Page 6 of I Really Do

Brooke Kent (7:54 am):

Good morning, Anna.

Brooke Kent (7:54 am):

I can’t thank you enough for

agreeing to come with me.

Your dresses are lovely, but

despite being far more drunk than

anyone has a right to be on a

Monday evening, I meant it when

I said that I’d facilitate an

appropriate wardrobe.

Brooke hoped that would be well received. Under any other circumstances, Brooke would have killed a man to see Anna in any one of those dresses, but there would likely be foreign dignitaries and people who held actual titles at this wedding. And if Brooke was really going to prove a point, it had to be that she was everything that her parents had ever wanted in a daughter and she had managed to do it entirely without their help. She wasn’t going to give her mother a single centimeter to cast judgment over clothing, jewelry, or anything really that Brooke was able to control. She needed control in this situation. She clenched her jaw, knowing exactly what her therapist would have to say about that.

Brooke didn’t mean to be controlling, but after living under the reign that was her mother, she’d had a hard time resisting the urge to control every single thing she did. As a result, she was someone who didn't buy into excess. Everything she owned had a distinct purpose and was of the best quality. It’s also why she struggled in relationships. She liked things that were meaningful and held merit. The few women that she had dated seemed to want, just because Brooke could provide.

Anna Fourchette (7:58 am):

Are you secretly part of the

British Monarchy?

Brooke let out a huff of a laugh. She heard the water in her tea kettle start to boil, distracting her momentarily.

Brooke Kent (7:59 am):

No, but there might be some of the lesser

titled family members in attendance.

Anna Fourchette (7:59 am):

Are you joking? Is this you

making a joke?

Brooke Kent (8:00 am):

Sadly, no. It’s not too late to

back out, Anna. I would

understand.

Anna Fourchette (8:00 am):

I’m not backing out, B. I want to help.

You might have to teach me how to curtsey.