Chapter 7
Brooke’s mother sat on her couch with her perfected non-judgmental expression plastered on her face.
The look would probably fool anyone else.
But Brooke knew her mother too well. Susan Foster was nothing if not prone to judgements.
At least she was making an effort. In the years since her parents got their divorce things had been strained between Brooke and her mom.
Still, when her mom had offered to come over for tea, Brooke had been excited for her visit.
To the outside world the two of them had always favored one another.
Brooke had inherited her mom’s nose, mouth, and eyes.
But the most striking feature they shared was their long and naturally blonde hair.
The similarities ended with the physical, and that had perhaps led to their estrangement.
Susan was a born extrovert, she lived to be the center of attention.
While Brooke couldn’t get out of the spotlight fast enough.
Brooke had always been more like her father in regards to personality.
Her dad, who was a professor at a local university, was also quiet.
He had also never been prone to much variation in his moods.
Where her mother was a constant tempest, her dad had always been a calm sunny day.
Pearl jumped up on the coffee table to stare Susan down.
“Dear heavens, are you still alive?” Susan asked the cat.
“Mom,” Brooke gasped.
“What? Honey, this cat was ancient five years ago.”
“Mom, Pearl is barely five years old in total.”
“Really. Well, she certainly acts grouchy. She must be fueled by spite alone.”
Brooke rubbed her temples and sighed. Susan recognized that it was time for a conversation pivot.
“I saw your new neighbor when I was on my way up. She’s quite a looker. You should ask her out,” Susan suggested.
It was almost uncanny how easy it was for her mother to spot a lesbian out in the wild.
Unfortunately, Drew was the last person Brooke wanted to talk about right now.
Things between them had been tense for the last few days.
Ever since the kiss. Brooke was still kicking herself for the whole debacle.
“We haven’t talked much,” Brooke lied. She desperately wanted her mom to pick any other topic. If Susan could pick up on her hesitation to speak about Drew she certainly didn’t let on.
“I just mean that you’re never going to meet someone if you don’t put yourself out there.”
“I don’t want to meet someone,” Brooke insisted.
“Don’t be ridiculous, honey. Just about everyone on the planet wants to be with someone. No one wants to die alone. You don’t want to be alone, you’re just afraid to be with someone. And I know that I share some of the blame for that.”
The words stunned Brooke. For a solid moment she couldn’t speak.
This was the first time in years that her mother had referenced the divorce.
Let alone taking some responsibility for how the divorce had affected Brooke.
She’d considered having conversations with her mom for years.
Telling her mom about how out of the blue the entire thing had felt.
Now that her mom had opened the door Brooke didn’t know how to proceed.
She must have waited too long because it was her mother who broke the silence.
“I hope I didn’t overstep,” Susan sighed. Brooke could tell that her mom was trying.
“You didn’t overstep. I just wasn’t expecting you to make any kind of acknowledgement. I guess it kind of threw me off.”
“I suppose that’s understandable. Brooke when you were growing up and you’d talk about your future it always included a family.
A wife and possibly kids of your own someday.
Then after the divorce you stopped talking about having a family of your own.
I thought you’d grow out of it. That sure the divorce stung, but that you’d be able to move through it with time.
Now I see that I should have addressed this sooner.
I don’t want you to be afraid of love just because things didn’t work out with your father and I. ”
Brooke watched as her mom leaned back on the couch. The admission had likely taken up what little emotional equity her mom had.
“It’s not just you and dad. I haven’t seen very many successful relationships. I don’t want to invest in something for ten years and then have it fall apart.”
“That’s one of the risks that you run with love. That despite your best efforts sometimes it stops working.”
“How can it be worth it? If it stops working somewhere down the road, why do it at all?”
“It doesn’t have to stop working. Sometimes it lasts a lifetime. For me, I still think back on times with your father with fondness. Once I was able to move past the hurt feelings, I was grateful for our time together. It did give me you, after all.”
Brooke smiled at her mom’s words. This was as close to a real conversation as she’d ever had with her mother.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Of course.” She watched as her mom wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
“What’s new in your life?” Brooke asked. She appreciated the emotional headway, but she was desperate to move onto something a bit more ordinary.
“Well, I have my cruise coming up in May.”
“That’s right. Where are you going again?”
“The Bahamas.”
“Maybe you’ll meet someone new on the cruise,” Brooke suggested.
“Actually, I’m bringing someone new with me on the boat,” Susan offered.
“Oh,” Brooke said. She wanted to say more but her mind was going so much faster than her words were coming out.
“Who’s the lucky new person?”
Brooke hoped that the question was enough to cover her obvious surprise to the news. Her mom offered her a warm smile.
“His name is Frank. He’s been an absolute gem. I was hoping you’d be willing to meet him.”
Brooke caught the note of hope in her mom’s tone. She could tell this was important to her mom. Brooke took in a short breath.
“Of course. I’d love to meet him. Just let me know when,” Brooke smiled.
“Thanks, honey. I’ll get with Frank and compare our schedules.”
There had been men that her mom had dated in the past, but Brooke had never been asked to meet any of them.
Their names had been passing pieces in her mom’s stories.
The men figured into whatever part of her life Susan had chosen for them.
The fact that she wanted Brooke to meet Frank was a definite indication that he was important to her.
Brooke couldn’t be sure what that meant.
Whether her mom and Frank were on the edge of a relationship or an engagement, only that for her mother it must be significant.
An hour later the two of them stood in her hallway saying goodbye.
She heard Drew’s door open and then close again.
A moment later Robin walked down the hall past Brooke and her mom.
Brooke had to fight the urge to groan. She’d been the one to push the two of them together.
Brooke had just never planned out how much time that meant she’d spend running into Robin.
“Brooke,” her mother scolded once Robin was out of earshot.
Brooke rolled her eyes. She could try to explain the entire situation to her mom, but she doubted either of them had the energy for that.
Instead, Brooke mouthed the word sorry. Susan gave her a slight smile.
Her mother had a smile for every mood. This smile told Brooke that Susan understood more than she was being given credit for.
Brooke heard Drew’s door open once again and watched as Drew came running out. She caught sight of Brooke and Susan a moment too late. Too late to go back inside her apartment and pretend she hadn’t seen them. Too late to avoid Brooke the way she had been since their kiss.
“Sorry. Robin forgot her keys,” Drew said in way of explanation.
Brooke watched as the woman ran a hand through her long dark hair.
Brooke could only get out a smile and nod her head.
Every time she’d gone to speak to Drew words lodged in her throat.
Drew had seen the truth of Brooke that night and had silenced her. Drew smiled curtly and ran past them.
“Okay, what was that?” Susan asked, suddenly reinvested in their conversation.
“Mom, don’t,” Brooke half pleaded.
“Well, now I have to know.”
“It’s complicated,” Brooke explained.
“I invented complicated,” Susan smiled.
“Fine. She took over the shop next to mine and I was mad because I wanted the space. I was kind of a jerk so to make it up to her I invited her to the women’s small business get- together that Emily does.
She came and things were good. Except this woman was flirting with her and it made me feel weird, so I pushed them into dating.
Then I kissed Drew in her car but told her it was a mistake.
Now we’re not speaking and things are complicated. ”
Her mother’s face told Brooke that she regretted asking the question. Susan gave her a smile.
“Don’t take the easy way out. Tell her you’re sorry and make up. You obviously hate things the way they are. I’ve got to get going, but I’ll text you about dinner with Frank.”
“Sounds good.”
Brooke barely got the words out before her mom was turning to go.
That was the way things always were with her mother.
She was engaged until she wasn’t. She watched as her mom disappeared.
Drew was coming back up the stairs and Brooke drew back inside her apartment before they had another awkward moment.
Brooke hated avoiding Drew. She liked Drew and thought the two of them might have at least had a friendship. But not now. She had ruined any chance they may have had for a friendship. She could hear Drew’s footsteps as the woman walked down the hallway.
From her spot on the couch Pearl offered her a judgmental glance.
“Don’t you start,” Brooke accused. The cat simply turned her back before laying on the couch to go to sleep.
Sleep seemed like the best possible idea.
Brooke changed into her pajamas. A matching baby blush pink cotton top and pants set.
Brooke climbed into the bed and was reaching for the light when she heard a hiss from the living room and a strange noise coming from her bathroom.
Brooke groaned but got out of bed and walked barefoot to the bathroom.
Her feet touched the floor and found that it was wet.
When Brooke flipped on the light the problem was readily apparent.
A burst pipe leaked water which was steadily accumulating all over her floor.
Brooke screeched and immediately ran out to grab Pearl.