A Wife for My Brother

Deanna didn't like what Harry was proposing at all. He had to be crazy to come up with such an idea.

"What you're saying makes no sense. Did you hit your head before coming here?"

"I know, but we need your help. I don't know who else to ask."

Harry's girlfriend, Laura, wasn't saying anything, but she was getting more and more nervous.

Their situation wasn't good. They were still studying, they were young, they were madly in love, but they had been careless. Laura had confirmed her pregnancy just three days ago.

"Believe me, I understand, Harry, but no one is going to believe it. Your family doesn't even know me."

"But I talked to my brother, and he agreed. Please, Deanna, help us."

Laura dared to intervene; her eyes were full of tears.

"We wouldn't ask you this if it wasn't so important to us. Our families are very strict about this. They won't let Harry marry me if his older brother is still single. And my family won't let me keep the baby if I'm not married."

Seeing Laura so distressed made Deanna start to doubt.

"I can't believe that even today they still follow such old-fashioned rules. But I only know your older brother from a photo."

The proposal they had come up with was simple: for Harry and Laura to get married, Daniel, who had been widowed five years ago, had to remarry. Deanna was Harry's best friend and their only option.

"Neither can I. It feels like we're still living in the Middle Ages. It's the only solution I could think of, and Daniel is willing too."

"But what will your family say? Will they agree? Am I just going to show up one day and announce that I'm your brother's future wife?"

"We can figure that out as we go. The important thing is that they get married as soon as possible; then we will, and we can have our baby."

Deanna had to be as crazy as Harry because this whole insane idea was starting to seem viable. She cared a lot about her friend, and seeing poor Laura so distressed about her baby on the way made her decide.

"Okay, but..."

"Really, Deanna? This is great!"

"Wait, Harry..."

"You've saved us, friend! You're the best! Laura, we're getting married!"

"Harry! Wait, please... At least introduce me to your brother first."

"Of course! I'll arrange a dinner so you can meet him. Just the four of us."

Laura started crying uncontrollably; she was so happy she couldn't stop. Harry hugged her and kissed her face affectionately, trying to comfort her. Those two were really in love, it was heartwarming. It was a shame they had to come up with such a crazy plan to stay together.

This made Deanna think she was getting into a real mess. What kind of family has these kinds of traditions and strictly follows them? But she couldn't say no to such a request. She had known Harry since she started studying at the art university. They quickly became classmates, partners in crime, and ended up as good friends.

It took Laura a little while at first to accept her as a friend of her fiancé, but over time she realized they loved each other like siblings. The three of them began to share a lot despite coming from such different backgrounds.

Harry and Laura came from wealthy families, a traditional elite with generations of successful professionals. On the other hand, Deanna had been raised by her mother and grandmother, and she was the first in her family to set foot in a university.

In fact, she had a part-time job at a clothing store to cover some expenses and not burden her mother too much with the costs of sending her to study in the capital. Deanna had shown a natural talent for singing, perhaps inherited from the father she never knew, and both women decided to make an extra effort to give her the opportunity for higher education.

On the other hand, Harry and Laura didn’t have to worry about trivialities like money. Although it took him quite a bit to convince his father to let him study music instead of becoming a lawyer, doctor, or businessman like his brother, Daniel was already taking care of the family business, which allowed them to be more flexible with their youngest son.

“My family can't find out,” Deanna told them.

“Why?” Laura asked.

“It's just the three of us. I don't want them to think this marriage will last a lifetime and then see me divorced. I promised them I would finish my degree first.”

“Don't worry, friend, we'll keep it as discreet as we can.”

The baby on the way would arrive in less than eight months, so they had little time before it started to show on Laura. They had to speed everything up. Once Deanna and Daniel concluded the wedding, they would elope “romantically” to seal their love. They would return after the child was born and no one could say anything about it.

Then Deanna and Daniel would declare that they were incompatible and separate, as if nothing had happened. It was the most normal thing in the world, right? Many couples dissolved after living together for a while because they discovered they didn't get along as well as they thought. No one would be hurt or harmed, and Deanna would gain a nephew or niece to spoil.

“I'll call my brother to tell him the good news and see when he can meet with us.”

“Does he know who I am?”

“Well, he knows I would ask a friend from college. It didn’t make sense to tell him it was you because he doesn’t know you either.”

“I see.”

“But you don’t have to worry about that, I'm sure he'll like you. He's not as ‘difficult’ as everyone says.”

“What do you mean by ‘difficult’?”

“My brother-in-law is a bit... special. But Harry is right, he's not so bad once you get to know him,” Laura tried to ease things.

“Why do I suddenly feel like I'm getting into a terrible mess?”

Harry and Laura looked at each other and smiled. It was true that Daniel was somewhat complicated in certain aspects, but he had a good heart. Perhaps a bit strict and diametrically opposed to Deanna’s cheerful and carefree personality, he was willing to help them for the sake of his future nephew. Although he had made a fuss when he found out, he wouldn’t let anything happen to his brother, his sister-in-law, and especially the child.

“By the way, you know Daniel has three kids, right?”

“WHAT?!”

“Yes: Ethan, Naomi, and Jonathan.”

“Aren’t they your sister’s kids?”

“No, Susan isn't married yet.”

“Oh my God!”

“You'll be a great stepmother.”

“Don’t push your luck, kid, or the rope might snap.”

“You can’t back out now, you already said yes.”

“Try me.”

Laura was happy, very happy. She watched them argue like two little kids and couldn’t help but feel very fortunate. Deanna was more than willing to do this for them. She was going to be a mother, and the man she loved would marry her. She just hoped everything would go well and Daniel would behave like a gentleman.

That night, the three of them went out to dinner at the food stand near the university that they frequented quite often. Deanna and Harry were able to drink some beers, too many, because they ended the night almost dragging themselves to get Deanna back to her apartment and then taking a taxi.

Back at her apartment, the “mighty Dean,” as Harry called her, fell like a rock onto the bed. She had no idea of everything she was about to experience just by trying to help her friends.