A wife for my brother

-Deanna, my love. I have some bad news. The theater where you were to perform in Paris has suffered a terrible fire.

– Oh, my God! –

– A tragedy, but fortunately no one was hurt. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to sing there until the theater is repaired and reopened. Shall we find another one? –

– I don’t know. What do you think? –

– I really think we should wait, if you don’t mind –

– Yeah, I think that’s best. I could use a longer break.

– Perfect! I’ll let you know as soon as I have any news –

– Thank you, Sacha –

She was looking forward to getting back on the boards, but also to staying with Philippa and her grandmother. Going from hotel to hotel and city to city for so long without a break made her miss home cooking and the warmth of home more than ever.

Since Jonathan had started talking again, he hadn’t stopped calling her every day, at any time, whenever he could get his little hands on Ethan’s or Daniel’s computer. It was as if the boy wanted to make up for all the years of silence, because he never stopped. Deanna marveled and asked him more and more questions to keep him talking.

– The boy is stealing my time with you,” Leonard told her as they ate lunch in his office.

– You can’t be jealous of a little boy… –

– What are you two talking about? –

– Oh, my God! He’s a little boy… –

Leonard smiled.

– You’re still attached to the Crusher children as if it were the first day –

– I can’t help it… I don’t want to –

– What about the father? –

– I don’t know anything, I don’t talk to him – She told him curtly.

– But you would like to… –

Deanna didn’t answer him and continued eating as if nothing had happened. Every time he saw her, he had a doubt in his mind: should he tell her what he knew? No, not yet.

– What will you do until Paris is activated? –

– Sleep and eat.

– You know, Marcus is anxious for you to sing in his theater, I told him he should wait until you came back from the French tour, but… –

– But now I’m free…

– And the ambassador saw you being born… –

– And Professor Marcus would stop hating you… –

– He doesn’t hate me! –

– That’s not what he told me the last time I saw him –

– He’s spiteful… But if you show up here, everyone will know… that you’re in town –

– Yeah… I can’t hide forever –

Marcus had flipped out when his friend told him that Prima Donna was more than willing to show up at his theater. He had informed them all that the season would open with Deanna in the role of Rosalinde from the Strauss II play. He had a lot to prepare.

And because it was a small world, the news spread quickly until it reached the university campus and from there to the ears of Harry and Laura and, of course, Beverly. There was nothing she could do about it this time, she couldn’t just throw the news in the trash like she had done with Naomi’s dress. But she got so desperate that she ended up arguing with the kids in front of everyone.

– Deanna came to town! We can go see her, can’t we, Dad? – Naomi asked excitedly.

– She’ll be at the theater in town, of course we can see her,” Ethan said.

– Take us, Dad,” Jonathan asked.

– To the theater? Opera is not for children,” Beverly couldn’t help herself.

Daniel looked at her sideways, every day that passed she gave herself more rights and it was his fault for not taking her out of the house. On the one hand it was good for him and on the other hand, what he didn’t want to admit, he was sharing “this” moment with her. Unable to resist the impulse, he hated himself a little more each time.

– Of course we can go – Naomi replied.

– “You’ll get bored… –

– Of course we won’t! If we can’t go to the theater, let’s go to her house – the girl insisted.

– Which house? Leonard Reed’s? –

– Enough Beverly! – Daniel warned her.

– Whose house? – Ethan asked.

– Her boyfriend’s… –

– Beverly! – His voice dropped an octave.

– Deanna doesn’t have a boyfriend! – Jonathan told her.

– Of course she does, a pretty, nice young lady like her doesn’t get lonely –

– That’s enough! – Daniel shouted at her.

– Stop what? You’re not going to tell me that it bothers you that your ex-wife has a relationship with someone else? –

– That’s not true! – Jonathan was close to tears.

– You’re giving yourself a lot of credit you don’t have, Beverly, you’d better shut up… –

– What don’t I have, Susan? –

– No, you don’t… Stop making a scene, you’re upsetting Jonathan, whatever you have to say to Daniel, do it where they can’t hear you –

– I think you’re wrong.

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– Dad, I’ve wanted to ask you this for a long time, and now seems like the best time: What’s your relationship with Beverly? –

Ethan was just as tired as he was of her constant meddling in everything. If they were in a relationship, it would be understandable, but if not, what was she doing around them all the time?

– Relationship? Work?

– Work, Daniel?! – Beverly was furious.

– Yes, work! This is stupid… – Daniel replied uncomfortably to his children’s questions.

He’d never been asked anything like that before, but Ethan was growing up and he couldn’t avoid their questions like he used to. The boy was not hounding him with doubts or interrogations, he was simply entering adulthood and seeing things in a different light.

– That’s incredible! How can you say that? –

– Enough of this conversation! Susan’s right, we’ll talk about this alone… later – He looked at her as if warning her.

– Fine… Fine… I’ll take you to the opera – Charles said, trying to ease the tension.

– Of course not! – Camilla exclaimed.

– Of course I will, my dear… – And he gave her a look like Daniel’s. The eldest of the Crushers had gone out to someone.

– Thank you, Grandpa! – Naomi came over and kissed him on the cheek.

– Aaah! Yes, yes… my beautiful granddaughter… –

Beverly wasn’t the only one unnerved by Deanna’s sudden appearance in town. Later that night, things got complicated at Harry’s house.

– I can’t believe Daniel still treats her like that,” Laura told him indignantly.

– Like what? Daniel is like that with everyone –

– Of course not, Harry… You’ve got something –

– Come on Laura! –

– It’s true, haven’t you figured it out yet? –

– If I know Daniel, she must be the mistress… –

– Jesus Christ, Harry! How can you say that?! Beverly is the best choice for your brother… –

– Beverly’s not the best choice for anybody. She’s getting more… weird every day…

– Why are you attacking her? –

– Why are you defending her? –

– It’s Deanna, isn’t it? –

– What’s Deanna got to do with it? Stop talking nonsense.

– Ever since you found out she’s back, you two have been walking around like idiots. You want to go see her? That’s it! –

– What are you talking about? –

– It’s always the same with her! She won’t stop disappearing…

– Laura, stop saying things like that. You brought up Deanna and I never mentioned her… If Beverly is your friend now, I’m sorry for what I said about her… –

– It’s not that! You never understand! –

And it was true, Harry didn’t understand, what more could she want? They had a family, a life, a respectable position, financial comfort, what more did Laura want from him?

-I don’t know what you want…” He said, thinking aloud.

– I want you to touch me again! You haven’t done it since I got pregnant with Emma… Do you think that’s normal?! I know what’s wrong with you! The same thing is happening to your brother! If it’s not her, don’t touch anyone else! –

Back to Laura’s uncontrollable crying, back to Harry’s failed attempts to calm her down with sweet words. All the effort he put into making it work would fall apart one day, and the next it would be over. It was madness. But Laura was wrong about one thing: he didn’t need Deanna to feel desire, Laura just wasn’t the one to receive it.