Chapter 27: Soufflé

- Taylor's POV -

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The next few days were a blur of finals. Studying took up most of my time, and the rest was spent on helping Mom and her lawyer file a divorce petition. Mac--I stopped calling him “Dad”--had moved out, though begrudgingly. The night he hit Mom, he came back and begged her not to go through with a divorce. Had they been alone, she might have conceded. But I was there. I did my best to provide her with support, and she held her own against him. The next day, he started to pack his things. 

 Emilie was too young to understand, and she barely seemed to notice when Mac was gone. The twins were a different matter. 

I took them out to ice cream like I’d promised--and forgotten--so long ago. Isaac got mint chocolate chip, while Elijah preferred plain vanilla. They aren’t identical twins in everything, I thought in amusement. Personally, I liked sorbet best. 

“So boys,” I said after a while, licking my sorbet, “remember a couple nights ago when Mom said she was going to get a divorce with M--with Dad?”

“Yup,” Isaac said. He slurped a drip off the side of his cone. 

“Well, it’s happening.” I watched the boys carefully. “I know that one of you said you understood what it meant, but I want to make sure you actually do.”

“I can explain it!” Elijah said eagerly. “Divorce is when a mom and dad don’t love each other any more, so they move out, and then the kids switch houses sometimes, because the kids still love both of them.”

“Kind of like when we’re fighting, and Mom tells us to go to different rooms,” Isaac added helpfully. “Because it’s easier to just stay away from each other when you can’t get along.”

I blinked. “Right. Well, that’s going to happen in our house. Only, unless big things change with Dad’s attitude, you won’t have to stay with him at all.”

“Okay,” they chorused.

And that was that. 

It made me sad, how easily they understood. Parents should love each other. They should love their kids. No one should have to go through something like this. Emilie shouldn’t have to grow up without a dad. And yet these things still happen. I sighed. Sometimes I wish the world wasn’t so unfair. 

Abruptly, a wave of happiness that wasn’t mine overcame me. I raised my eyebrows. Brandon again?

“What’s good in your world?” I texted him.

“You’ll laugh,” he replied. 

“Promise I won’t.”

“I just made a souffle and it didn’t collapse.”

I snickered. “Okay, maybe I laughed a little bit.”

“What’s so funny, Taylor?” Isaac asked. He wiggled his eyebrows. “Do you have a new boyfriend?”

“Who says I had an old one?” I questioned, returning the gesture. 

“You said ‘Henry and I broke up’ on That Night,” Elijah said matter-of-factly. He didn’t need to clarify what night he meant. 

“Okay, you got me.” I raised my hands in mock surrender. “You guys really are too smart to be only almost eight years old.” The pair sat up straight proudly. “No, I’m not texting my boyfriend. He’s just a friend.”

Isaac nodded wisely at Elijah. “That’s the first step,” he said solemnly. 

“Yup,” Elijah responded. “That’s what they all say.”

“Oh, shut up!” I scolded with a smile. 

When we got home, I took a shower and collapsed on my bed. It felt good to have nothing to do. Well, mostly, I thought. I could be doing something productive. But not having school really is a relief.

My phone rang. It was Brandon. “Hey,” I said, grinning. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” he answered. “Just thought I’d check in on you.”

“Aw, that’s nice of you. I’m doing fine. Life is busy. I finished school, my dad moved out, and the divorce process has started. So big things. How about you?”

“I’m alright. I haven’t had a bad day in a couple of days, which you already know.” I had noticed an absence of severe sadness from him, although the occasional small instance wasn’t uncommon. 

“That’s good. I’m glad,” I said, and I meant it.

“Me too.” I heard his smile through the phone. “Hey, so I have all this souffle and there’s only one of me. Mind if I bring it over and you and your family can share it?”

“We’d love that. And I’d enjoy seeing you again too.” It was true; Jamie and I had promised to get together over the summer, but I hadn’t seen Brandon since That Night. I found myself missing him. A little. I told him our address and he promised to be over in half an hour.

When I alerted Mom of his visit, she raised her eyebrows. “I’ve never heard you mention him. Have you gotten over Henry so soon?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I assured her. “I met him at work. He comes in the morning during my shift, and we…discovered we have some things in common. We’ve been texting some. But I don’t think I’d date him, especially not so soon after my disaster with Henry. I doubt I’ll ever trust a male human being again.”

Mom nodded knowingly. “I understand, hon. It’s good to have guy friends who are just friends.”

“Yeah.” I smiled at her. “Thanks for understanding.”

“Of course,” she said, giving me a hug. “Can you help me tidy up the kitchen real quick? I don’t want the house to look a wreck with Brandon over.”

Not too much time had passed before the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!” one of the twins yelled from down the hall. 

“No, wait!” I called, but it was too late--he was already thumping toward the door. 

“Hey!” I heard Brandon say. “Is this the Manning house?”

“Yes,” said the twin. “What do you want?”

“I brought you a--”

Whoever had answered the door abruptly shut it. “Mom, it’s another person trying to sell us something!” he hollered. I grimaced. 

“Thank you, honey!” Mom called back. I heard Emilie’s voice from her room; she must have woken up from her nap.

“I’ve got this, you can go get Emilie up.” I jogged to the door and opened it, Isaac beside me. 

“Why are you doing that, he’s just trying to sell us--”

“Hey Brandon,” I interrupted with an apologetic grin. “This is Isaac. He thought you were a solicitor.”

Brandon, standing on our front porch with a covered souffle in his hands, laughed. “Hey, at least he knows what to do in every situation. Don’t talk to strangers,” he told Isaac, “especially if they show up and promise you dessert.”

“I know,” the twin said proudly.

“Isaac and Elijah,”--who had come down to see what all the commotion was about--“this is Brandon,” I introduced. “Brandon, these are my little brothers. And Emilie will be around shortly. Why don’t you come on in?”

I ushered him inside and all of us sat down at the kitchen table. Mom brought Emilie out, and she surprised us all by reaching out to Brandon as soon as she saw him. She spent the rest of our time curled up on his lap. He was a natural, engaging the twins and Mom while cuddling little Emilie. I found myself wanting to take socializing lessons from him--he knew all the right questions to ask. I felt awkward around him, but only a little. 

We laughed. We listened to his stories and told some of our own, although none were as interesting as his. All of us enjoyed the souffle and each other’s company.

It almost felt like I had a normal family.

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<3