How to Calmly Watch Your Husband and Sister Rekindle an Old Love – 101
As soon as she stepped out of the kitchen, Amber Ann was grabbed up by her middle brother. She squealed in excitement and joy.
"Samuel, put me down!"
He kissed her hard on her forehead. "You say no, but that smile is screaming yes." His smile dropped as his eyes darted toward the back parlor. "Are you staying for dinner, Am?"
She smiled knowingly and looped her arm around his.
"Nope. I forgot I had already promised Cristina to help her with a big order. I can only say hello, and then I have to go." She got on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "Your favorite cake is in the kitchen."
He smiled broadly. "Paul! Am is here."
Amber Ann's eyes went wide as the rest of her siblings—except for Jessica—came to attack her with love. As each hugged and kissed her, they all looked pointedly toward the back parlor.
Her chest tightened. She continued taking deep breaths. Even though she had decided on the course, and even took steps to initiate things, she had hoped Jessica would not step in and claim him. Her siblings' nervousness was telling her that Jessica not only made a claim, she was doing so blatantly.
As soon as she came to the realization, Jessica's tinkling laughter drifted down the hall like a Mack Truck barreling down a wide highway.
Her younger sister, Virginia, rolled her eyes. "She always pretends to be so perfect." She sighed. "Both of you erred in this, but you got the ring." Her eyes flicked down to Amber Ann's finger, and went wide when she registered that the ring was not there. She looked up at her sister, a question deep in her eyes.
Paul and Damon Jr. saw the look in Virginia's eyes and looked down at the ring-less finger. There was silence in the hall as the siblings processed this bit of data. Jessica's laughter flitted down the hall again. Amber Ann breathed deeply and put an arm around Virginia, drawing her in close.
"Let me go say hello to Mom, Dad, and Jessica. And you be nice."
"I can't make any promises."
Amber Ann laughed, but her guts were twisting into knots, sweat rolled down her spine, and her hands were slightly shaking.
They all entered together. Amber Ann left her siblings at the entrance and moved to her parents—the vision of Jessica practically sitting on Dan's lap etched in her brain. She maintained her composure, but she knew that she would need to leave quickly.
The fire in her eye sockets intensified, and the pain in her chest ached like her heart was about to burst.
"Father, Mother. How are you both?"
Damon Lance Sr.'s eyes flicked to Jessica and Dan, but his wife, Angelica, kept her eyes and her smile on her middle daughter.
"You are early, Amber! Good. I need to speak to you about a fundraiser for the hospital."
"Not tonight, Angelica. Not tonight." Amber almost sighed in relief when her father saved her. "Did you bring my lemon pound cake, princess?" her father's eyebrows flicked up playfully even as Jessica laughed loudly.
Amber involuntarily flinched, and her dad gave her a "thank you" hug to hide it.
"Thank you, princess. No one touch the lemon pound cake—Amber made it specially for me."
There were giggles, and Damon Lance Sr. pulled back from his favorite daughter and looked at her. He wanted to be sure that she was okay. She smiled at him weakly, but genuinely.
She spun and looked at her husband, a glass of wine to his lips, and his eyes pasted to a far wall. Her eyes moved to Jessica and the smug smile on her face.
Amber wanted to lift. Dan never knew it—Amber Ann did—but Jessica was never interested in him until Amber Ann lost the baby.
She pushed the thoughts from her mind and smiled at Jessica.
"Jessica! It is so good to see you. You did an awesome job in Houston and abroad." She bent down to hug her sister, but as she bent closer, Jessica spanked her away—until Damon Sr. cleared his throat and Jessica allowed Amber to lightly brush her cheek.
That was it. She couldn't take any more. It was time to leave. She straightened and looked to her father.
"Sorry everyone. I can't stay. I forgot I had promised to help Cristina with a huge order."
She looked to Jessica and handed her house key ring to her.
"Mom asked us to host you this time. Take my keys for now." There were several gasps, but Jessica smiled broadly and super sweetly took the keys.
When Amber looked back to her father, he was throwing angry glances at her mother. Angelica Lance simply smiled serenely.
Before she made it out the door, Jessica had giggled twice more. She rolled her eyes hard as she climbed into her SUV, and the hot tears finally rolled down her cheeks as she started the ignition.
Dan looked at his wife as soon as she had entered the room. The Lance daughters were all beautiful, and Amber Ann was no exception—but he had the most beautiful Lance daughter beside him, and she only had eyes for him tonight.
When he had entered—a surprise to everyone—Jessica had come and grabbed him at the entrance and pulled him to the most comfortable plush sofa in the parlor. She had not left his side since.
But seeing Amber Ann, a sense of security and stability in his life for over five years now, stirred something he didn't know was inside.
She truly was a beautiful, strong woman. He could see the pain she was in, and yet she smiled and endured. When she gave Jessica her personal keys, his heart actually twisted.
Had he misunderstood things the entire time, or had he fallen in love with the one he considered his second choice?