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“Mom told me, but I didn’t believe her.” She turns to me, that blissful expression she had replaced with pure anger.
“Then, I’m sure she told you that we patched things up.” Carol’s calculated composure is back on, as if she pressed a button. That’s one thing that’s definitely changed about her. She was never so quick to control her emotions when we were together. “We are okay now.”
But Emily isn’t having it. “After all you went through because of him? The breakup, the rumors, the shame…”
“Rumors?” I tilt my head toward her, but she just raises her hand to stop me.
“Do you really think I’d bring him here if I wasn’t 100% sure?” she asks.
Emily’s eyes narrow a bit and I sense that there’s something else they are referring to. Then, her whole posture changes, just like Carol’s did.
“Well, then, welcome, I guess.” Emily shakes my hand, the gesture surprisingly warmer than her mother’s, and she leads us inside making the necessary introductions. George, their father, stands up to greet me.
“Welcome,” is all he says. He’s wary of me but I guess Kristen made our case for us.
Thankfully, the rest of the guests have no idea of my past with Carol. I’m introduced as an old flame, that just sparked again. After a quick round of questions that felt more like an interview, they find out how we met and how we broke up—I had to leave and long-distance romance didn’t make sense apparently—where I work, that I’m divorced, and that I have a son. That last part has Carol’s side of the family on the edge of their seats.
“How old is he?” Kristen asks, immediately catching on to that.
“About six,” Carol answers before I get the chance to. “He’s such a cutie, and he looks exactly like Brian.” This time her smile reaches her eyes and lands on my face too.
Kristen presses us with questions about Daniel, but Carol shifts the conversation back to the wedding preparations and Emily runs with it. While I do enjoy the warmth and the teasing, being the one questioned is nerve-wracking.
“I don’t understand why you’re not the maid of honor.” Jeremy’s mother comments. “You’ve helped so much with the preparations here, the food, the decorations—”
“No, no, I did very little, Mrs. Davidson, and at a great distance. The maid of honor should be present for everything Emily needs so Felicity was the obvious choice,” Carol explains.
Emily turns to her future mother-in-law. “She just doesn’t want to stand there in a gown, Melissa.”
Carol throws her a death stare before she bursts into laughter. “Now, can we talk about the actual wedding? When are the rest of the guests arriving?”
“Well, all our cousins should be here by tonight. Grandma and Uncle Rob are coming early tomorrow. The bridesmaids arrive tomorrow as well. The rest should be here by Saturday morning.”
The chatting about the wedding continues as we eat, but my mind is stuck on the guests. That’s what’s bothering her, isn’t it?
I rest my hand on the back of her chair, the annoyance building up. Carol looks my way, puzzled.
“Do you think they’ll be mad if we’re the first to leave?” I whisper in her ear. We’ve all pretty much emptied our plates by now.
She raises her hand to my cheek, giving it a pat, almost like a soft slap. Then she announces that we are too tired, and after some hugs and kisses, we head off.
“They are all very warm people,” I comment as we make our way back. When I was young, I always dreamed of belonging to a large family and having people yearn for my presence like this. And while it’s not quite the same, experiencing it even briefly makes what I’ve missed even more hurtful.
I can’t let Daniel grow up like this.
My hand reaches for Carol’s, and she takes it, no teasing or complaints this time. The large waves that crash on the beach seem to have captivated her.
Perhaps a detour wouldn’t be a bad idea. It would help get my mind off things too. I’ll be an asshole if I ask about her ex again but perhaps simply enjoying each other’s presence will help her open up.
“What are you doing?” she asks as I stray off the path and toward the beach.
“Well, given the plans I heard back there, I doubt we’ll have another moment of silence on this trip. Let’s just enjoy it tonight.”
She bites her lip, masking the smile that was trying to emerge.
The sand is still warm even though it’s almost twilight. Carol takes off her sandals and walks the rest of the way barefoot.
“So, what do you think? They are a bit much, aren’t they?”
