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Nathan took a deep breath, sitting straighter in his chair. He looked my father in the eye and said, “Honestly, it’s not just one thing. It’s everything.”
I looked at him, frowning.What does he mean by that?
Though he was responding to my dad, Nathan looked at me to explain. “I know she’s not perfect—no person is. But the moment I met her, I was drawn to her. She’s not particularly talkative or outgoing, but she has a way of bringing people in. Maybe it’s her calmness, or maybe it’s something else. All I know is that when I met her, I knew I wanted to be with her.
“The more I got to know her, the more I loved her. Not for the big, flashy things, like sociability or accolades or whatnot. Not to say that she doesn’t have those things…just that they don’t make up the whole of why I fell in love.” His eyes gentled, pulling me in. “It’s in the little things. Like the fact that she’s the only person in this world that makes me so nervous I can’t speak. Or that she’s hardworking and kind. I love that she views the world as an artist does—in fits and bursts of color, to the point where she doesn’t have a favorite.” He smiled, and I blushed. As disconcerting as it was to be seen by someone who barely knew me, my heart fluttered with the pleasure of being known and understood—even if it was within the confines of a marriage contract of mutual convenience.
He turned to my dad. “I love her because of all these things, if that makes sense,” he said. “But it culminates in the larger, more important things, like having a soul mate. I want to be with someone who keeps me on my toes but also, weirdly enough, puts my soul at ease. And that’s Ciara. Meeting her, and loving her, even though it’s been a short amount of time, has fulfilled me in a way I didn’t know I needed. I know she’ll make a great partner, and I hope I get the chance to be a good partner for her.”
Nathan’s words hung in the air between the three of us, his last sentence more of a question than a statement, and I watched as my dad considered it. I couldn’t help but buy into the dream world that Nathan painted for my dad. He made it sound like we were destined to be together, like something right out of a romance that I loved so much, instead of what it was—a mutually beneficial marriage contract.
Nathan’s foot was bouncing, so I slid my hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. This time, instead of squeezing back, he kissed my knuckles, unaware that I melted from the gesture like ice cream in mid-July.
Finally, my dad said, “I give you my blessing under one condition.” He looked at Nathan, his gaze severe and his tone even more so. A hint of his Southern roots bled into his speech. “I have to meet your people first. If our families are to be joined by this union, I want to make sure y’all will take care of my little girl. She’s my only one, you understand.”
“Absolutely,” Nathan said. “We’re actually having a birthday party for my siblings this weekend, if you’re free. I know you work nights at Firehouse 61, but the whole family will be there.”
“I’ll be there,” Dad said.
“And there’s one more thing.” Nathan looked slightly uncomfortable, and I tilted my head as I studied him. What else could he possibly say?
“Ciara and I have to get our marriage license pretty quickly.” Nathan turned to me with an apology in his gaze before turning back to my dad. “Sir, I know we sprung this on you today, and everything’s happening quickly, but I sense that once my cousin gets word of our engagement, he’s going to do everything in his power to stop us from getting married. I want to protect Ciara as much as I can, and getting our marriage license is the best and easiest way to do it. We can do it on Sunday, after the party, if that makes you more comfortable.”
My dad held up a hand. “No.” At first, I thought he was saying no to signing the marriage license, but he continued, “I appreciate you looking out for my little girl. Do it as soon as you can.”
“Will this Friday afternoon work for you? I was hoping you could be there.” Nathan looked at me, and I nodded.
“Yes, of course I’ll be there.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, trying to keep it quiet and not alert my dad or Nathan. Everything was happening so fast, it made my head spin. Though we had taken care of this one thing, the to-do list kept getting longer and longer, making me feel like I was drowning in tasks.
I suppressed my panic, shoving the feelings into a box in my mind, then into a closet, never to be seen again.One thing down,I thought firmly.You can do this.
ChapterEleven
NATHAN
Istayed at Ciara’s place through lunch, getting to know her dad more while also learning more about Ciara. We sat in the living room.
Ciara had woven her personal style throughout the room. There were splashes of color here and there, like in the sunny yellow of the throw pillows, or in the bright orange of the picture frames on the mantle. Though the room was filled with stuff, it looked like someone had passed through to tidy up—or hide evidence of mess, as was indicated by mail stuffed in the crook of the couch behind a pillow. I smiled at the find.
At one point, Mr. Payne pulled out the photo album and showed me photos of Ciara as a baby and then toddler, ever the proud parent. There were moments of awkwardness whenever we came across a photo with her mom or aunt—who, I found out, were identical twins—because the loss of her aunt was still fresh. And though Ciara held space for her dad to express his emotions, she remained calm, almost aloof, as if she had no feelings about it at all.
But I didn’t have time to ask her about it. Calls from work started rolling in, so I headed back to the office. And by the time I spoke to Ciara again, too much time had passed to bring it back up in a tactful way.
We went to the courthouse on Friday to get our marriage license. And then, we saw each other on Saturday.
We agreed to meet at five o’clock on Saturday, for the party. Ciara’s dad would take his car because he could only stay for an hour before heading to work. As I made my way to their front door, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out, frowning.Who’s blowing up my phone?
It was the siblings group chat. And it was about Zeke.
Mack:Heads up, dear brothers of mine: Zeke will be attending the party. BE ON YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR.
Brandon:Why did you invite his shiftless ass? Now we have to see him all night, b/c you know he’s gonna stay the whole time. And show up late so he can make an entrance.
John:facts. i told her not to invite him, but u know she dont listen
Mack:He’s family. I couldn’t just not invite him.
