44. Brielle
Chapter forty-four
Brielle
I t has been the hardest, yet best year of my life.
Immersing myself in Italian culture has been an eye-opening experience.
My bosses were the absolute best humans on the planet, and they pulled me into their office yesterday with an ultimatum.
I could stay here and work for them, co-managing with another person, or return home to manage their U.S.
gallery and be the sole manager responsible for operations there.
Home
I didn’t even have to think about it for a single moment.
I knew I was choosing to go home. I got what I needed from being here.
I found my independence. I got away from the noise and found out who Brielle Miller really was.
I had the space I needed for healing. Plus, I knew I wanted to be home for the next chapter in my sister's life.
I texted Amani, Aubrey, and Callie immediately.
They were all so excited to get me back in the U.S.
, especially Aubrey. She was not having the best pregnancy.
She told me I had to move in and take care of her.
She was so fucking dramatic, but I would be moving in with her either way.
There was no reason to get my own place right now.
I was kind of nervous about telling Eli.
He and I had kept in touch more frequently than I had initially planned.
We decided that when I left, he would let me reach out to him when I was ready.
It took me two days. I wanted to hear his voice again.
We spent most nights over the last few months falling asleep together over the phone.
Even with the six-hour difference, he was going to bed right along with me.
He was almost a year into his sobriety. Aubrey, Link, and I had a fun sobriety party planned for him for next month when I go home. Originally, I was only going to be home for a few days, but it turned into my homecoming.
Hey, how's work going? What time do you get out?
I figured I was going to have to wait an hour or two for a response, but it came almost instantly.
Eli
Work’s good. Missing you. I get out in about an hour. Then I have some packing to do.
Packing?
Eli
Yeah. I was going to call you later to tell you but I got my own place. I bought a house. I move in right after I go to CT to see Aubs and Link next month.
A pit formed in my stomach. Bought?
I desperately wanted to be happy about him making moves for himself. But it only makes me sadder that he's again going to be living so far away, and this time, it's more permanent. I didn’t want the fact that I was coming home to change the decision he made, so I kept my news to myself.
That’s so great, Eli. I am beyond proud of everything you have accomplished this past year.
Eli
Thanks Brielle. Want more good news?
Of course I do.
Eli
I also got into culinary school for the fall semester.
I am so fucking proud of you Eli.
Tears fell. The weirdest feeling in the world was being so unbelievably happy for the man I loved, while also feeling absolutely heartbroken because I most likely wouldn’t be a part of all he’d yet to accomplish.
He really was thriving without me.
Elijah- One month later
Brielle comes home tomorrow. I told her last month that I had gotten a house and got my acceptance into culinary school. The most important part that I failed to mention is that both of those things are happening in Connecticut.
As much as I loved my brother and friends in Tennessee, and of course my mom, the people I really needed to be around were here in Connecticut.
I made this decision for me and no one else.
I thought about Brielle, of course, but at the time, I didn’t know she was moving back.
She still hadn’t told me. Aubrey let it slip the other day, and now my head was swirling with possibilities.
My girl is coming back to me.
This really was the best-case scenario. If she were staying in Italy, I would have eventually made that move myself after finishing school, but when Link told me his neighbors were moving out, I knew that was a sign of fate. I bought the place the next day.
Link was helping me get the big stuff set up, and we came up with a plan to surprise Brielle. I hoped she’d be happy about it. I initially thought it would be overwhelming, but I believe we are in a good place now. We are basically acting like a couple again.
“Where do you want this?”
I looked over at Link and smiled at him holding one of my big art pieces. “That goes in here.” I led him over to one of the spare rooms. “Help me put it up?”
I removed the dust cover from the painting. Link looked at it and smiled. “Brielle is going to flip.”
I smiled back, filled with anticipation. “I can’t fucking wait.”