𝐔𝐍𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 | 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐘 "𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑" 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐖

𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓

✈︎𝐑 𝐄 𝐁 𝐄 𝐂 𝐂 𝐀

The next morning, I woke up feeling unusually cheerful. The events of the previous night played through my mind like a movie as I got ready for the day. By the time I reached the kitchen for breakfast, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

My mom was already there, flipping pancakes, and my younger sister Amelia was at the table, scrolling through her phone. As soon as I sat down, Amelia looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, someone's in a good mood this morning," she teased, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

I tried to play it cool, but the blush creeping up my cheeks gave me away. "Just had a fun night with the team, that's all."

Mom turned from the stove, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Oh? And what kind of fun are we talking about?"

"Mini golf," I said, grabbing a pancake and smothering it with syrup. "We all needed to blow off some steam and turns out my suggestion was the perfect solution."

"Must have been some mini golf game," Amelia said, not letting up. "You've got that dreamy look in your eyes." She cocks her head at me. Here comes the mockery. "Tell me gremlin, who has you so smitten?"

I rolled my eyes, but my smile remained. "Nobody. He's just a friend from work." I give her warning eyes since I still haven't told mom about Bradley.

"Who didn't have the decency to drop you off at your car?" Mom remarks making Amelia gasp.

"The plot thickens." She says making me roll my eyes.

Mom sits a plate of pancakes in front of me and sits down, her expression knowing. "I'm just teasing. It's good to see you so happy, Becca. But if there's something—or someone—making you smile like that, you know you can tell us."

I hesitated for a moment, considering how much to share. "It's just... I guess I'm starting to feel more connected with the team."

"You mean, Bradley?" Amelia pipes up making my gaze snap to her.

"Mia!" I hiss.

Mom sits down her silverware and turns to face me, "Bradley? You haven't mentioned him before."

"He's no one mom." I say making her narrow her eyes at me. "I— Well he's someone. But—"

A car horn from outside honks making my heart drop to my toes. Amelia and Mom exchange a look before looking back at me. I hold up a disciplinary finger. "No—" They are up and out of their seats before I can finish what I was going to say. I chase them to the front door but they reach the window before I do. Amelia opens the door and yells, "Hey Bradley!" She waves aggressively making me slide onto the floor.

This is not happening right now.

Bradley stepped out of his car, looking momentarily confused before spotting Amelia waving at him. He smiled and waved back, but his eyes quickly found mine through the open door. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I sat on the floor, trying to disappear.

Mom, standing next to Amelia, leaned closer to the window. "So, this is Bradley?" she asked, her tone light but probing.

Amelia nodded. "Yep, that's him." She narrows her eyes at him. "Hmm. I don't like the looks of him."

I groaned inwardly, getting up and trying to compose myself. "Alright, that's enough, both of you," I said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably. I wave to Bradley before shutting the door.

Mom turned to me, her expression shifting to one of curiosity. "Why are you acting so weird about him? Is he in a gang or something?"

"No! It's just..." I sigh inwardly as I come to terms with it. "Mom. He's a Bradshaw."

"Bradshaw?" she asked slowly, and I could see the wheels turning in her mind. "As in Nick Bradshaw's son?"

I hesitated, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. "Yes, that's him."

She peers through the blinds, a look of shock and recognition washed over her face. "Gah he looks just like Goose." Her voice was almost a whisper, the memories clearly flooding back. I nodded, watching her reaction carefully.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, she sighed deeply and looked at me with a mix of concern and something else—perhaps nostalgia or sadness. "Does he know about you and your dad?"

I looked away, feeling a lump form in my throat. "No, not yet."

Mom's eyes widened, and her voice took on a worried edge. "Becca, you need to tell him. If things get serious with this boy then he has a right to know."

"I know, Mom," I said softly, feeling the weight of her words. "I just... I don't want to complicate things right now. We're getting to know each other, and it's been really good."

Mom reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently. "I understand, honey. But the longer you wait, the harder it's going to be. He needs to know the truth."

I nodded, feeling torn. "I promise, I'll tell him. Just... not today. Please."

She sighed but nodded, giving me a sympathetic look. "Alright. But don't wait too long, okay?"

"I won't," I assured her, trying to muster a smile. "Thanks, Mom."

Bradley honked the horn again, and I knew it was time to go. Amelia gave me a sly smile. "Go get him, tiger."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but smile. I hurried out the door, waving at Bradley as I approached the car.

"Morning," he said, his smile genuine and warm.

"Morning," I replied, getting into the car.

"Sorry I honked Mrs. B!" Bradley yells and I glanced back at the house, seeing Mom and Amelia still watching us from the window. They quickly ducked down making me laugh.

"Does that mean apology accepted?" He cocks his head at me. I nod, laughing. "Good to know." He then shuts my door and climbs in on his side.

I took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions but mostly relief.

"Everything okay?" Bradley asked, glancing over at me.

I nodded. "Yeah, just had to navigate the minefield of family curiosity."

He winced slightly but nodded. "Yikes. How did that go?"

"Better than I expected," I admitted, though a knot of anxiety remained in my stomach. "Mia has mixed feelings about you." I force a laugh.

Bradley reached over and squeezed my hand. "Maybe I can change her mind." I look to him and give him a hopeful look. "Do you think I could come over tonight?"

"And do what?" I inquired.

He shrugs, "I don't know. Maybe we could watch something. You said you like sitcoms right?" I nod. "Let's try that then. It could be fun."

I smiled, feeling a surge of affection for him. "A man that's willing to watch sitcoms. My heart can barely take it."