8. Anya
CHAPTER 8
“He didn’t run after you or something?” Gianna looks at me, in disbelief who I ran into – Kira's father, the one person I never expected to see again.
I scoop a spoonful of fruit loop cereal and bring it to Kira’s mouth. She opens wide, clapping her little hands as she eats it.
“No, he didn’t run after me. He just let me leave.” I say.
It could be seen as immature, my hands clench into fists and I can’t control my overwhelming anger towards Brandon and the fact that his younger brother is Spencer. How did this all even happen? The navy brother Spencer bragged about for two years turned out to be the man I met at the club and slept with on our second date. And now, he's also Kira's father.
I knew there was something about Brandon that kind of reminded me of Spencer, but they’re such opposite personalities that it’s hard to believe they share the same DNA. Or maybe they’re not that much different, since Brandon did similar thing to what Spencer did – hurt my feelings, actually Brandon is worse, at least Spencer sent a text saying sorry.
The situation with him being Kira's father is another problem altogether. How am I supposed to break the news to him that he has a daughter, when he doesn't even know she exists? It's enough to drive me insane.
Gianna chimes in, "Maybe he was just as shocked by the news. Imagine returning from a mission and finding out that the girl you had a fling with is your brother's ex-girlfriend. Anyone would be surprised."
Well, she does have a point. I still can’t process them being brothers even now. Not because of Brandon himself, but because of what everyone else will make of the whole situation when they find out whose daughter Kira is.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do now.” I feed Kira another spoonful and smile at her. “How do I tell him about Kira?”
“You can choose not to.”
“Keep her and Brandon away from each other? I can’t do that.” I let out a sigh. “I hate what he did, but it’s up to him if he wants to be a part of his child’s life or not.”
He never mentioned being a single father to me, but watching how Brandon interacted with his daughter Alessa made it clear that he is an amazing dad. I was impressed by how polite and reliant she was on him. It made me wish for the same for my own daughter: a supportive father and older sister, regardless of my relationship with Brandon or the fact that Kira would have an uncle who is not very kind.
On another note, Alessa didn't resemble Brandon at all, so I assumed she took after her mother. I can't help but wonder about their story and who this mysterious woman might be. She wasn't mentioned at dinner, leading me to believe that she isn't actively involved in their lives. And that's fine, Brandon and I will always just be what we are now.
“What if he doesn’t want her?” my cousin asks. “You’ll never be comfortable living in this town with a deadbeat baby daddy.”
I shrug. “Like I said, whatever he chooses to do is up to him. It won’t change anything and I won’t leave this town just to avoid him. And honestly, I don’t think he’s the kind of guy to avoid responsibilities.”
Gianna’s teeth sink in her bottom lip. She exhales and nods. “Fine. All I’m worried about is you and Kira. As long as you two are happy, then I’m fine with it.”
“Thank you.” I feed Kira the last spoonful of her cereal and get both of us ready for our first day at the clinic.
I step into the clinic and my eyes widen in surprise. It's much larger than I had pictured, and it's bustling with pet owners and their furry companions. Fortunately, Kira is fast asleep in my arms. I spot Mr. White administering a shot to a cat when I enter his office. I gently lay Kira down on the couch behind his desk before offering to assist him. "I thought you were taking an extra day off," he says, looking up at me through his glasses. "I did, but Gianna helped me out so I was able to get everything done last night," I reply, not revealing the true reason for my presence today.
Taking care of everything yesterday left me with too much time alone to dwell on Brandon and the complications he's brought into my life.
It’s a whole lot waking up to find out I just moved into the same town as my baby daddy, who doesn’t even know he has another child. As if that isn’t enough, his younger brother is my ex.
“How is Kira?” Mr. White asks.
“Fine. Luckily, she’s sleeping.” I glance at my daughter and beam with a smile. Kira is one of those good toddlers that will nap all day and night, only waking up to eat or play. She’s been like that since she was born. Such a little angel, as if she knows her mommy needs to work and earn a lot of money to make our lives better.
As the day flies by, Kira wakes up when it is already afternoon and the vet clinic is deserted. Mr. White has left for lunch with his wife. I breastfeed her before entertaining her with Cocomelon on my iPad. The sound of the glass door opening interrupts our playtime; Alessa enters holding a stunning white poodle, while Brandon follows in after her. My heart races at the sight of him, but I focus all my attention on Alessa and the poodle.
"Hello, Anya," she greets me excitedly as she approaches with the dog. A grin spreads across my face. "Hi, Alessa." I pet the poodle's head and he licks my hand. "Who is this adorable pup?"
“His name is Brandon- but we call him Brano, as dad’s name is Brandon too.” Alessa answers with giggles, still trying to control the dog by its harness. It’s excited to see me for some reason, she continues, “Mr. White gave him to me when he was a puppy.”
“Brandon?” My gaze shoots to the human Brandon.
He frowns. “I don’t know who’d name a dog after me.”
A burst of laughter escapes from my lips and I can feel the strain in my stomach as tears well up in my eyes. Is this really the same puppy I helped deliver two years ago, the one I named after the guy who left me after our first night together? Brandon doesn't seem amused by my outburst. I wipe away my tears, still giggling. "I think someone else you know may have named a dog after you. A certain girl from two years ago."
His eyes widen in realization. "You?"
I nod, trying to catch my breath from laughing so hard. "I couldn't reach you at the time, so it was my way of getting back at you."
"You're quite vindictive," he says dryly, but I could swear there's a hint of amusement in his tone. He glares at Brano, who is sitting comfortably in his lap. "It's not even funny." But I can see a slight twitch in his lips that gives him away.
“I'm not sorry.” I scratch Brano behind the ears and turn my attention to Alessa. “What's going on with him?”
She leans closer to me and whispers, “Nothing really. I just wanted to see you and used Bran0 as an excuse to convince Daddy to bring me here.”
“So you tricked him?” I respond in a hushed tone.
She nods, putting a finger to her lips. “Shh, don't tell him our little secret.”
I hold out my pinky finger. “I won’t. I promise.”
She crosses her own pinky finger with mine. “You can’t break your promise.”
“We share a secret, which means we’re friends. Friends don’t break their promises to each other.”
A warm grin spreads across Alessa's face, making her look even more adorable than usual. Her eyes crinkle and her golden hair catches the sunlight streaming in through the glass walls, giving off a radiant glow.
Kira gurgles behind me, catching Alessa's attention. Her eyes widen. "Is that a baby?"
"She's fourteen months old, practically a toddler," I reply, watching as Alessa rushes over to Kira and gently cups her cheeks in both hands.
"Oh my goodness." Alessa turns to me with excitement in her voice. "She's absolutely beautiful."
I can sense from Alessa's reaction that she has instantly fallen in love with Kira. And even Kira seems to be happy in her presence, smiling and reaching for her face. I almost tell Alessa that Kira is her younger sister, but I can't bring myself to do it until I have the courage to break the news to Brandon.
As I study him, I notice the shock etched onto his face. His gaze is fixed on Kira, and I silently hope he doesn't see the similarity between them.
"Wait," He spins around to face me, surprised, "You have a daughter?"
"So do you," I retort, crossing my arms. "Is that a problem?"
"No, it's just..." He pauses and meets my eyes with his dark brown ones. The tension between us is tangible, and his disappointment is evident in his expression. His gaze drifts down to my hands. "Are you currently with someone? Married, perhaps?"
"Would that change things if I wasn't?" I tease with a smirk.
"I can't say it would." He shakes his head slightly. "I'm just surprised you have a child."
He looks back at Kira - his daughter. After a moment of hesitation, he continues to inquire: "How old is she?"
"She's a year and two months," I reply.
He scratches the back of his neck. "Do I know her father?"
The hairs at the back of my neck rise. Maybe it’s the perfect opportunity to tell him the truth, but I’m not ready to face him. I’m not ready for what will happen if he decides he doesn’t want to be a part of Kira’s life. I’m not emotionally mature enough to leave him alone. I’ll probably torment him forever if he dares to do that.
I raise an eyebrow and nervously chew on my bottom lip. "Why are you so interested?"
"Apologies if it is an inappropriate question." he replies.
"I don't know why you're asking and honestly, I don't think it's any of your business." Guilt creeps up within me for not telling him the truth, but some things are better left unsaid. I'll figure it out eventually, just not today.
He slowly closes the gap between us, his steps deliberate and controlled. I can feel the intensity in his eyes - they are dark and soulless, lacking the warmth and spark they once held.
Something tells me there's more to why he left me the way he did. What secrets is he hiding behind that stoic expression? As he stands before me now, I realize how much he has changed since the time we first met. The playful glint in his eyes has been replaced with a somberness that weighs heavily on my heart.
I can sense that he's holding back, a wall built up around him to shield himself from any emotion or vulnerability. This is not the Brandon I fell for two years ago in that bar - confident, charming, and unafraid to go after what he wanted. But as I stand here faced with the reality of our reunion, I can't help but wonder what could have caused such a drastic change.
Despite my curiosity and desire to know the truth, my emotions are clouding my judgement and I am unable to ask the important questions. All I can do is stand there silently, wishing for things to be different and longing for the answers that may never come.
“Anya, I didn’t leave because I wanted to.” He lowers voices, his throat bobs as he swallows. “That morning, I got a deployment text. I needed to leave.”
I scoff. “Sounds like an excuse to me. You could have woken me up, you should have told me.”
“And then what? Make you wait for me to come back?” he makes sure Alessa is not listening. His jaw flexes and his eyes turn red with sadness and rage. “Do you think it’s that easy? Each time I’m on that field, I don’t know if it’s going to be my last. How could I make you wait after what your ex-my brother put you through? I’d be an asshole to do that.”
“You sound like an asshole already. Whether it was fair to make me wait for you or not is a decision only I could have made.” I close what is left of the space between us and tilt my face up to his. “You had no right to do that. Do you know what I’ve been through? I found out I was—”
Crap!
I stop myself before I can say anything that I know I shouldn’t.
“What did you go through, Anya?”
I almost melt at the sudden softness in his tone. “I missed you, but that was two years ago. It’s different now, and you’re Spencer’s brother. Let’s just be civil with each other.”
He’s painfully quiet for a minute. “Civil?” He looks at Kira and Alessa playing. The way he scrutinizes Kira is not the same way a man would scrutinize a kid he barely knows. Whoever said blood was thicker than water didn’t lie. “Fine.”
“I'll take Alessa home once I finish up here.”
He nods stiffly.
As he turns to leave, I can't help but stare at his broad shoulders and chest.
His handsomeness is just an addition to my list of reasons why it’ll be goddamn impossible to ignore him. The number one reason is that we have a connection that will last a lifetime.
We both have Kira, our daughter.