. It wasn’t anything she was ready to share just yet.
The locked clicked and with the turn of her father’s wrist, the door slowly swung open. His deeply rich and penetrating voice echoed throughout the hallway as he spoke. “Katherine! We’re here. Braylee, Stephanie, and I are home.”
Chapter 26
“Katherine?” James Hinsdale’s booming voice repeated itself as he stepped over the threshold and deeper into the house followed by Stephanie and Braylee. Since, Braylee was the last to come inside, she closed the door behind her. While the house seemed a bit dark, as if no one was home, the familiar scent of a Sunday dinner came wafting through the air. James sat his bag down against the wall by the door in the foyer. Just when he thought Katherine may not have been home; she came around the corner.
Braylee had seen this play out a million times. Her mother wearing a well worn grayish dress with her cooking apron wrapped around her somewhat protruding stomach. Her salt and pepper hair was swept up into an unkempt bun, and she used the apron to wipe her hands as she walked towards them. Braylee thought she was going to rub the skin off of her hands. Her smile was tight, and her dull, dark brown eyes had a faraway glassy look to them. Braylee hadn’t seen her mother in three months, but something was off.
James smiled lovingly and immediately walked over to kiss her on the cheek. “I’m home.”
Her eyes lifted to his face but never elicited any warmth. “I’m glad you’re back.” As if nothing had happened over the last several weeks she spoke. “Well, come on in. I’ve been cooking up a storm.” Was her mother wearing a mask?
Stephanie walked past her father to hug her mother. “Hey, Mama. It smells so good in here. I can tell that you’ve been busy. I’m starving and can’t wait to dig in. Do you need any help in the kitchen?”
She smirked and giggled. “Steffi…you know you can’t cook. Everything is just about ready anyway.”
“No, I can’t, and I wear it as a badge of honor. But, thought I’d ask because I knew you’d say no. Now, if you ever start saying yes, then I’ll stop asking.” Stephanie laughed nervously as she looked at her mother and back at Braylee.
Braylee stepped up to say hello. No matter how strong she was or how well she believed she was prepared to face her mother; she always resorted to being that eight-year-old little girl. Braylee coughed to remove the frog out of her throat. “Hey, Mama.”
All the oxygen seemed to be sucked out of the room with the utterance of those two words. Warily, both her father and sister looked back and forth between them anxiously awaiting Katherine’s response. Her mother replied woodenly. “Hello, Braylee. I see you’re wearing your hair a bit shorter.”
Instinctively, almost shyly, Braylee’s hands went to her hair. Her mother had told her she’d look like a boy, and no man would want her, but Alex seemed to love it. “Yes. I—I like it. It’s much easier to take care of.”
“Hmm,” was her only response. Katherine dismissed Braylee with her tone as well as her eyes. She refocused her attention back to James. “Well, you guys have a seat in the family room while I finish putting the final touches on dinner.” With that Katherine Hinsdale, left to go back to the kitchen.
Her father regarded her with such concern. “Are you okay?”
Although Braylee’s chest was tight, she waved her hand as if her mother’s coldness
