Author's Notes: Many thanks again to all who reviewed.
Disclaimer: See Prologue.
Chapter 21: Walk on the Beach
Brandon reached the parking lot where he was due to meet Andrea several minutes early. He got out of the car and leaned against the hood, waiting for Andrea to arrive.
He spotted her car a few minutes later. She pulled up next him and got out.
"Hey," he said, smiling at her.
She returned his greeting, and his smile.
"Do you want to take a walk?" Brandon asked her.
"Sure," she replied.
They walked down to the beach and began to walk along the shoreline.
"So, you're probably wondering why we're here," Brandon began.
"The thought had crossed my mind," Andrea replied.
"You know I'm leaving tomorrow."
"Yeah, I do."
"We should probably try and work something out with Hannah. I've missed so much; I don't want to miss any more."
Andrea nodded.
"I was thinking maybe she could go and stay with you for a while if you want, after we leave here," Andrea told him.
"What about you?" Brandon asked.
"Well, I'll have to go back to New York. I can't take any more time off work," she told him.
"Right," Brandon replied, disappointed. He'd hoped both Hannah and Andrea might be able to come to D.C.
They walked on in silence for a while. The sun was getting lower and a slight breeze blowing against them made it seem colder than it really was. Brandon shoved his hands into his pockets, wondering what to say next.
He knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to ask Andrea how she felt about him. He wanted to tell her that he cared about her and that it was more than just friendship. He wanted to ask her if there was a chance that they could be anything more than just friends.
How could he say these things to her though? Their relationship was in a delicate place. Suddenly they had a daughter to think about. Her needs came above theirs. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt that little girl. If he screwed things up with Andrea, then Hannah would probably get hurt in the process.
On the other hand, if things worked out with Andrea, then that would be a good thing for Hannah. Her parents would be together. It was so frustrating! What was the right thing to do?
Andrea noticed the sun was close to setting. It looked beautiful, glistening across the ocean. She stopped to take in the view. Brandon came to a stop beside her.
Andrea sighed.
"You don't get sights like that in the middle of New York," she said, continuing to look out over the ocean.
"No, you don't get 'em in D.C. either," Brandon said.
Andrea sat down on the sand, facing the ocean. Brandon joined her.
"Do you ever miss California?" she asked, turning to face him.
He turned to face her also.
"Yeah, I do sometimes," he answered after considering the question for a moment.
"Do you?" he asked.
"Sometimes," she replied quietly, looking out over the ocean again.
There was silence again. Andrea broke it a few moments later.
"Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, staying out in New York. Sometimes Hannah doesn't seem very happy there."
"I'm sure you're doing the best you can," Brandon said.
Andrea turned to him again and smiled.
"It's tough you know," she told him. "Juggling work and a child, trying to get the balance right. Don't get me wrong, she's a fantastic kid and I couldn't imagine my life without her, but she can be a handful sometimes."
Brandon laughed.
"Yeah, I'd noticed that," he told her, grinning.
Andrea laughed too, remembering how exhausted Brandon had been that afternoon after spending a few hours with her – not to mention the chocolate incident.
"You're a great mother Andrea. She's an amazing kid. You did a wonderful job raising her," he told her sincerely.
It meant a lot to Andrea to hear Brandon say that. She blushed at the look of admiration in his eyes. She looked down to avoid his look, embarrassed, hoping Brandon wouldn't notice.
He did though. He decided to lighten the mood a bit.
"If I was gonna get anyone pregnant at the Prom, I'm glad it was you," he said, a wicked glint in his eye.
It worked. She laughed and gave him a friendly shove.
"Thanks," she said, smiling.
She looked back out over the ocean. The sun was well and truly setting by now. Brandon turned to look too. It was a beautiful sight, he thought.
He turned his gaze back to Andrea. She looked peaceful, the thinnest smile formed on her face, still watching the sunset. The breeze tugged lightly at her hair.
"Not as beautiful as this sight," Brandon realised.
Maybe it was the mood – the sunset, the light breeze, the sound of the waves gently rolling, but Brandon suddenly found himself leaning over to Andrea, moving his lips closer to hers.
She didn't notice him getting closer, not until he was right beside her. She hesitated a moment, but a look in his eye reassured her. She closed her eyes and moved in to meet him.
The kiss was soft at first, but gradually deepened. It felt comfortable to both. It wasn't fraught or hungry; it was slow, gentle. They both became lost in the kiss, lost in the feelings it was evoking in each of them.
How long it would have lasted was something neither of them could have answered, but the sudden ring of a cell phone interrupted them. They pulled apart. When they made eye contact, they each suddenly felt awkward.
Andrea realised it was her phone that was ringing, and retrieved it from her pocket and answered it.
"Hello."
There was a pause for a few moments as Andrea listened to the person on the other end. A worried expression formed on her face.
"Is she okay?"
Another pause. Her worry seemed to subside.
"Oh good… Yes, I'll be there soon… Okay… Okay, I'll see you there. Bye."
She hung up the phone and turned to Brandon.
"That was my dad. My grandmother had some sort of seizure. They said she was okay, but my dad's going in to see her. I'm gonna go and meet him there," she explained.
"Yeah, you should go," Brandon said, hoping Rose would be okay, but also disappointed that their time together was being cut short, especially after that kiss.
They made their way back to the cars, making small talk here and there, but mostly silent.
Before Andrea got into her car, Brandon remembered something.
"I told my parents about Hannah. They want to meet her," he told her.
She nodded.
"When? Tomorrow?"
"Yeah, tomorrow morning if it's possible, before I leave."
Before I leave. Those three words stung Andrea. It was just too soon.
"I'll give you a call when I get home from the hospital," she said.
"Okay," he replied.
They said goodbye to each other and each got into their cars and drove off, Andrea to the hospital and Brandon back home.
About two hours later Andrea called Brandon.
"Is your grandma okay?" he asked her.
"Yeah, she's fine," Andrea told him.
"So, tomorrow?" she continued. "What's a good time?"
"How about early. My plane leaves in the afternoon, but I'd like to spend as much time with Hannah as possible."
He wanted to add and with you, but felt it would be best not to. Things were still so fragile between them.
They arranged for Andrea to come by at 9:30.
When Brandon told his parents, his mother was excited. His father was quiet though. He was still feeling angry about the whole situation, although his mood had mellowed slightly.
Brenda was happy to hear Andrea was coming too. She needed to talk to her about Dylan. She was more confused than ever about what to do.
She'd called Dylan briefly earlier that evening to let him know she got his message. He told her he'd talked with Kelly. He wanted to tell her the rest in person. She put him off coming over by mentioning that her father was there. She avoided going over to see him, saying Kelly could show up. They arranged to meet tomorrow afternoon, when Kelly was busy with plans with her family. It was her younger sister's birthday.
Tomorrow would certainly be an emotional day for the Walsh family she thought. Brandon was leaving Andrea and Hannah, her parents were meeting their granddaughter, and she was possibly about to reconnect with the love of her life. She prayed there would be a happy ending in each case.
