Retracting his hand from the table, Braxton gave a somewhat stern nod, shielding the disappointment that had only moments ago radiated from his dark eyes. It was his wedding yet he felt completely detached from it. The romantic side of Braxton had wanted his wedding to be the most magical day of his life and yet here he was, thinking of it as another insignificant event in his seemingly insignificant life. It hadn’t fazed him until recently, now finding it the appropriate time to commence revaluating his life and the discerning choices he had a tendency to make. “Wedding of the century,” Braxton mumbled under his breath, repeating what Sara had said. If you go through with it. That was a thought that often crossed Braxton’s mind in recent times. There was still time to throw in the towel and walk away from Mia. It wouldn’t be for Sara, but for himself, despite Sara’s reappearance in his life triggering this contemplation. Being in a loveless marriage that was practically arranged for the media was oddly enough not the most appealing thing. The alternative, being a single dad who did not go out every weekend getting wasted, was far more preferable. “I don’t think we’ll be able to beat someone who’s running for presidency, but it’s worth a short.” Raising his glass, Braxton took the smallest of sips. The liquid managed to burn down his throat, which was counterproductive considering he’d drank it to rid of the lump that resided against his Adam’s apple. Blinking, he licked his upper lip, withholding the urge to wince at the discomfort he felt for the brief moment.
Braxton’s gaze softened as he listened to Sara, taken aback by what she was saying. Absorbing each word, he detected a small hint of sadness in her voice, a sadness he also felt consume him at times. Looking downward, his eyes focused on the white tablecloth. To anyone else, it may seem like he was completely ignoring what Sara was saying, but it felt far too difficult to look at her as she was saying these things. When it came to Sara, there was no denying that Braxton felt far too deeply. Her strained relationship with Charlie seemed to resemble the distance he too had with his twin sister. The lump lodged in the depths of Braxton’s throat only worsened as he looked up at her, looking in her eyes. He desperately wanted to reach his arm across the table and just hold her hand, like the small gesture would ease everything she’d lost. But he had to remind himself that wasn’t his place. Part of him wish he hadn’t mentioned it. Thinking about the past brought back memories that were better kept elsewhere. Who needed a constant reminder of how and when everything had gotten so screwed up? “I’m sorry about your dad,” Braxton said genuinely, harbouring a great amount of empathy toward the blonde beauty. “I’m sorry about everything.” Biting his lip, Braxton’s hand was placed over his own, pressing down as an attempt to fight the overwhelming urge to just touch her skin. “But there is a silver lining to all of it.” Braxton felt he didn’t need to say it in order for Sara to know exactly what – or more importantly, who – he was referring to. That one small five-year-old angel with the cheekiest smile made Braxton believe life was okay, better than okay. He imagined Sara felt the same, if not more.
It seemed fighting that the food being placed in front of them had broken the serious moment, allowing them both to push it aside and potentially focus on lighter topics. “Of course I did,” he replied with the tiniest of smiles, tilting his head to the side. “Some things never change.” The context beneath what Braxton was saying hardly referred to the grilled cheese, his discreet subtly referring to his emotions toward Sara and perhaps her emotions toward him. He wasn’t ridiculously unaware of her body language and the small breaths he noticed her sometimes take in between her words. Then again, he was sure he could be reading too into it. “I’ll make extra for the both of them.” There was a large grin on Braxton’s face – both happy to have the food in front of him and conversation revolving around something far lighter, though it did still sting to know that both Samuel and Jon, Braxton’s closest friends, had known about his daughter before him and had kept it from him. Thankfully Braxton had managed to let go of it, not being one to hold a grudge, especially toward people he cared about. “I’d really love that, Sara,” he said with a reassuring smile, prepared to take a bite of the grilled cheese but holding it off for a moment. “I’m sure we will get past this kind of awkward stage eventually and it’ll feel completely comfortable to just rock up and spend time with her.” Braxton treasured all the time he spent with Heidi. She truly did feel like his daughter, as well as Sara’s daughter.
“I’m fairly okay with how he wrote me in the book,” Braxton chuckled honestly. He was proud and confident with his sexuality, even if others weren’t as convinced as he was about his orientation. “Maybe sometimes I do come across as slightly – but not entirely – gay.” Braxton was quite thankful for Jon’s book, despite swearing to himself that he’d never tell him that. It seemed like a bound memoir of all the craziness that had once been their lives. Typically nostalgic, Braxton had gone as far to flick through the chapters and read over a few of the pages. “I’m kind of glad he didn’t stay entirely truthful to who I am, or at least who I was. That guy was a dick.” Scratching his neck, he took a bite of the grilled cheese, noticing any worry he’d been feeling had managed to vanish as the nice and actually ‘normal’ conversation played out between him and Sara. “It’s so weird, isn’t it though?” Braxton questioned eagerly, leaning forward as he shook his head. “Me being friends with Jonathan Parker – who would have ever thought that would happen? Seriously. If you’d told me that six years ago, I’d have punched you out. Well, not you, I’d never punch you or anything like that. I just meant it as more of a general thing. Okay, I’ll shut up now.” Grinning as he fumbled over his words, he finished off his new glass, swallowing the rest in one whole gulp and letting out a refreshing ‘ah’.
“So, I have something to ask you,” Braxton began to say as they neared closer to the end of their meal. “And I give you permission to say ‘hell no’ but I figured I’d ask.” Taking in a deep breath, Braxton relaxed himself and loosened his shoulders. His stomach felt like it was churning within him but displaying nervousness was foreign to Braxton “Because we never got a chance to dance as Prom King and Queen in high school due to events we won’t discuss,” he continued saying, still smiling a little. “I was hoping to take this opportunity and share a friendly dance together, if you were comfortable with that.” It was really just an excuse to be able to hold her in a socially acceptable manner while also creating a moment he’d stupidly managed to throw away in the most careless way. “I have only gotten better.” Winking, he licked his lip, preparing to bring on an ‘adorable’ look to persuade her into a dance. “No guilt tripping you into it… yet."
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