"Stop overthinking this, Angel... and just feel me!"
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Erika Ricci, 24, never expected a patient like him to knock her off her high horse.
Brandon A. King, 26, was immediately attrac...
I've been waiting so long to write this moment in Erika's story!
Enjoy!
___
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Ariana?"
Like a slow-motion scene caught from a movie, Brandon's voice stopped her in her tracks, the pale peach dress underneath her trench coat following the flow of her discontinued escape.
"This wasn't a good idea." Her voice carried her regret, as she took another step towards her escape route.
"No, wait! Please... Stay!" It was me who stopped her this time, moving between her and Brandon.
I didn't know what it was, but I had this nagging feeling deep in my chest; if she left now, she might never come back.
"Ehmm... I- There's cake!" I blurted out with no plan, earning a chuckle from Brandon.
She turned around, still on guard, but with amusement in her eyes at my outburst. This gave Brandon enough time to intervene.
"Ari, I'm so glad you could make it... I want you to meet Erika." Brandon took my hand in his tenderly, pulling us closer to her tentatively as she avoided his searching eyes. Not losing another moment, Brandon continued, "Angel, this is Ariana, my sister."
After meeting most of his family, I shouldn't be surprised at their striking features. I had seen Ariana in old photos, but up close she looked like an angel. Golden locks cascaded down her shoulders, framing her soft face like a halo; one she was sharing with the child in her tender arms. It was heartwarming in a way I wasn't expecting.
"And you must be..." Brandon pulled me out of my thoughts. He turned to the little girl, but just like Ariana, she was avoiding his gaze, hiding her face in the crook of Ariana's neck.
I didn't blame them.
It was overwhelming, as curious eyes started gathering in the kitchen after our small commotion.
"This is Raine." She looked at her, warm light returning to her eyes, as she kissed the child's forehead.
"Wait, you really named her rain?" Mia asked from right beside me, cocking an eyebrow at her older sister.
"It's with an 'e' at the end, Bambi," Ariana said with an eyeroll, as she released the young girl from her protective embrace.
"Well, hello Raine. I'm Brandon." He kneeled in front of the little girl, trying to be at eye level with her as she clung to Ariana's clothes, hiding behind her legs. "Which means... Am I her uncle?" He questioned her from where he was kneeling.
Realization dawned on him as he stood beside me once more, scratching his chin, deep in thought.
"So, who's the baby daddy?" Mia asked straight-forward as always, a cocky grin on her face.
