“Do you want me to be?”
Her eyes narrow, but she doesn’t speak to me again. She knows I’d never do anything to hurt the family. “Show me the proper ring, sweetie,” she says, shifting her attention to Klein, whose jaw slackens.
“Did you just callmesweetie?”
“Yes. You’re my niece-in-law-to-be, and this is a casual family gathering.”
“Oh. Wow. Um.” Klein licks her lips, obviously unsure how to take that. Although we haven’t exchanged vows, the family’s accepted her as one of us. She just needs to get used it. “Of course.” She extends her hand quickly.
Everyone leans forward to look.
“Very nice,” Grandma says. “Now, that’s the kind of ring that can be passed down.”
“Exactly,” Aunt Jeremiah agrees with a sigh of relief.
“You all should know by now that I don’t do ugly,” I mutter.
She gives me a look. “Except you put that atrocious ‘heirloom’ on her finger. You’re lucky Ailee’s too nice to murder you. I almost had a heart attack.”
“You mean you had an extra cigar and whiskey,” Dad interjects with a light scoff, and Ares and Bryce nod.
She shrugs. “Better than therapy.”
“It’s lovely.” Akiko’s eyes sparkle. Dad looks at her, then at the ring, with a thoughtful expression, and I can tell that she’s going to get a sapphire ring soon. “Did Josh pick it out himself?”
“Yes,” Klein says. “I love it.” She turns red with a mixture of pleasure and shyness. It’s easy to see she isn’t used to being the center of attention. Not sure why, because she’s a pretty girl with a gentle heart and even more beautiful soul. She’s the only woman I know who glows from within.
She’s way too worried about pleasing my family, which isn’t necessary. They’ll love her the way she is because she’s the woman I chose. We trust one another to make the best choices we can.
Still, to alleviate her anxiety, I texted Akiko to ask if she could cut a large, colorful flower from her garden and make it part of her ensemble tonight. Klein visibly relaxed when she saw the enormous peony in my stepmother’s hair.
“I love the color. Is sapphire your favorite?” Lareina asks.
“You know, I’ve never thought much about it,” Klein says with a small smile. “I never had a chance to buy anything expensive. But when I saw the ring, my heart screamedyes.”
“You can trust Josh,” Akiko adds. “Every woman needs a few classic pieces. And he has excellent taste.”
“But…sapphires and stuff? When will I wear them?” Klein asks with a soft, shy laugh.
Lareina shrugs. “You can wear diamond studs anywhere.”
“Charity galas. Auctions,” Grandma says. “You might want to put something on to attend Lareina’s art shows.”
“I’d love to invite you to my next exhibit!” Lareina says with a bright smile. “You don’t even have to buy anything. I’ll give you a small painting to welcome you into the family!”
Klein’s eyes start to glaze over. “Well…” Her voice is slightly shaky. “I’ve never been to that sort of event.”
I frown a little. Didn’t her sister ever invite her to fashion shows and other events? Then I recall her family’s shitty treatment of her. They probably kept her away because they thought she wasn’t worthy. Assholes.They’re the ones who don’t deserveher.
“In that case, you should try one or two. Then if you decide you hate them, you don’t have to do it again.” Aunt Jeremiah sips her drink.
“Am I expected to socialize for Josh’s career and to help the family’s image?” Klein asks in a small voice. “It might be better if I…” She presses her lips together.
Frustration pinches my eyebrows together. I want to know the rest of the sentence, but her lips are nearly bloodless from pressure.
Grandma shakes her head. “Family is family. We’re not PR reps.”
“If you don’t want to show yourself in public, that’s fine.” I squeeze Klein’s hand. “We can stay home and chill.” I’d love to see her in nothing but my shirt again.
