Beautiful Mistake

Isabelle was impatiently waiting for her sister to come back with Cayden. Ever since Lacey had let out that relieved sigh at the doctor’s office, Isabelle had been left wondering why she was relieved the father was Brent and not Kris.

Was there something Isabelle was missing? Did Lacey know something she did not? Did Lacey like Kris as more than a friend? Or perhaps Lacey just thought Brent would make the better father?

Lacey had known both Kris and Brent almost as long as Isabelle had known them, but never in the entire time Lacey had known the two of them did Isabelle get the impression Lacey had a crush on one or both of them. Lacey had always looked at them like they were her brothers more than a potential love interest.

Isabelle could smell the cheesy lasagna cooking in the oven and she knew it was almost done. Lasagna was one of Brent’s favorite meals and she knew by making it tonight might help make everything a little more peaceful.

The rolls were almost ready, the salad was done, and the table was set. All Lacey and Audrey were waiting on were the guests.

She crossed her arms across her chest, before quickly uncrossing them. Her legs bounced up and down as she tried to focus on the plans for the evening. She could hear Audrey speaking to her about work but she was far too distracted to take in what she was saying. Audrey’s mouth was moving and sound was coming out, but all Isabelle could do was occasionally nod her head in agreement.

Not a minute later she heard the front door knob turn open, the sounds of a hyper Cayden and a worn out Lacey filling the medium sized apartment.

“Mommy!” Cayden called out upon not spotting his mother upon entering their apartment. His little tennis shoe-clad feet lightly stomped against the short-carpeted floor as he headed further into their home.

“In here,” Isabelle called out from the kitchen, where her and Audrey still sat at the kitchen table. Audrey had stopped talking, instead waiting patiently for the newly arrivals to come into the room.

Within a few, short seconds Cayden made his way into the warm kitchen. He ran over to his mother, wrapping his short, thin arms around his mother hugging her tightly.

Isabelle smiled at her son. “Did you have fun with your Aunt Lacey?” she questioned, stroking his hair affectionately.

Eagerly he nodded his head before rambling on about his day at the park. “I went done the slide like fifty times and swang on the swings and did the monkey bars and did the slide some more and…”

When Lacey entered the room just a few minutes later, Isabelle quietly excused herself and Lacey into the other room.

“What’s up, ma soeur?” Lacey questioned, plopping down on the leather couch in the family room. She smiled up at her sister and sighed, still trying to catch her breath from spending a few hours keeping up with Cayden.

“You have some explaining to do,” Isabelle insisted, pointing her finger at Lacey, her almond eyes narrowed as she stood over her.

Lacey rolled her own eyes at Isabelle’s behavior. “Pourquoi, ma soeur?” she spoke perfectly calmly.

“I saw you! I heard you!” Isabelle accused, still pointing her finger at her baby sister.

Lacey fought back rolling her eyes again. “Saw me et heard me ce qui exactement?” She rubbed her right eye gently, not quite sure what her sister was getting at.

“I heard you sigh!”

“Oui, so?” Lacey spoke back.

“When the doctor said Brent was the father you let out a relieved sigh! You were relieved! Why were you relieved it was Brent?” she rambled slightly on, looking down at her sister.

“Parce que j’ai voudrais Kris all to myself,” Lacey spoke, evenly.

Isabelle’s eyes widened largely as she stared at Lacey and her jaw dropped, causing her mouth to fall open and gapping slightly likely a fish. What? Really?

“That was sarcasm, ma soeur,” Lacey spoke, seriously, no longer able to resist rolling her eyes. “I do not have feelings for Kris for the record,” she added on. “And I have never had feelings for him.”

“Then why were you so relieved?” Isabelle further questioned, taking a seat on the couch next to her sister.

Lacey turned on the couch so she was fully facing Isabelle. “Because I was glad that Brent was le père,” she answered, simply.

Isabelle still felt confused. Why exactly was she glad Brent was Cayden’s dad? She felt almost like the two of them were going in circles, going back and forth without really going anywhere.

“Because he would make a better father?” Isabelle questioned Lacey further.

Lacey started to shake her head back and forth then stopped. “Well that’s not it. Both of them would make wonderful pères,” she insisted. “Though I do think Brent would be able to step it up and be un bon père to Cayden un peu plus rapidement than Kris would.”

Isabelle ran a hand through her red hair, wishing Lacey would simply get to her point. “Why then?” she prompted after a momentary pause.

“Parce que you still have feelings for him,” she began, causing Isabelle’s mouth to once again drop open. Lacey held up her hand to signal to her sister to remain quiet. “Et,” Lacey continued, “you have had feelings for him since long before the two of you slept together.”

Isabelle knew instantly that Lacey was partlycorrect. But only partly.

“I won’t deny that I once had feelings for him.” The words slipped out of Isabelle’s mouth quickly and quietly and she could barely believe she had said it. “But,” she pressed forward, “that was a long time ago. The two of us have both changed a lot; we aren’t the same people we once were. I no longer have feelings for him.”

It was safe to say Lacey knew her sister better than anyone, including Isabelle herself, and she very well knew Isabelle still had feelings for Brent, even if Isabelle did not realize that herself.

Lacey opened her mouth to protest her sister, but stopped when she felt her phone go off in her pocket, the light vibrations sending chills up her spine. As she pulled out the cell phone, she could not help but break out into a smile when she saw the name in bold letters on the screen.

Jonathan Toews.