My father snickered. “You weren’t thinking aboutourchildren when you came out of the closet and destroyed our family.”
“Okay, I’ve heard enough, Dad.” Justus pushed his plate away. “It’s obvious you don’t respect Mom—or me. Or anyone else at this table. At this point, you can leave—the state. Before the wedding. Because I don’t need you here.”
The table erupted from there with my father and Justus going back and forth. We were in a private area, but my father’s loud voice had garnered the attention of several guests. Justus, on the other hand, had conducted himself calmly and professionally. Almost like he was in the courtroom. He got that from my mother. Which seemingly infuriated my father even more.
Finally, my father stood and threw his napkin on the table. “I don’t have to listen to this anymore. Enjoy your wedding. I won’t be there. I hope the marriage lasts, though.”
“Dad, please?” I begged. “Don’t do this.”
My father glanced down at me. “I’ve tried my best. Your choice has been obvious for quite some time. I’ll remove myself from the equation.”
“That’s the problem,” Harper said, finally adding something to this conversation. “You’re the one who made us choose. Why can’t we love you both?”
Elise sipped her sweet tea. “Exactly. Your divorce made all of us miserable. And it wasn’t Mom’s fault. She’s always encouraged us to talk to you, to maintain a relationship with you.”
Dad glanced over at Mom, then back at my sister. “I don’t have to listen to this,” he grumbled.
“Don’t you think it’s time to move past this so we can have a good relationship?” Elise continued. “So my son can know his Papa. So that we can have a simple breakfast to celebrate a huge milestone in our lives.”
“You’ve missed graduations, birthdays, promotions…” Justus shook his head. “All because of Mom. And I’ll be damned if I don’t invite my own mother just to appease you.”
“Charles, we raised them to think independently,” Mom said. “You should be proud that you have four beautiful, successful children. It’s obvious this conversation is long overdue, but perhaps we can table this discussion for a different time. For now, we need to focus on Justus and his amazing future wife, Isis. I hope you reconsider flying back to Detroit and join us in this celebration.”
All eyes landed on my father. Time seemed to slow as we awaited his response. Finally, he said, “Fine. I’ll be there.”
Relief washed over me, and I stood to hug him. “Thanks, Dad.” Justus opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. “Alright, groom. We need to hit it.” I glanced at my watch. “You have a lot to do before six.”
Both Justus and Isis had fought over which one of them I’d support on the big day. She wanted me to be a bridesmaid, but my brother wanted me to be his best person alongside Dex. Isis won, so I was officially a bridesmaid, but also an honorary groomswoman because I’d promised Justus that I’d remain with him all day ahead of the ceremony.
As we gathered our things, I checked my phone one more time. Still no calls from Kelvin.
Elise stuck her arm in mine. “Where’s the asshole really?”
I giggled. “Stop calling him that.”
My sister couldn’t stand Kelvin either. She thought he was full of shit. And that was saying it nicely. “I just wish you’d leave his ass alone. He’s not worthy of you, and he’s unworthy in general.”
After we emerged from the restaurant, my father walked away without a word while my mother hugged all of us and headed toward her room. The hotel lobby was busy, staff buzzing around and guests chatting with each other. Since the wedding was in the hotel, we spotted several people there for the nuptials. Elise greeted one of our old neighbors with a hug, Justus walked off toward the front desk to talk to the hotel manager, and Harper ducked away from someone from our home church. To my right, another familiar crowd had formed.
Except for his older brother Tristan, the rest of Dex’s family had shown up for the wedding. Currently, they were waiting near the restaurant, probably for seating. I strolled over to them.
Mrs. Young spotted me first. “Charlye.” She squeezed both of my cheeks the way she’d always done. “So beautiful. How are you?”
“I’m well. You just missed Mom. She went up to her room.”
Always smiling, Mama V as I called her, pulled me into a tight hug. “I already talked to her this morning. I’m going to help her get dressed after breakfast.”
“I’m so glad you’re here. She needs you.”
Mama V flashed a sad smile. “I know. She’s going through a tough time watching the love of her life deteriorate before her eyes.” She held my hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her.”
The bond my mother and Mama V shared had spanned decades. They’d celebrated triumphs and supported one another through excruciating losses. Both women were role models to us and their communities. Through the years, I’d formed my own relationship with both Mama V and Papa Stew. They’d been stand-in parents to me during some of my hardest times and I loved them dearly.
I smiled. “Thanks, Mama V.”
Elise joined us and we spent a few minutes catching up with the rest of their huge family—and their plus ones. I met Dallas’ new boyfriend for the first time and got reacquainted with Paityn’s husband. I’d already known Blake’s man because we’d attended Vacation Bible School together as kids. Being around Dex and his family always put a smile on my face. All of them were hilarious, especially their father. Papa Stew had this uncanny ability to crack a joke without smiling. I had tears of mirth in my eyes before long.
Since I’d walked over to them, Dex had remained distant from me, talking to his siblings and Elise. Not me. Initially, I’d chalked it up to the fact that I’d been huddled up with Mama V for several minutes, but when I’d rejoined the crowd, he’d stayed far away from me.
