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“That’s so romantic,” Parker said, a gleam in her eyes.
“The way you and Garrett met is just as romantic,” Marion said. “Tell them.”
An uncomfortable sag weighed on Parker’s shoulders. I’d never noticed it before. Usually, she was brimming with confidence and superiority. Now she looked… well, she looked beaten down.
Her lip twitched, and she shrugged. “We met at one of Mom’s parties.”
“Oh, you are downplaying it,” Marion interrupted. “It wasn’t a party; it was a gala. We were raising money for the less fortunate.”
“Mother, raising money for a public school district is not raising money for the less fortunate.” Parker rolled her eyes. “I went to public school, for Christ's sakes.”
I bit my lip, but really, I wanted to clap for Parker. I had no idea what happened between the mother and daughter duo, but a tide had shifted. Parker wasn’t the obedient lap dog she’d always been.
Marion did her infamous hand wave to deter Parker from speaking. “Anyway, it was a gala.”
Parker sighed, and I swallowed a laugh.
“Parker was there, helping as she does.” Marion turned to Laurent. “Parker has always been big on charity. So there she was, standing in this beautiful floral summer dress, and Garrett spotted her from across the room and made a beeline right for her. They were inseparable from that moment on.”
“Inseparable, huh?” Laurent said. “So where is he? I’d love to meet him.”
This time I couldn’t stop the laugh from slipping out, but in my attempt to press my lips together, it sounded like a weird sputter of sounds.
Marion’s eyes snapped to me, and I tried to play it off with a cough.
“He’s around, probably networking,” Marion said.
I wanted to say this was his engagement party and not a work event, but I kept it to myself. As someone who valued her career, I understood the desire to make connections, even at the most inappropriate or inconvenient times.
Parker leaned over to the horsd'oeuvretable and grabbed a piece of cheese.
“Honey, you know how cheese bloats you,” Marion said, and for the first time, I felt bad for my little sister. Parker’s arms deflated, and she wrapped the cheese into a napkin, letting her hand fall to her side.
“One piece of cheese won’t hurt,” I suggested.
“You don’t have to get into a wedding dress in four months,” Marion said.
On the surface it was a simple statement, but I heard the dig in what wasn’t said. I wasn’t married, and I wasn’t getting married. It didn’t matter that it was my choice. All Marion saw it as was my failure.
“A piece of cheese isn’t going to make the dress tighter,” I quipped.
“No, but one piece turns into two and turns into three and next thing you know, we’re making an emergency appointment with the tailor.”
“Is that what happened to you?” The words were out before I could stop them, but I didn’t care. It was a piece of fucking cheese, and if the woman wanted to eat the damn cheese, then she should be allowed.
Marion gasped. “I beg your pardon?”
“It sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“And this is exactly why you’re not married,” Marion snapped. “Nobody wants to put up with someone so rigid.”
My entire body froze at her slash of words, cutting deep just like she wanted.
“That’s funny.” Laurent took my hand and pulled it close to his chest. “Because I do.”
“Yes, the boyfriend from college. Oh excuse me, thefriendfrom college, showing up after all this time.”
“What are you saying, Marion?” I asked.
