The Sun, The Moon and The Ocean

chapter fourteen

●above is a picture of Sophia (left) and Addison (right) one night with a gorgeous sunset. ●

I signaled right around eleven the next morning, Cooper and me in the car on the way to brunch. The night before was silent and my chest ached while I laid in my uncomfortable hotel bed. I had texted Addison about the kiss and what Cooper had informed me and she responded with, "What an idiot."

I agreed with her, but I didn't have the slightest clue what to do about it. I had to respect that he didn't want a relationship, but at the same time, I didn't know how to respect that he actually thinks he can't give me what I want when he has given me so much already.

But I had to ignore the urge to tell Cooper that, this brunch was already swelling up my mind. I wasn't feeling as anxious as I would be if Cooper wasn't there with me; if he wasn't, I probably wouldn't have handled the wedding as well as I did. I would have cowered beneath my parent's low eyes and crossed arms.

I pulled into the parking lot of our brunch destination and reached behind me to give Sydney a pat on the head. Cooper spoke as soon as I cut the engine, "Are you sure I should be here?"

"I think so," I responded, actually not entirely sure he should be there. It was a family brunch, after all, I didn't know if Cooper fit into that category for everyone else but me.

"I really don't want to intrude on this, Soph," he said softly, his eyes on the restaurant in front of us. I was silent before realizing that I only agreed to the fact that Cooper was invited to this brunch because I was scared to face it alone. A wave of guilt overwhelmed me, looking at Cooper, his hair nicely brushed to the side and wearing a nice outfit just for this. He didn't need to be here and I felt like I had dragged him into something he had no place for.

"You're right," I sighed, slumping a little into my seat. "I'm sorry for making you come along, this is probably something I should do myself. I'm just nervous to do so."

"I understand," Cooper affirmed, brushing off his jeans. "As long as you order me some eggs Benedict to go, I'm more than happy to sit in here with Sydney for awhile."

That option wasn't my favorite either, although it was most likely the better one. I giggled at his request and gave him reassurance that he will get it. "And Sophie, I have full confidence that you can strut right into that restaurant with your head held high and walk out of it even higher. You can face your family, you have the strength to do so."

I gave him a half smile, not sure if I wanted to agree with him or not. Trying my best to convince myself Cooper's words were true, I popped my door open and hopped out. I thanked Cooper and gently shut the door. Checking my watch, I learned that I was about ten minutes late which wasn't the best way to start this meal. But I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a couple seconds once I reached the glass door to the restaurant.

You can do this, I thought to myself. It's just your family.

Wrapping my hand around the handle, I opened the door to smell the aroma of sweet breakfast foods. The scent of maple syrup and greasy sausages filled the air and my stomach grumbled, reminding me how hungry I was.

The place was small and cute, decorated with white and green. The chairs were white and wooden with mint green cushions, the walls were covered with cute little plants, making the air a little fresher. At a large booth table next to the large window sat my family. My jaw clenched.

Penny and Jonathan sat on the right side of the booth, their arms locked together and eyes bright with love. Across from them, my parents. My father's face watched his oldest daughter with pride while my mother still had a slight grimace, most likely still upset that she had nothing to do with this wedding.