The ease in which he’d been talking was gone the moment he looked up and saw Regina with Sofia.

“He woke up?” Bell walked up to Sofia, forcing her to look away from Brandon’s piercing stare.

“Yeah,” Regina said. “I changed him already.”

“Thank you, sissy,” she said with a smile as Romeo practically jumped out of Sofia’s arms at the sight of his mommy. Bell held her arms out to him with a big animated smile. “I’ll take my baby boy now,” she said to Sofia. “I need to get him fed before he gets cranky.”

As soon as Regina was back at Brandon’s side, he leaned into her ear after slipping his hand in hers. “How much longer we gonna hang around?”

Relieved that she didn’t have to be the one to suggest ducking out early, she shrugged. Normally she would’ve hung out much later, but her shoulders had been so tight and tense from the moment she realized who Sofia was to Brandon, she could hardly wait to get out of there and have a glass of wine or two. “Well, you’ve met everyone except my brother and dad, but neither are gonna make it, so you can meet them another time. If you want, we can leave now.”

They made their slow, steady exit, saying good-bye to everyone. Sofia, once again, conveniently disappeared, and Regina couldn’t be more relieved. They’d almost made a smooth exit, except for Bell’s ill-timed request that Romero snap a few photos of the three sisters before Regina left. She then asked Valerie, Sarah and Grace to get in the photo too.

“Wait,” she said after Romero had already taken a few. “Where’s Sofie? She needs to get in here too.”

The entire time they’d been there Brandon and Sofia had been as far apart from one another as possible. Usually, the entire length of the backyard had been between them. Now Brandon stood but a couple of feet away from the group of women taking photos. And Pat was looking in the back door calling out for Sofie.

Within minutes, both Sofia and Eric walked out together. Neither looked particularly thrilled, and Regina did not miss the deadpan way Eric looked at Brandon. It wasn’t a glare, but it certainly wasn’t welcoming. Sofia lined up with the women. Romero wasn’t the only one taking the photos now. Regina’s mom had gotten in on it, and that meant they were going to be there a while because she took forever to take her photos and was very demanding about everyone staying put until she was done.

Finally, they were done. Then her mom suggested that the guys line up this time. To Regina’s horror her mom turned to Brandon. “You too, hon. Anyone my kids bring home, whether a friend or more, is automatically welcomed into the family, so get in there.”

Brandon turned to Regina, who had nothing for him except a rueful smile. This would be over soon enough, and then they could get out of there. Regina squeezed his hand and tiptoed to kiss him as they walked past each other. Instead of escaping back into the house as Regina thought Sofia might do, she came over and stood by Regina and the other girls to watch the guys line up.

Of course, Brandon stood off to the side on the opposite end from where Eric stood.

“Stop with the faces, Moe,” Manny said from where he was sitting. “Swear to God, this guy . . .” He turned to his wife Aida, shaking his head, then back to Romero. “For all the laughing and goofing off you do, you’d think you’d do it for one stinkin’ photo. How many more pictures of you looking like mug shots do I need on my walls! Smile, will ya?”

Regina was glad there was no one heckling Brandon about his rigid expression. While he wasn’t making hard-ass faces like Romero, he certainly wasn’t doing any smiling. Still she couldn’t help but feel warmed that he was being such a trooper. Just coming here today to meet her family had to have been hard enough for him. She’d felt his unease mounting as they’d driven there. And then for things to turn out this way, she was certain he was regretting having come here at all. She just hoped it was all he regretted.

After giggling, Sarah turned to Regina, who couldn’t quite take her eyes off of Brandon. “Wow,” Sarah said. “I still can’t believe you and Brandon are together. I mean what are the odds that of all the marines you could’ve hooked up with down at that base, it would be Brandon?”

“I know, right?” Valerie said, leaning in and lowering her voice. “Is he always this serious?”

They all turned to look at him just as he glanced their way, and Regina turned away quickly, hating how obvious it was they were talking about him.

Grace turned to Regina, lowering her voice as well. “He’s very handsome, Gina.” She leaned into what now looked like a little gossipy circle of women. “But is he as intimidating as he appears to be?”

Regina smiled, and if Sofia weren’t in that gossipy circle with them, she might be tempted to tell them just how intimidating Brandon had really been when she first met him. She hadn’t had the chance to gush about him to anyone but Janecia, and even then she’d been limited in doing so. He’d been by her side every night or within hearing range when she was on the phone, and the only time she’d really gotten to talk to Janecia was when they got together on their date nights. Even then, with him there, she could only do it when he happened to walk away for something or they excused themselves to the ladies’ room.

Her sisters didn’t know all the details either. She’d refrained from telling them too much before they had a chance to meet him for fear they might judge him unfairly.