Reagan gave her a sad smile and a squeeze of her forearm before turning around and walking inside. Jill let out a breath, staring at the door until she could no longer see Reagan through the glass. The emotion of those few moments had left her feeling a little awkward and unsure of herself. It seemed like she’d done the right thing judging by the warmth Jill felt from Reagan despite the extreme sadness of the day.

Her phone buzzed in her coat pocket. Pulling it out, she checked the alert reminding her she had dinner with her mother and stepfather. She went from warm to cold in an instant.

“You’re late,” were the first words out of her mother’s mouth as Jillian entered the dining room.

She bent down for an expected kiss to her mother’s cheek. “Nice to see you too, Mother.” She nodded at her stepfather. “Douglas.”

“Jillian.”

They sat in silence as Nadine served their salads. Jill gave her a small smile as she placed one in front of her. After swallowing her first bite, Jill heard a commotion in the hallway and then her half-brother, Ford, walked into the dining room.

“Hey, guys.” Ford kissed their mother’s cheek and then he gave his father a hug when Douglas stood to greet him. He sat across from Jill and said, “It’s nice to see you, Jill. I feel like it’s been a while.”

Jill wiped her mouth with her napkin. “It has. Good to see you too, Ford.” She and her half-brother acted friendly with each other, but they’d never been close. He was ten years younger than her, and because he was an actual offspring of Douglas, he had been treated much differently than Jill as they grew up.

The obvious difference in Douglas’s attitude toward the two of them was on full display as dinner continued. “How’s the new job, son? Get promoted yet?”

“Not yet, Dad,” Ford replied with a chuckle. “It’s only been a few months.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be head of sales in no time. Have you been able to get a round in with George yet?” Douglas asked. George was one of his oldest friends and the owner of the company where Ford worked.

Wonder how you got that job, little bro. Jill knew her brother was smart, but he had always used the family name to get ahead, something that irked Jill as she had preferred to use her knowledge and skill to get where she wanted to be.