Page 54 of Proof
“Have you spoken to your brother today?” Chi-Chi asked slyly.
“Yes. I was in the shop picking out a color and hardware for my dresser. I’m going to turn it into a sideboard for my dining room.” She waited for Chi-Chi to carry on the conversation.
“Did your brother mention anything to you?”
“About what?” Luna was trying to contain her glee.
“About the chat we had the other night?”
“I don’t follow you.” Luna was lying, but she didn’t want to betray her brother’s trust.
“Please. I am not a fool.”
“Okay. He said you had a talk, and it went well.”
“And you didn’t ask?” Chi-Chi gave her a suspicious look.
“Of course, I asked, but he was tight-lipped.”
Chi-Chi settled her back against the bench. “He told me he loved me.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, Chi-Chi.” Luna put her arm around her friend. “I am so glad he finally was able to tell you.”
“You knew about this?” Chi-Chi was taken aback.
“I knew how he felt about you. I also knew he wasn’t sure how to convey it. He’s not the overly expressive type. Just in case you hadn’t noticed.”
Chi-Chi chuckled. “Yes, he did seem a little uncomfortable.”
“Remember, I am his sister. I know what goes on inside that skull of his. I’ve never seen him this gaga over anyone before. Sure, he’s had girlfriends, but he was never head over heels about any of them. I was beginning to worry that he’d never meet anyone.”
“Probably as much as he worried about you before you met Chris.”
“True. But he’d never say it to me, either.” Luna laughed. “Ready for coffee?”
“Yes. And a scone, please.”
The two women walked arm in arm back to the café, where Luna prepared their morning coffees. “Why don’t you ring Ellie?”
A few minutes later, the three were gabbing about the news, music, and pondering why there weren’t any more good movies.
“Too much superhero, action, adventure. It’s dizzying,” Ellie stated.
They moved on to a new subject, and Luna proceeded to tell them about Chris’s promotion. “He’ll be doing some training, but most of his responsibilities will be paperwork. He called it being a glorified clerk.”
“Hardly,” Ellie scoffed.
“The good part is that he will be doing nine-to-five office work most of the time, so he’ll be able to have a better schedule for Carter. Chris has been juggling it for a long time. And, if things go the way he wants, he’ll have full custody of Carter.”
“Carter? Full custody? What happened?” Ellie asked.
“Lucinda and Bruce are moving to Chicago. He’s joining his uncle’s practice.”
“This seems sudden. Or did Chris know about it?” Ellie asked.
“He just found out last week. Apparently, they plan on moving in the fall. Chris said she hasn’t told Carter yet, so they’ve made a pact. Carter is going to spy on Lucinda and Bruce.” Luna cackled. “He told Carter he was filing for full custody, and Carter was more than happy to hear it.”
“Well, it appears you had a full weekend.” Ellie smiled.