Chapter 4

When evening fell, Adonis' friends slowly started leaving. Until, as usual, he was the only one left in his empty house. Taking a deep breath, he decided to freshen up and call it a night. It was a bit earlier than his usual bedtime, but he felt the need to escape to sleep. Especially because a lot of thoughts were constantly running unsupervised in his head, and he just wanted to put an end to those disturbing races. When the day began, he had promised himself that he would take a bit of time to work on the completion of his drafts. In order to have them ready for their pitch on Tuesday. But now,he decided that it was something that could be done in the morning. And as a result, he ended up turning in early.

When morning came, a phone call woke him from his slumber.

"Alicia," he breathed into the phone. Relieved that it was his little and only sister. Not one of his many conquests, deciding to be spontaneous by showing up to his doorstep uninvited this early in the morning.

"Brother dearest," Alicia said excitedly. "I take it it's still a bit too early for you?" She checked.

Adonis blinked a few times, trying to clear the sleepiness fog in his eyes in order to see what time it was on the nightstand clock.

It was only 06:00 a.m.

"Not really," he began. "I was just about to wake up myself." He didn't add that he had been about to do so, in about an hour or even later. Instead, just led her into believing that her phone call hadn't just pulled him out of a very deep slumber.

"Good,good." Alicia said. "Because I have something big to celebrate, so I was thinking we could do tacos sometime today?"

His sister is the one person who's always known how to push his buttons. The one person he would easily go to the ends of the world for. Even though one of their parents; his mother was still alive, he actually considered Alicia to be his only family. Or at least, the only member that mattered to him.

"I would have loved to..." Adonis began.

"But?" She cut him off mid sentence when she sensed the excuse that was attached to his opening line.

"I've got tonnes of work to do before the week begins," apparently his arm couldn't be twisted today. "I'm trying to get my hands on one of the biggest contracts being offered to my firm this year." He explained, jumping out of bed. So that he could head to the kitchen, in order to fix himself a mug of coffee.

"Oh, come on. Can't you spare a little time for your little sister?" Alicia asked in a small voice. "We haven't hung out in forever," her persuasion continued.

"Okay,fine." Adonis gave in. Like Alicia had probably predicted. "We can go to that stall just by the park,"

"Thank you,thank you,thank you." She excitedly said.

"I'm not staying long though," he said. His sister was twenty five years old, four years younger than him but he still dotted on her like when she was just a toddler. He was still protective of her. And he still tried to make time for catching up with her whenever he had a gap in his calendar.

"I can live with that," she said sweetly. Obviously proud of herself for managing to talk him into playing along with her plans.

"Good,"he said. "I'll see you at eleven then."

"No problem" she responded then hung up.

After brewing some coffee, he threw himself onto the couch. While waiting for it to cool down a bit, he found his mind wandering back to his childhood days. Where he had taught Alicia everything there was to know about riding a bicycle, down their family home driveway. He remembered how loud she had screamed, when she scraped her knees after falling off it for the very first time. The whole week that followed,she refused to hop onto the thing. Until she saw him and his three friends riding theirs, and racing down the street. He smiled to himself when he remembered that seeing the group of competitive friends, was the only thing that resulted in her sister's bravery.

He found himself recalling a bad memory too. One that took him back to the sounds of yelling, to one of the many nights of verbal exchanges between his parents. What was it exactly that Morrison had expected him to find in the stack of memories from his childhood? He asked himself as he began drinking his coffee. What was it exactly that the old woman thought he was trying to avoid from his childhood? He asked himself defensively. Then after that, pushed up a strong barrier between himself and those intrusive thoughts. Because he felt like, his upcoming session just tomorrow- was the only place he would do this unpleasant digging into his past. Not in his house. Not where he led himself into believing that he was taking a much deserved break, from everything that came with entertaining the outside world.

He sighed deeply. And took a few gulps of the coffee,that had already spread its aroma all around the living room. From there he moved to the large dining table, and unrolled his plans there. To see how much progress he had made, and how far he was yet to go.

"You're going to be one happy man,Chad Connell." He muttered to himself as he studied the sketches. Taking his drafting material, he continued where he had left off yesterday morning. And by the time he dragged himself away from work; to freshen up for his meeting with Alicia, he felt pretty proud and confident because of how positively things were coming along. Even though he knew that the rest of his team had never failed him before, he still wondered and worried about whether they'd be able to pull through again. Because projects of this magnitude always made him skeptical.

He quickly showered, grabbed a pair of denim shorts and a grey t-shirt to wear.

And then he was out of the door. He knew his sister to be someone who was very big on punctuality. And the last thing he needed was her, giving him hell just for being five minutes late.

The park was just fifteen minutes away from the neighborhood that he lived in. And to incorporate a bit of exercise into his day, he decided to walk there instead of taking the car. Adonis wasn't an obsessive health and fitness enthusiast. But every once in a while, he reminded himself to do something that will be sure to put a plus on his health. Like making time for working out, every time something heavy weighed on him.

"I was starting to think that you weren't going to show," Alicia said standing from the park bench she had been sitting on.

"I'm just," Adonis checked his wristwatch. "Two minutes late." He frowned.

"A hundred and twenty seconds is a lot of time," his sister crossed her arms.

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow, then teased. "Do you think it would perhaps be enough time for me to turn around and walk back? Because I know when I'm not wanted."

"Unfortunately not enough for that," she chuckled. "But it's so good to see you." She ran into his open arms for a hug.

"Likewise,"he said. "Shall we get the good stuff?" He began walking in the direction of the taco stand. "I'm famished."

"Aren't you always," Alicia teased.

"Ah," Adonis said amusedly. "I see you've got jokes now."

"I've always had jokes," she retorted.

"So, where's the new car?" He looked around. Then allowed his eyes to wander to the far end of the park, where a number of cars sat temporarily abandoned by their owners in the parking area. His first guess to what she had invited him to celebrate was a car, because he knew that his little sister loved her wheels. Which is probably something she had gotten from growing up around him and his bunch of friends.

"What new car?" Alicia studied his face.

"You're walking around like you have just discovered gravity, so I'm guessing that it can only mean that you have gotten yourself some shiny wheels somewhere around here." Adonis explained.

"Nope." Finally getting it, she shook her head with a grin. "Try again."

"We're celebrating a promotion then?" He made another guess.

"You can't promote the best," she shrugged with a smug smile.

"Right,right." He chuckled. "Uh, I give up then. So you're going to have to just spit it out."

"Have you ever been hit with a rock before?" She asked. "Like,by a shiny, sparkling and blinding rock?"

When she saw him frowning, she extended her hand towards him. And on her ring finger sat a giant sparkling diamond.

"Whoa!" Adonis exclaimed and stopped in his tracks when he saw the engagement ring.

"Whoa, indeed." Alicia laughed. "And, you're going to be an uncle." She informed, gentle rubbing her far from showing belly.

"Congratulations missy," he gave her a one armed hug.

"Why, thank you, brother." She smiled.

When they got to the stall,they bought their tacos. And then resumed their light stroll.

"So, tell me..." He began.

"Uh huh?"

"What came first?" He asked. He didn't know Alicia's fiancé well. In fact, the only thing he knew about him was what she had shared with him from time to time. They had never really met before. This question was his way of learning what kind of man he was, and if he was even good enough for his little sister.

"I knew you'd ask me that," she took a hearty bite.

"Am I that predictable?" He searched her eyes.

"Probably not. But I'm really just that good at reading people, so you brother of mine are no mystery to me." She said. "And to answer your question, the proposal came first. We only found out that we are only expecting a few days later."

"Workings of the stars,huh?" He teased.

"Oh yeah, they have definitely aligned." She said and they both laughed.

Taking on a serious tone, Adonis said, "I can't believe you've grown so much."

"Don't go sappy on me," she elbowed him.

"Trust me," he laughed. "That isn't my intention at all. It's just that the idea of you getting hitched is a big deal to me."

"Why?" She frowned.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "You're my little sister, I watched you grow in front of my eyes. And now you're getting married. As if that isn't enough to make me choke, boom, you're having a baby too." He said.

"You're worried?" She gave him a sidelong glance.

"Of course, I'm worried." He didn't even know how worried he was, until he admitted in that moment. "I've never met the guy, so I don't even know if he's good enough for you."

"Oh,trust me. He is," Alicia said dreamily.

"I'm being serious Alicia," his tone had gotten a bit stern. Like that of a worried parent, when they thought they weren't being taken seriously enough.

"Geez,okay,relax." She said before suggesting, "how about you meet him then, like for dinner sometime this week. I'll cook and everything. What do you say?"

"I'll check my..." Even though he wanted to grill the guy to see if he was the right fit for her, there was also a big part of him that didn't want to get involved. And that part was what was leading him to slowly backing out right now.

"No excuses," Alicia said. "Meet him, it's the only way you'll be able to get peace of mind."

"Fine, I'll show up." He told her begrudgingly. Because he knew that she was right about the peace of mind part of the equation.

"It's settled then," she excitedly said.

"For now," Adonis breathed.

At the next park bench,they sat down. Each one of them enraptured by their own thoughts.

"Did you tell her the news yet?" Adonis asked,referring to their mother.

"Of course, I did." Alicia said.

"I see," he muttered absentmindedly.

"She's our mother Don," her usual opening to every discussion that they have about their mother,began.

"If you say so," he was still miles away.

"No, seriously. You and her need to bury the hatchet at some point." She said matter of factly. "Because I don't want this wedding happening or even this baby being born in such a toxic environment."

"It won't be toxic. If she's coming to the wedding, I won't show up." He told her decisively. "That way, there won't be any toxic environment to worry about."

"I want both of you there,"she teared up a bit. "You know you're my only family. I want both of you in my life, and in the baby's."

"I'm sorry Alicia," he softly said. "Some things are just hard to forget. Let alone forgive."