Sabrina’s eyebrows lifted and she looked as if she felt guilty. “I’m sorry.” She glanced at Art. “I thought he’d told you. My mom had surgery that week.

She was in no condition to be left alone. So I stayed home to look after her.”

Isabel shook her head. “Oh, no worries. I was just curious.” God, she should’ve known better. Pat had always had a way of manipulating everything to her advantage.

After asking Sabrina a bit more about her mother’s health, the waiter came by and refilled Isabel’s champagne glass nearly to the top, leaving little room for the orange juice. Her parents arrived together with Pat and Charles. Art, Sabrina and Isabel all stood to greet them. Pat’s standoffish attitude toward Sabrina didn’t go unnoticed by Isabel.

Isabel reached out and gave Charles a quick handshake instead of her usual hug and kiss on the cheek. She could barely stand to look at him. Her parents sat next to her, leaving Pat no choice but to sit next to Art and Sabrina. The bad part about that was Isabel would now be facing Charles through entire brunch.

“Well, are you going to tell us why we’re here now?” Pat asked as she placed her napkin on her lap.

Art pulled out his phone and Isabel took another big gulp of her mimosa. She was nervous for him. Whatever it was, she’d be behind him all the way. She didn’t want Pat squashing their news. She was so good at that.

“Let me get Gina on the phone. I promised I’d put her on speaker so she could hear it at the same time as you guys did.”

Pat rolled her eyes, already disparaging whatever he was about to tell them. The waiter walked around the table, pouring more champagne all around, as Art placed the phone in the center face up on speaker.

“Hey. Art.” Gina answered, sounding excited.

“Hey, Gina. You’re on speaker. Say hi to everyone.”

She did and everyone greeted her back. Isabel’s insides were beginning to turn. She was sure Art would be announcing his wedding date and she was terrified that Pat was going to say something stupid.

“Alright, you ready for this?”

“Yes!” her mother said. “I’m dying. Just tell us.”

Isabel took another drink of her mimosa and waited, holding her breath.

Art and Sabrina exchanged glances then addressed her parents. “You two are going to be grandparents.”

Pat’s jaw dropped. Gina squealed on the phone, making Art reach for the phone and turn the volume down. Before Pat could say anything, Isabel stood up and rushed around the table. “Oh my God. I’m gonna be an aunt?”

Art smiled and nodded pleased that Isabel seemed so happy. Her parents followed, hugging them both, apparently happy about the news also. Even Charles stood to shake Art’s hand and hug Sabrina. Pat was the only one who remained seated. “Art, you two are not even married. Weren’t you guys using protection?”

Leave it to Pat to ask such a thing at a moment like this. Isabel wasn’t sure if it was the mimosas she’d drunk so fast or just the fact that Pat could be such a witch that made her speak up. “It doesn’t matter, Pat. They’re obviously very happy about this and so am I.” She turned and smiled at both Art and Sabrina.

“Actually we did use protection,” Art said then turned and smiled at Sabrina. “But sometimes these things happen.”

“Mistakes?”

“Pat.” Her mothers tone was forbidding.

“I’m just saying. A baby is going to make it that much harder to finish school. It’s already taken her this long. And honestly, having babies out of wedlock these days has become so acceptable.”

Isabel glared at her but took another drink of her champagne to keep from lashing out.

“Don’t listen to her, Art and Sabrina.” Gina’s voice was loud and clear. “I for one am very happy for you. You two can always get married later. Finally, a baby in the family. I was getting sick of waiting on Pat and Charles.”

Pat’s expression turned even more severe. Art and Sabrina exchanged another suspicious glance. “The baby wasn’t all we wanted to announce today,” Art said.

Pat turned to them, not even attempting to hide her distaste. Sabrina held out her hand showing off a simple wedding band then Art did the same. “We got married last week.”

There was more squealing out of the phone. Isabel jumped up again, this time stumbling a little and she giggled. “Oh wow, you guys! This is all so unexpected!” She hugged them again and again everyone else followed suit. The exception of course being Pat whose mouth now pulled tightly to the side. “I agree with Isabel. Wow,” was all she said as she reached for the menu.

Everyone ignored her. Gina congratulated them and asked if there were any more announcements. When Art said that was it, she congratulated them again before saying she had to go and hung up.

The second Art and Sabrina walked away to the buffet table, Pat wasted no time to start in about what a mistake he’d made. “I swear people act like a marriage is something you jump into. She got pregnant so half a thought later they’re married. Neither of them have any idea what it takes to make a marriage work.”

“Trust?” Isabel said, eyeing Charles.

“That’s just one of the elements needed to form a strong union. One that’ll withstand not just the ups but the many downs as well. It’s not so simple.”

What a joke.

“They’re both adults, Patricia,” her mother warned. “I don’t want you lecturing them. That’s not why they wanted us here today.”