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I went on, my blood pressure rising by the second.
“And that boy isn’t someone else’s. Brendan is my son. The things you see as complications are blessings to me. You want to know how serious I am? What you interrupted tonight? Bridget and I had a date to go into the city. I was going to ask her to marry me tonight. I’d been waiting for just the right moment to do it.”
I hadn’t exactly intended to let that cat out of the bag. It just came out in my anger.
Bridget looked at me in shock.
I mouthed, “I love you.”
My father finished off the last of his drink as my mother continued to stare at me in silence.
It was time to unleash the big one.
“But see, Mother, even the fact that my big plans were ruined can’t dampen my spirits—nothing can. Because earlier this week, I got the most amazing news that I’ve ever received in my life. Bridget is pregnant…not just with one baby…with two. We’re having twins. So, that woman you’ve been disrespecting in her own house is carrying your grandchildren inside of her. And there’s nothing you can say or do that is going to change the fact that I am on cloud nine.”
Mum let out a long breath, closing her eyes then opening them with a look of empathy. “I had no idea.”
“No, I didn’t tell you any of this because things have been hard enough without your opinions on top of it all.”
Bridget spoke for the first time. “Can I say something?”
“Of course,” I said.
She spoke to my mother directly. “I can understand why you’ve had doubts about me. You don’t know me. You only know that I’ve kept him from you and that I’ve been married before and that I have a child. I used to think I wasn’t good enough for your son, either, to be honest. I tried not to fall in love with him, thinking that he would be better off without me. But whether we make sense or not, we love each other. You can’t choose love. It chooses you. And I don’t want him to have to choose between us and you. No one should have to make that kind of choice. And even if you continue to hate me, I still would never keep him or your grandchildren from you. Because I love him too much to do that.”
“We don’t hate you.” My mother sighed before rubbing her temples.
I put my arm around Bridget and addressed them. “I think we’ve had enough stress for one night. I love you both very much, Mum and Dad, but I think you need to stay in a hotel tonight.”
“No,” Bridget insisted.
Surprised, I turned to her. “No?”
“No. They’re staying in your old room. They’re your parents. They’re not going to a hotel. I insist.” She let go of me and looked over at them. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m feeling very tired and now you know why. I think I’m going to turn in early. The trifle I made is ready, Simon. I want you to serve it to your parents. You never get to see them. Enjoy the dessert and this time together.”
Then, she simply walked away.
I went after her, but Bridget assured me that she was okay. She refused to let me join her in the bedroom and continued to insist that I spend the rest of the night with my mum and dad.
They were getting to see firsthand exactly why I was in love with this woman.I slept like a baby. Even though Eleanor’s words last night had hurt me, Simon’s had healed me. The way he stood up for us in front of them really made me realize that nothing and no one could ever break us apart. As hard as it was, I was just going to have to accept things with his parents as they were.
I knew that he had stayed up really late with them because I’d heard him come into the bedroom in the middle of the night. Although they weren’t crazy about me, it really did make me happy to know that he was getting to spend time with them.
The sun was now shining through our bedroom window. Simon stirred when he heard me get up. He placed his hand on my nightgown, pulling me back into bed with his firm grip.
Resisting, I said, “I need to make breakfast for them.”
“You’ll do no such thing. You worked hard enough cooking that supper last night. We’ll take them out somewhere.”
“They need coffee.”
“They don’t drink coffee. They drink tea. And I set everything out for them last night.” He patted the bed next to him. “Lie with me for a bit.”
I lay back down and faced him.
Simon placed a piece of my hair behind my ear. “I screwed up when I blurted out my plans to propose. I’d been waiting for the perfect night so that I could orchestrate everything just right, but perfection doesn’t always lie in the obvious. Last night, the respect you showed my parents in the face of disrespect made me love you even more. I honestly didn’t think that was possible. They see it now. And honestly, for me, there is no more perfect time to ask you to be my wife than this moment.”
