Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 1208

Larry couldn’t stand seeing Sarah upset. He just scooped her up, carried her to the bathroom, and helped her wash up. Afterward, he even got her dressed himself. Sarah was in such a rush to get out the door that she barely grabbed a bite to eat, just enough to settle her stomach, before Larry dropped her off at the restaurant where the Browns and Robinsons were meeting.

When Sarah walked in, the Robinsons hadn’t arrived yet. Her own family was already there, though, and they looked like they were gearing up for something big. Around ten minutes later, the Robinsons finally showed up.

Waldo and Beatty hurried over to greet them, all smiles and warmth. “Orval, Belinda, sorry if we kept you waiting.”

They’d expected the whole thing to be tense, but to everyone’s surprise, Aurora’s parents seemed to be in a really good mood. Orval even took the lead and greeted Sarah’s parents first. To the Browns, that felt like a promising start.

Waldo grinned. “Not at all, we just got here too. Let’s all sit down and chat.”

Orval nodded, then he and his wife and daughter found their seats. Sarah followed her brother to greet the older couple. “Mr. and Mrs. Davis, you two look younger every time I see you.”

She was so sweet, it instantly put the elders in a good mood. Even Billy got a rare smile from them. As soon as the introductions were over, though, Billy’s eyes were glued to Aurora. He barely noticed anything else.

Luckily, the parents were chatting away, caught up in their own conversation, so nobody paid much attention to him. Soon, the food started arriving. Sarah sat quietly, listening to the adults talk, but she kept sneaking glances at her brother. He was completely lost in thoughts of his future wife, so she gave him a little kick under the table and whispered, “Stop sitting there like a statue. This is your moment. Go pour everyone some wine.”

Billy finally snapped out of it, stood up, and started taking care of the elders, pouring wine and ladling out soup, being as attentive as possible. Aurora was watching him, trying not to laugh. The old Billy would never have acted like this, but she understood the change and just watched quietly.

Sarah piped up, wanting to help. “Orval, Mrs. Robinson, you have to try the soup here. I swear, it’s the best in town. I’ve eaten just about everywhere in Cabinda and nothing tops this.”

Beatty jumped in. “I really like Aurora. She’s sweet, thoughtful, and she works so hard. She’s already accomplished more at Robinson Group than most people her age. She’s truly impressive.” Beatty watched for their reaction, and when she saw they seemed pleased, she went on.

“Aurora and Billy have known each other since they were little. You could call them childhood sweethearts. My silly son has been working overseas for years, barely making it home. He made Aurora wait a long time, and that’s all on him. We know she’s put up with a lot, but today, we wanted to be brave and ask about marriage.”

Belinda and Orval both looked shocked. They knew the lunch was about their daughter, but they never expected the Browns to jump straight to marriage.

Orval blurted out, “They’re not even together yet. Isn’t it a little soon to talk about marriage?”

Sarah jumped in right away. “Orval, Mrs. Robinson, it’s really not that fast. My brother and Aurora have always had feelings for each other. Even if they’ve been apart these last few years, it’s not much different from being together. Only the two of them really know what’s between them. And yes, my brother is partly to blame. He’s a total workaholic, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about Aurora.”