Who is Robin? I love someone else.

My phone buzzed under my pillow, waking me. Slipping it out, I saw my mom's picture light up my screen. It was just after 8:30 and Bryson was still asleep on his half of the bed. Quietly getting up, I answered.
"Good morning mom." I shut the front door behind me.
"Good morning my dear. How are you?"
"I'm doing pretty good. You?"
"We're good. Mike and I are making one of our infamous basket brunches, would you and Bryce like to join?" I smiled at the memories.
"I think he's still sleeping right now, but we will gladly be there. Or me at least, I guess I don't know if he has plans." I pressed the phone to my face, sitting on the bench. When I heard my moms voice, I was got home sick. When I lived there, I hardly left home and when I did it was normally a family event, we were a close knit group.
"Good, well let me know. The twins are still  asleep." I giggled.
"Shocking." She hummed in agreement.
"Honey, are you helping or what?" I heard Mike call to my mom.
"I'll let you go so you and Mike can cook, I'll go bug Bryce until he's awake."
"Keep me posted, I love you."
"I love you too." Shortly after the line went dead.

When Mike and my mom got together their way of bridging the families was to make what we now call basket brunch on the weekends. Basically it was a large amount of food we would sit down and shovel in. Pancakes, sausage, toast, bacon, eggs, sandwiches, hash browns, sliced cheese and fruit. We would sit at the table for hours just eating and talking. Eventually, that became a staple in our house, especially when the twins were in sports.

Bryson was awake when I came back in the apartment.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"We are sleeping on a pull out couch, how much sleep can you really get?" He smiled, his hair had been raked through with his fingers, parts still sticking up.
"Right," I jumped on the bed ahead of him, careful to avoid the metal bars. "So my mom called. They are doing our family traditional basket brunch, care to come?"
"What's a basket brunch?"
"Yes or no?" He studied my face for a moment.
"Sure, so what is that?" Beaming, I stood up.
"You will have to see. Get dressed." I ruffled his hair to add to the annoyance and bounced into my room to get dressed.

Bryson drove like normal. At first we held a brief conversation, then the radio was the only sound. It was only a matter of time before he brought it up again and I couldn't wait.
"So, what's a basket brunch?"
"Okay, fine, I'll tell you."
"Finally."
"Well it's, we do this thing, okay so," I pretended to look for the right words. "Ah, I'll just show ya." Sighing with a smile, he smacked my arm.
"You are so annoying sometimes." He teased me.
"I know! How am I ever going to find someone to put up with my shit?" Bryson chuckled as he patted my shoulder, keeping one hand on the steering wheel.
"You're not as treacherous as you think you are. You see the bad in yourself, most people seem them as character flaws, but we also see the good in you too."
"That was deeper than anticipated." His laugh filler the car, drowning out the radio. I couldn't help but laugh too.

The drive to my moms went by quick, as always. The smell of breakfast seeped out the front door.
"That smells so good." Bryson was hot on my heels. Knocking only once on the door, it flew open. My mom stood on the other side with widely stretched arms.
"Hello you two." She grappled us both into one hug. We both hugged her back.
"Hi mom." My face was pressed into her shoulder.
"Nice to see you again, Sarah."

The table was already set when we walked in. The twins hovered around the dinning room like hawks.
"They aren't allowed in that room until you got here." Mike said as he gave me a side hug.
"I see that, so now they are stalking brunch?"
"You're funny Rene." Damion snapped. "I'm starving."
"Oh because I just stopped at get food on the way here you dingus?" Scott looked up at me and smiled before his attention turned back to the table.
"Alright, sit down and eat. You two are driving me nuts!" My mother released the hounds. The twins bolted to the table with Bryson quick to follow.
"Ah, men." I sat down between Bryson and my mom.

We passed plates around once the twins had stocked what the wanted. My mom snapped her fingers.
"Oh, Rene, guess who I saw yesterday."
"Who?"
"Robin Karny." We both rolled our eyes. "He was with that dumb blonde," my mom snapped her fingers agin trying to remember her name.
"Candace?"
"Ugh, yes. They are getting married next month." I fake gagged.
"I hope it rains on their wedding day."
"That means good luck kiddo." Mike piped in.
"Well, then I hope it hails." I chomped on a piece of bacon.
"Better." My mom kissed my temple. "Your life got better the second he left." The soreness of the past touched my heart.
"It didn't feel that way at first, but you're right."
"Uh, who's Raymond, and why are we shitting on his parade?"
"Robin," my mom reached across the table, putting the plate of sausages down. "is Rene's wonderful ex."
"We hate that guy," Scott added.
"Yeah, we hate that guy," Damion confirmed. My entire family hated him and for good reason. He didn't push further, just nodded and ate.

The rest of brunch went off without another comment of Robin. We talked about family memories which was really them trying to embarrass me. For a moment I forgot all of the truth and a fantasy scenario lived in my head.

Bryson and I offered to clean up the table since Mike and my mom cooked. The twins when outside to toss around a football. Mike watched tv in the living room and my mom went to shower.
"How come I never knew about Robin?" Bryson asked gently, stacking the dirty plates in the sink.
"As if I know about any of your ex girlfriends?" I scoffed.
"You know about Delilah."
"I was there." We stared in a stand off. "Why does it bother you?" I broke the silence.
"Well, we're best friends aren't we?"
"When have we ever talked about our love lives? I don't see the point in bringing up old peoples drama. I've made my peace with it." He stared at me, clearly this was not going to be dropped as easily as it was at the table. "The toxins were," I paused. "Deadly between us. I wasn't happy but I didn't know it. I was wrapped around his finger and believed him when he lied." Scooping the left over bacon and sausage into Tupperwares, I continued. "The blond would be the lovely girl he cheated on me with." A lull of silence fell between us as I rinsed the plates and put them in the dishwasher.
"I'm sorry." My eyes met his, they were heavy with compassion.
"You didn't make those choices, Robin did. I moved on." I shrugged. "Hey, I'm a secret agent and he's marrying a dumb blond, who's really winning here?" He smiled.
"You, it will always be you."

After starting the dishwasher, I flagged Bryson away and told him to go play with the twins. I finish the rest of the dishes by hand as the coffee maker hummed, brewing more. By the time my mom came back into the kitchen, everything was done and I was sipping coffee.
"That was fast."
"Bryce actually helps compared to the twins." She chuckled.
"I believe that, he's a good kid." I didn't know what to say so I turned my attention out the window. I took in his features. His hair lightened slightly with the recent sun exposure, he smiled wide showing his dimple. It was hard to remember a time before him in my life, he seemed to always be there.
"I'm in love with him." I admit, watching them out the window. Now I see why my mom used to watch us from here so much. It was like putting a picture frame on a memory in the making.
"With Bryce?" I nodded.
"Foreston rule, an agent cannot date another agent. Too messy." I reminded her of my tragedy.
"Does he make you happy?" She joined me in looking out the window.
"Yeah."
"Do you want to be around him all the time?"
"99 percent." I smiled a little.
"Is he the first person that comes to mind? Like when you wake up, dream, when something good happens and when something bad happens?"
"Yes to all of it. He's been there through it all. We are as close as I think we could get without crossing that line." I set my mug down. "I'm afraid he's the one." I whispered. My moms arm snaked around me.
"I don't know how to help you in this situation." I leaned into her. She could have told me to leave Forestons or voiced her opinions on their rules, but she didn't. That was big for her. She was being the person I needed right now and I'm so grateful for her.

Finishing my coffee, I joined the three of them outside.
"We thought you were going to drink coffee until you shit yourself." Damion greeted me.
"Nope, mom doesn't have enough for that." They all looked at me. "So what are the three musketeers doing?"
"Did you just say Sarah doesn't have enough coffee to make you shit yourself?" Damion looked at me in disgust.
"You underestimate how much coffee I drink in a day."
"I'm curious." Scott stared at Damion as he requested more information.
"She drinks a lot. At least a pot of coffee a day." Bryson told them. The twins eyes grew to the size of saucers.
"Gross." Damion stuck out his tongue like a child. The twins were not coffee fans. My mom and Mike finished a small pot between the two of them.

My love of coffee came from my dads mom. Her house always smelled of coffee because she always had coffee either brewing or freshly brewed. I wish I could sit down and have a cup of coffee with her now as an adult, I missed her. Rumor has it my dad was a big coffee drinker himself.

We played touch foot ball in the front yard for hours until the scores were too high to remember. The sun started to set which means it was time to leave soon. My heart sank with the sun. The twins put away the ball in the garage before going inside. Bryson and I slowly made our way to the door.
"I don't want to leave." Slightly, I pouted.
"I know." He laid his arm on my shoulder. "But work awaits us tomorrow." I stopped in my tracts. "What?"
"Tomorrow is Monday."
"Yes?" He stared at me. Everything clicked into place.
"Hazels getting married tomorrow. Oh my god, I need a dress and you need a tux!" I rushed for the door.
"Who gets married on a Monday?"
"Hazel does." The queen of attention herself.

My boots clunked on the wood floor as I booked it for my room. Hardly anything from me was left here. I left some formal dresses purely to save space and energy.
"Rene are you okay?" My mom asked as I viciously searched through my old closet.
"I need a dress."  Sighing, I stepped back.
"For what and by when?"
"A wedding and tomorrow." I raked my fingers through my hair.
"Who gets married on a Monday?" Asked my mom.
"Thank you." Bryson piped in. My eyes flicked at him to glare. He could wear his tux from the party we had to be fake married at. That dress was not wedding approved.
"Dare I even ask," I looked at my mom feelings defeated. "Do you have any formal dresses?"
"No, I wear pant suits." Shocking.

Pacing the front yard, I called Joe.
"Cute note." He answered. Briefly, I smiled.
"So, Hazels wedding is tomorrow. I don't have a dress." There was a moment of silence. I checked my screen to make sure he was still there.
"Oh shit, it is. Okay, I think I have a dress, hold on." There was clanging and rustling coming from his end of the phone. "Oh shit, I don't." My gaze landed on Bryson car. I read his license plate, his home town switching on a light.
"Hold on, I might have an idea." I flung the front door open.
"Girl, I love you, but there is no way you own anything to wear to a wedding." I laughed.
"No, definitely not me." Bryson was in the living room with Mike and the twins.
"Does your mom have a dress I can borrow?" He shrugged.
"Probably. She does own a lot of dresses. I can call her." I waived my hand.
"I'll call her," I pressed my phone back to my ear. "Joe, I will call you back."

Back on the front yard, I laid down before I called Kim.
"Hello Rene."
"Hi Kim, it's nice to hear your voice." I smiled. She felt like home too.
"It's lovely to hear yours. I'm glad you called."
"Me too." I almost forgot my panic. "Oh, as for my call. I need a favor, do you own a dress I can borrow? We have a wedding to go to tomorrow and I don't have a dress."
"Who plans a wedding on a Monday?" I laughed.
"You know, I feel like I'm the only person who doesn't question it." She giggled.
"Well, I do have some dresses. I don't know if you'll like any of them." I sat up.
"Oh I just need it for a little while, I don't mind the look."
"Well, then I have plenty for you."
"Oh my gosh, thank you." I grinned, falling back on the grass. "We are at my moms right now, we are about two hours away from you, is that okay?" I pulled my phone away from my ear to glance at the time. 6:38
"Oh of course. You two have to stay the night. I don't want you out driving late." I smiled at her concern. The thought of spending time with skim sounded nice too.
"Okay, we can do that. Let me go pry your son from the clutches of my brothers and we will be on our way."
"Great, you know where to find me."
"We do."