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“That should be no secret,” I said. “As I told you when I came back to get my stuff after moving up here, it’s time for me to live my life, not yours.”
“I get that,” Mom said. “You don’t think we loved you unconditionally?”
“I don’t know what that even means,” Dad said.
“It means you love me whether I marry the person you want me to marry or not.” I stared directly at him. He was the king of intimidation. But I could give it as well as I took it these days. “It means you love me whether I’m the night manager at a retreat center in a mountain town or a financial advisor at a lending institution in Nashville like you.”
“I never said what you had to do for a living,” my father said.
It was interesting that he didn’t deny trying to control who we married. Or dated or were friends with, for that matter. I could bring all that up, but what was the point?
“You seem to care what everyone else thinks but the two of us...”
I pointed to Ashley to make sure they knew I was talking about their daughters. The only children they had.
“Young lady, this is hardly the time or place,” Dad started.
I interrupted him. “It’s my wedding. You’re in my town now. It’s the perfect time and place to discuss what’s on my mind.”
“Clark,” Mom said, reaching out and putting her hand on his forearm. “Gwennie’s right. We’ve been too hard on both our girls.” She sighed and looked over at me. “I just wanted you both to have the kind of life we had. I want your children to have the best of everything.”
“And they will,” I said. “Because fancy dinners at country clubs and a home that’s big enough to hold three families is not what makes a kid happy.”
“So, you’re saying you were miserable?” my father asked. “While you were shoveling filet mignon into your mouth at dinner and living under a roof paid for with my money, you were unhappy? You’d rather have been on the streets?”
“Like I said, you only wanted the best for us,” I said. I looked over at Ashley for help, but she kept her stare on her plate. She wasn’t going to pitch in at all. I was truly on my own here. “We both appreciate everything you’ve done, but we got lucky that you two love each other. If I’d married someone you picked out for me, that wouldn’t have been the case. Having a roof over my head and food on the table is important. But it’s nothing if that home isn’t filled with love.”
“We loved you,” Mom said. “More than you’ll ever know.”
“And I’m aware of that,” I said. “But sheltering us took away some of the best parts of childhood. Picking out our friends, restricting our dates, keeping us away from the sleepovers all the girls at school were excited about…”
I had to remind myself to stop including Ashley in my discussion. She could speak for herself. She might have been perfectly happy with the way things were.
“I’m happy now,” I said, looking at Mom and Dad. “And I want you to be happy for me too, but I also want you to be part of my life. I want to come visit you with Julian and feel like we’re welcome.”
“You’re always welcome in our home,” Mom said.
Dad spoke up then. “We might’ve been a little overzealous in how we raised you, but you both grew up to be levelheaded, compassionate women.”
“We’re proud of you,” Mom said. “That’s what he’s trying to say.”
But he didn’t say the words. He’d never said the words. And that was fine. I didn’t need him to say he was proud of me to know he actually was.
“Is everything okay here?”
Julian’s voice behind me instantly eased my tension. I hadn’t realized how on edge I’d been until I felt him nearby. Yes, I’d handled this on my own, but he grounded me. He made me feel like someone had my back.
“I think we’re wanted on the dance floor,” I said, reaching for his hand and tugging him forward to stand beside me.
Smile on his face, Julian said his thanks to my family, then led me to the dance floor. Only once we were in each other’s arms, swaying to the music, did I realize just how tense I’d been during that interaction. My body gradually warmed up in his embrace, but it was just a reminder of how happy I’d been since moving here.
“I can’t imagine raising our baby with them in our lives every day,” I said. “They’ll be the perfect grandparents, as long as we only visit for holidays.”
He tilted his head, his expression softening. “I think you’ll have a change of heart once you see how they react to the news.”
I glanced back over my shoulder at my family. They’d resumed eating their cake with no sign of glee on their faces. At one time, I would have been seated there with them, counting the seconds until I could get home and hide out in my room with my phone and the few friends I was allowed to have.
“I think we’d better wait a little while longer to tell them,” I said.
