Brandy
Mr. Moseby
London...
None of them are mine
Brandy Tipton stomped her feet as she walked downstairs to the main lobby.
"Trouble in Paradise," Moseby asked
Brandy told him about her fight with London.
"I see," Moseby said, "Well Brandy have you tried putting yourself in her shoes?"
"My feet are bigger then hers," Brandy said
Moseby took a breath and regained his patience.
"What I meant was," he said, "have you tried looking at this from her point of view. Brandy, London has lived in the TIPTON for as long as she could remember. Her mother was… well…the only woman Mr. Tipton had ever loved and when she died he loved London enough to know he couldn't properly care for her. Without the baby's mother Mr. Tipton was only ½ the man he wanted to be.
"Mr. Tipton did a selfless thing. He gave London to me. He knew I was better able to care for her emotional needs then he was-"
"You don't seem very paternal," Brandy said, "You clearly don't like those two boys"
"I do," Moseby said, "Though I'd never let them know that"
Brandy didn't press and Moseby continued.
"How would you feel if you grew up in a place and someone you never even met came there and started telling you she loves you… which I'm sure you do… and that you're going to have to give up everything you ever knew in order to come live in EGYPT because you were too immature to stay where you've always lived?"
"Probably very angry," Brandy admitted seeing now why London challenged her
"How would you feel if this new person started disciplining you for-"
"But that's what all the parenting articles I read say to do," Brandy explained.
"Be that as it may you must remember you are not her parent. You are her stepmother."
"But I want to be involved in her life," Brandy said
"If you want to be involved in her life," Moseby said, "try doing so by being her friend"
"But all the parenting books I read said that parents aren't supposed to be their children's friends… not until they're grown up"
"Okay two things Brandy. One, London is grown up… she's 16. Two, you are not London's mother. London met you ½ a day ago and you are not in a position to parent her. You need to earn her trust"
"Thank you Mr. Moseby"
A few minutes later came a soft knock on London's door. She opened it.
"Oh it's you," London said.
"Can we start over," Brandy asked, "How about friends?"
"I was just getting ready for the gala," London told her, "would you like to tag along?"
Brandy started to argue but then remembered what Moseby said
"I'd like that," she told her new friend.
So began a new friendship that would last a long time. But London would never consider Brandy her mother… she was far too young.