The beginning of the new year was the start of many new things. Cassie, the twins and Snowflake had all fully moved into Felix’s house, each adding their own form of personal touch to the place. The changes that came with all of them living together could be seen in the house and in their lives. Felix had had the closet in the mastered bedroom remodeled so that Cassie’s clothes would fit into it. The twins’ room that had once been blandly colored and sparsely decorated during their first nights there, had been transformed into an age appropriate setting, bursting with colors and toys for Aaron and Lily, complete with an enormous dog bed to accommodate Snowflake who had grown to the size of a baby pony and according to the vet, wasn’t even up to her full stature as a Tibetan Mastiff. To cater for the number of people that were now residing with him, Felix had gotten a car large enough to accommodate all of them at once comfortably. Eliza had harassed him about how whipped he was once she had seen the car as it had stuck out oddly in his garage among the sea of sport cars and convertibles.
At the office, Felix had started working shorter hours but found that his efficiency had greatly improved. He could get a lot more done when his mother wasn’t breathing down his neck and when he knew that he had people waiting for him at home. Luther’s old office had been sensibly remodeled so that Cassie could use it after they had both found out that being in the ‘honeymoon’ phase of their relationship, they couldn’t get much work done if they were locked in the same space for most of the day. With school back in session and the twins now too far away to continue their education at their old school, Cassie had enrolled them in a nearby private preparatory school.
It wasn’t until sometime in mid-March that Felix had been able to arrange a meet up with Isabel. She had spent the whole of January and most of February in the hospital and then used the rest of the time to recover in Daniel’s penthouse. Right from the time that they had been able to find a free date in both their schedules, Felix had bothered about what Isabel would think of him. The closest that he had come to having a sibling was Eliza and she wasn’t exactly the model sibling for multiple reasons. Filled with snark and sarcasm, she wasn’t even a model person. She was a good person, but not a model person.
“I still don’t get why you’re making such a huge fuss about this.” Cassie said, looking at him through his reflection in the mirror.
“Because it’s not every day that you get to meet up for Sunday brunch with someone who is your long lost half-sister.” Felix retorted. “And also, I’m not making a huge fuss about anything.”
Cassie scoffed. She dropped her tube of lipstick and turned to face him. “Yeah, right. You’ve changed your tie seven times already this morning. I don’t know what you’d call that, but I call it making a huge fuss. Look, you don’t have to be bothered. It’s not like this is the first time you’re meeting Isabel.”
“Yes. But the other times that we met, the two of us had barely said anything to each other. She just found out that we’re related so she probably has all these expectations from me and what if I can’t meet up to them? What am I even supposed to say to her?” He groaned. “I still don’t see why you can’t come with me.”
“Because this is a family meeting…” Cassie began.
“You’re family.”
Her heart fluttered at his declaration. “Well, yes, but not according to genetics. You, Eliza and Isabel need to get to know each other without me being there. And remember, don’t force anything; you need to let the conversation flow naturally. Also, lose the tie. It’s Sunday brunch, not Monday business meeting.” She advised handing him the leather briefcase. It contained everything that Felix had found about Isabel, Juanita and his father through the private investigator that was also currently trying to figure out where Big Daddy had ended up. He had disappeared while he was still awaiting trial and so everyone was on the lookout for him. Cassie tried not to let it bother her too much that a homicidal asshat was on the loose and could show up at any moment.
**********
An entire rooftop of the Golden Pearl was void of people save for Eliza, who had flown in from New York for the brunch and Felix, who was the reason the rooftop was empty in the first place, having paid the restaurant owners to clear it out so that they could have a private family moment. The restaurant’s rooftop was decorated with themes of gold and cream, which accentuated the sun’s soft natural lighting. Cushy leather furniture were placed under pergolas so that the restaurant’s patrons would be shielded from the weather. White flowers of the vanilla plants that clung on to the pergolas emitted a sweet fragrance that spread through the atmosphere. The city skyline was behind them stretching out like a sprawling canvas. Overall, it was hard for anyone not to marvel at the restaurant’s décor. Apart from Felix that was.
“Do you think she changed her mind and bailed?” He asked, sparing a glance at his watch.
“I’m going to tell you what I’ve told you the other four times you asked me that question, no.” Eliza said without looking up from her phone. “Isabel was the one that suggested that we meet up for this little family soiree. So, stop fussing around like she’s super late and get your shit together. We’re the ones who are super early because you wanted to make a good impression.”
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