Page 79 of Married to Lies

“I’ve just got a lot on my mind, okay?” It came out a little defensively, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“So you just called me to chitchat? Doesn’t seem like you.”

My lips curled as I leaned against the railing. “I called to get roasted by my mom, apparently.”

“Oh, hush,” she said through a laugh.

“I was just wondering why you and Dad are taking the news of the wedding so well,” I asked. “I mean, Rei’s parents freaked out when they heard the news.”

“Ah, there it is...” she said as if it were all coming together now. “How did Rei feel about that?”

“Not great,” I said, although that didn’t come close to describing the devastation that I’d seen in her eyes. This woman who was so full of life and energy looked small and defeated for the first time when she told me she didn’t want to be alone tonight. The memory broke my heart for her all over again.

Mom said, “And Rei called off the wedding because they didn’t approve?”

My eyebrows scrunched. “No, it’s still on.”

“Right, so are her parents coming to the wedding?”

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “I’m not sure.”

“So it seemed like they had two options. Support their daughter and be there for her, whether it goes well or poorly. Or tell her how they really feel about it, hurt her feelings, and drive a wedge between them before the biggest day of her life so far.”

I got what she was saying, but the ramifications had me standing up and pacing the banister. “So you’re telling me you agreed with our marriage even though you think it’s a stupid idea?”

“No, I supported you and hoped for your happiness even though I personally would have a difficult time marrying someone so quickly.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you think I’m making a mistake?”

“The hard thing about mistakes is it’s impossible to know you’ve made one until you’ve seen the outcome of your decision.” She let out a small sigh. “Ten years from now, I might be saying marrying Rei was the best thing that ever happened to you. We won’t know until later.”

My lips pressed to the side. “You always told me when you thought my ideas were stupid before. I thought you’d never forgive me for quitting the bank.”

“That’s why I went to therapy. I was scared for you. I wanted you to have the safety net that I never did.” She was quiet for a while. “But my therapist said you’re grown and can make your own decisions, and I agree. It’s my job to manage my emotions around the disappointment, not try and make you do something different so I feel more comfortable.”

My eyebrows rose as I took that in. “Wow, that’s very… mature of you?”

“Calling me mature at my age?” she retorted. I could just picture her side-eye.

“I mean, twenty-nine is still young,” I teased.

She chuckled. “Go to bed, son. You need your beauty sleep.”

“What about you?”

“Twenty-nine-year-olds live on iced coffee and a dream. I’ve got it covered.”

I chuckled softly. “Okay, Mom... I love you.”

“I love you too,” she said. “And please tell Rei I’m sorry. We’ll be there for her until her parents see this was a good idea after all.”

My lips twitched. “Good night.”

We hung up, and I walked back to Rei’s bedroom, mind spinning about so many things. While I’d known my mom had a therapist, I had no idea I was the reason she started. It touched me that she was trying to show up better even though she was already amazing. Why couldn’t Rei’s parents do that for her?

I’d been around long enough to know the world wasn’t fair. But it struck me at a new level when I got to the room and saw Rei sleeping, hair splayed around her in a dark cloud, hand gripping the edge of her pillow. The perfect woman deserved an unshakable support system that saw just how resilient and brave she was.

I promised myself that I’d be that for her, and I knew Mom was on my side. Tyrone and Dad would follow suit, because they knew what family was all about.