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I thought my family was large, but it’s nothing compared to the Carters. They’re not even all here yet. It’s her mom and dad, but so far the only relatives who have arrived for the reunion are Malcolm and Bobbi, her oldest brother and sister, along with their spouses and kids. There are three more siblings who will be on their way, in addition to some of her aunts and uncles.
Vivienne thought she’d have to miss it and told them she was traveling for work, which was partially true. Now they know the whole truth. Well, most of it.
They’re all at the doorway when we arrive. There’s a boisterous welcome for Vivienne when she walks through the door and a more muted reception for my arrival.
“It’s so good to meet you,” I say to Vivienne’s mom and dad, shaking their hand. “I’m Caesar Vanecourt, Prince of the Kingdom of Solvaria.”
Vivienne’s mom, Adela, purses her lips together before glaring at her daughter. “Is this a joke?”
“No, Mom, not at all.” Vivienne links her arm with mine in a show of support “You said you wanted me to find the right man to marry. So, here he is!”
Adela crosses her arms. “Yeah, I said therightman,” she spits. “Not your playboy boss that you somehow up and married within the last… what? Week? Day?”
I grimace. Putting it like that makes it sound awful. Vivienne places her hand on my forearm and squeezes. Still, this family is after me like a pack of rabid dogs.
In hindsight, I should have prepared better for a welcome like this. I wanted to show my father. I thought,I’ll get married if that’s what you want.But I should have thought it through better. My father’s words echo loudly in my mind – rash decisions have repercussions.
Delano, Vivienne’s father, observes us from afar, sipping from a glass of water, clearly ice cold from the condensation.
“This can’t be real,” Vivienne’s mom continues, furrowing her brows together. “This has to be an arrangement of some kind. Right? No way would a daughter of mine marry a damn prince this quickly otherwise. It’s not right. It makes no sense!”
I wrap my arm around Vivienne’s shoulders, while my wife looks like she’s about to cry.
“Vivienne and I got married because we knew that we were right for one another, Mrs. Carter.”
Vivienne forces a shy smile and stiffens.
“We’re happy to be together,” I continue. “We want to share this happiness with the rest of you.”
Her mother huffs, resting a hand on her hip. “Vivi, is this true?”
“Yes.” Vivienne nods. “I wanted to be with him, Mom. And to celebrate, we wanted to join the family at the reunion. I thought it’d be nice to take my husband back to the town where I grew up and to meet the extended family. Don’t you think?”
Her parents share wide-eyed looks. Then her mother retreats into the kitchen with a sigh. Her father nods our way.
“Welcome to the Carter home, by the way, both of you,” he jokes. His voice is smooth and relaxing, kind of like Vivienne’s own. “My wife’s a bit on edge.”
Aren’t we all?
“Come on.” Vivienne tugs at my sleeve, leading me up the stairs. “I’ll show you my old room.”
The home comes alive with boisterous laughter and conversation from Vivienne’s enormous family. There’s a pang of longing, wanting to be welcomed into such a close-knit crew, but I understand their reluctance.
I’d probably be unsettled, too, if my sweet youngest daughter showed up married to her boss. Especially one with a reputation like mine.
“Here it is,” Vivienne says with a lack of excitement in her tone. “This is where it all began. Sort of.”
Her childhood bedroom is so quintessentially her. Awards line the walls. Photographs hang all over of a younger, smiling Vivienne at science fairs, competitions, and academic decathlons.
There’s a valedictorian plaque that lingers above her bed, along with a certified recognition that she earned a 4.0 G.P.A during her time in high school, and close to 5.0 weighted with her Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses.
“My God,” I whisper, spinning slowly on my heels to take the whole room in. “You’re a genius. I always knew you were, but this is… Wow.”
“I’m above average, I guess.”
“What?” I gesture towards her valedictorian plaque. “I haven’t met many people who can say they graduated first in their class. And don’t think I missed that summa cum laude distinction on your college diploma. You’re amazing.”
“My siblings are the real geniuses,” she says, bringing her fingers to her lips. “They have so many degrees between them. And look at my father. A United States Senator.”
