Brandy’s return, the one person who would have embraced Aiden’s new-found happiness.
Rubbing his hand across his eyes, Aiden did his best to banish his sorrow and focus on the working day ahead.
*
Aiden was about to leave the office for the day when his phone started vibrating in his pocket. With a slight groan he retrieved it, assuming it was a work call which would delay his departure. His heart seized in his chest when he saw a Chicago number flashing on the screen. Quickly he dragged his finger across the digital screen and answered the call.
“Hello?” His tone was curt and formal.
“Daddy?” came a light voice from the other end of the line.
Aiden felt his entire body sag with surprised delight.
“Meegan!” He gripped the phone, pressing it tightly against his ear. He didn’t want to miss a single sound his daughter made.
“How are you, sweetheart?”
“I have three new Barbies!” Meegan told her father proudly.
“Three?” Aiden smiled to himself. “That’s a lot.”
Two of them he’d sent to her by courier delivery. He felt relieved to know that they had arrived safely.
“Bonnie, Mindy and…” Meegan prolonged the ‘and’ as she struggled to remember the name of her third new doll. Aiden heard someone whisper a name in the background.
“Blue!” Meegan squealed excitedly, delighted to have remembered all their names.
“Those are lovely names,” Aiden told her warmly.
“Me choose!”
“You’re a clever girl.”
“Give Mommy the phone.” He heard Isla’s voice and Aiden straightened in his seat. Seconds later she had replaced Meegan on the call.
“Aid, hey.” Her tone wasn’t cold but it wasn’t warm either.
“Isla, hi.” Aiden tried to sound equally neutral as he nervously unbuttoned the top of his shirt.
“She really wanted to call you,” Isla explained, sounding almost apologetic.
“That’s fine!” Aiden insisted a little too enthusiastically. “I love hearing from her! From you both,” he added diplomatically.
“Thanks for the dolls, she loved them.”
“I’m glad they got there okay.”
“So what’s new with you?” Isla brightened slightly as she asked the question. Aiden felt his airwaves begin to constrict as he nervously floundered on the other end of the line. Isla, like the rest of Avalon, had yet to find out that he was now living with Brandy. He feared that if he invoked his estranged wife’s jealousy she could keep Meegan from him to be cruel. He liked to think that Isla wouldn’t sink to such levels but he also didn’t want to test her capacity for petty revenge.
“Not much.” Aiden shrugged as he sat at his desk. “I’ve been busy with work, just trying to get everything straight since—” His voice broke off. Since Edmond’s death. But he couldn’t bring himself to say the words, they still felt too final.
“I bet it has been busy…adjusting,” Isla replied carefully.
“What about you? What’s new with you?”
“I should really go,” Isla announced a little too quickly. For a moment Aiden wondered if it was just his imagination as she suddenly seemed extremely worked up.
“Isla, is everything alright?”
“Yeah, yeah, everything is fine, I’m just late for a yoga class. Maybe next time call a bit later.”
Aiden was about to point out that he hadn’t been the one to make the call but the line went dead before he could speak. Bemused, he pulled the cell phone from his ear and regarded it suspiciously. Isla was definitely acting strangely. Was she hiding something? The thought made his pulse quicken.
Or was it someone? His mind darkened as he imagined a new man in both his wife and daughter’s life. He was about to call them back when the door to his office creaked open and Betty peered round to look at him.
“I’m heading home if that’s alright with you Mr— Sorry, Aiden?” Her glasses were perched precariously on the end of her nose as she looked down through them to regard him.
“That’s fine, Betty. I’m clocking off now too.” Aiden smiled and stood up and began rummaging in his pocket for the keys to both the office and his car.
“The sun hasn’t stopped shining today,” Betty commented by the door.
“It’s been a beautiful day,” Aiden agreed.
“He always loved sunny days,” Betty said with a bittersweet smile as her gaze dropped to the ground.
“Yes.” Aiden nodded and shrugged on his jacket. “He did.”
*
Brandy was standing in the small kitchen of Aiden’s home facing the cooker. All around her the cupboard doors were wide open exposing their contents. She scanned the interior of each cupboard as she remained rooted to the spot.
There were tins of corn and beans, boxes of cereals, bags of sugar. Brandy tried to take a mental inventory of everything that was on display. She was so consumed by the task that she failed to hear Aiden’s car pulling up on the driveway or the subsequent opening of the front door. She was still standing gazing around the kitchen intently when Aiden came up behind her and looped an arm around her waist before gently grazing her cheek with a warm kiss.
Brandy jumped at his touch. He’d surprised her. But what was more surprising was the realization that she’d spent the better part of an hour staring into the cupboards.
“What time is it?” she asked with a start.
“Quarter past five,” Aiden explained as he moved past her to drop his briefcase on to the table. He glanced around at the open cupboards and noticed Brandy’s pained expression.
“Is everything alright?”
Brandy nodded stiffly but her lips pulled into a sharp line.
“Are you sure?” Aiden took a step towards her and placed his hands on her slight shoulders.
“How come all the cupboards are open?”
Brandy’s lower lip started to tremble.
“I…,” She cleared her throat nervously. “I was just trying to get to know my way around your kitchen. Trying to learn where everything was but…” her entire body crumpled and she raised a hand to her temple and sighed.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Aiden asked tenderly.
“It’s everything!” Brandy shook herself loose of his grip and stepped back from him. “It’s this kitchen, this house, this place!”
She gestured around the room as she spoke.
“I wanted to cook you dinner, to make this place feel homely but I can’t because this isn’t my home, it’s hers. Everywhere I go she’s there. I feel like an … intruder!”
Brandy thought of the apartment she had left back in Chicago. A space which had firmly been hers. Now she was a stranger in a home living in another woman’s shadow and it was taking its toll on her.
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
“I’m not being ridiculous!” Brandy cried defensively. “This was her home, Aiden. Where she lived with you, with your daughter. She chose the drapes, the carpets. She made this place a home and now I’m here like some imposter! I hate myself sometimes!”
Frustrated tears glistened in Brandy’s