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She pressed her lips together and he faced her on the walk. Pam’s mother was a pill, but Pam didn’t usually have trouble facing her.
“I’m not sure. I guess...all along we’ve been trying to convince them that we are really together, but somehow...this feels so new and precious...” She paused, as though she were a little embarrassed to call what they shared precious.
He took both of her hands in his and tugged gently, pulling her toward him until she pressed close and he was able to put his arms around her, holding her against his chest, loving the way they seemed made to fit together.
“It feels that way to me, too,” he said, lying his cheek on the top of her head and wishing their house did not have other people in it. He wanted alone time with his wife. Maybe that’s what she was saying, too.
“I guess I love the way it feels when we’re like this and I don’t want the world to intrude and ruin it. And my mother always intrudes.”
He grunted a laugh, but tried not to snort. After all, Lynn was Pam’s mother and Pam loved her. If he and Pam had become one through their marriage, he should love Lynn solely because Pam did.
“She loves you,” he said, unable to think of anything else kind to say about her, but purposing in his heart that he would do his very best to not say anything negative about someone that Pam loved.
“I want her to love you, too.”
“Maybe in her own way, she does.” He wanted to add that he hoped she’d give in and give Pam her inheritance, but if he wasn’t saying anything negative, that probably shouldn’t leave his mouth.
“I love you,” she whispered, leaning her head back to look into his eyes.
He took advantage of her position, to lean down and press his lips to hers. He didn’t mean for it to become a long kiss, but she sighed into his mouth and he deepened the kiss and totally forgot they were standing on the sidewalk in the dark in front of their duplex where his sister and her mother and his nieces and her daughters were all waiting for them to come home.
A light turned on and he’d just processed that when a voice said, “I told you it was real.”
He pulled back, his breath shaky, his hands still clinging to his wife, and he wasn’t sure who was helping who keep their balance as they turned, their arms around each other to face six pair of female eyes standing on their porch looking down the steps at them.
“You don’t need to say I told you so.” Lynn gave Ginger a narrowed-eye look.
“Well, I did.” Ginger crossed her arms over her chest.
“So did I,” Marilyn said.
“And me.” Hilda pursed her lips.
“I knew it all along,” Kay added.
“I couldn’t have been the only one who was clueless,” Paulette said, irritation in her voice, but there was a smile there, too.
“No. You weren’t. I was as well.” Lynn lifted her chin. “It looks like I need to transfer your inheritance to your account. I’ll get on that in the morning.” She started to turn. “Now, get in the house. It’s uncouth to stand outside on the sidewalk putting on that kind of display for anyone to see.”
“It’s dark out,” Ginger said.
“It doesn't matter. The sidewalk is no place for such things.” Lynn pulled the door open and held it, waiting for everyone to file in.
“I think Pam and I are just going to go in on my side.” Mark normally would have asked her, but they’d been kissing and he’d been enjoying it and he kind of wanted to go someplace where he could keep kissing his wife without the censoring presence of her mother.
Lynn opened her mouth.
“Yes. We’re newlyweds,” Pam said before her mother could say anything, grabbing his hand and pulling him up the stairs. She opened the door to his side of the duplex without saying anything to her mother, and held the door so he could go through.
“Good night, Mom,” he couldn’t help saying as he passed Lynn, then winked at Pam as he stepped into the house. She had a big, goofy, happy smile on her face.
“Good night, Mom,” she echoed as she stepped in behind him and closed the door. It hadn’t even clicked closed before he turned and swept her up in his arms, kissing her with everything in him, wanting her to know she was everything he’d ever wanted and he’d spend the rest of his life trying to show her how much he loved her.
He wasn’t sure if he was successful in showing her all that, but she seemed to enjoy their evening just as much as he did, and he figured that was something, anyway. Maybe the rest of it would come in time. He could be patient.
~~~
