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My shoulders soften. “Well, I think you’re amazing. And I see that your family does, too.”
She shakes her head as her eyes turn glassy. “Maybe. But I know my mom is going to find out what’s going on. I’ve never been able to hide anything from her. She’s going to find out.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. She has some special intuition. If she doesn’t have any physical proof to work with, she starts talking about how she suspects something wrong because she saw it in a dream or something.”
At that, I snort. “Maybe my father should hire her as the royal dream interpreter.”
“I’m serious.”
Reaching out, I take her hand in mine and bring her knuckles to my lips. “Do you trust me, Vivienne?”
She lets out a shaky breath. “Yes, I do.”
“I don’t intend to mess this up. Let’s make this as real as possible to make sure she doesn’t find out. Okay?” I don’t break eye contact with her, and she keeps her gaze level with mine.
She nods. I kiss her hand again.
“I’ll be the best son-in-law she could have ever asked for.”
“She’s a tough person to win over. It’ll be difficult.”
“I love a good challenge. When have you known me to shy away from one?”
I smile at Vivienne, then guide her to sit on her bed. Finally, a bright smile emerges on her face.
16
VIVIENNE
Idon’t speak much, but even then, Caesar refuses to give up or leave my side.
I help my mother get ready for the guests, and Caesar dutifully helps, even though I’m sure he’s not used to domestic work. He does it like a champ.
He knows how to play the part of a doting husband, I’ll give him that much.
We’re married. This is how married couples are supposed to act. They're supposed to care for one another no matter the circumstances, going as far as giving up some comforts to make sure the other one is doing alright.
“Here, let me do that, Vivi. I can fold it better,” my mom says as I try to put some of the linens away. Her tone of voice is scolding, not comforting. Even when she offers to help, she knows how to make it feel like a form of punishment.
Caesar shoots me a comforting smile, a way of telling me he knows I didn’t do anything wrong. I wish my mom would give him a chance.
What if he really were the man I’m in love with? She doesn’t know he’s not. Fake or not, it hurts for her to treat the two of us like this.
I guess I can’t blame her. All she’s known about Caesar up until now is the stories I told them of his raucous adventures, and we weren’t even dating before we got married. My mom knows how innocent I am, too.
If he were the man I was in love with, I could see how scared she’d be that he’d break my heart or take advantage. Growing up, I never focused on boys at all. Not even the sweet ones who would sneak me flowers or handwritten cards in my locker.
This is new to my parents. It’s new to me, too. I’m glad that Caesar has done everything to make me feel like it’s the right choice. If he were making it difficult, I’d be thinking it’s the worst mistake of my life.
The doorbell rings, and the guests start arriving. It’s a stately historic house, with plenty of rooms for all the family who’s coming to stay. I run down to the door to open it.
“Aunt Denisha!”
“Vivienne! You look so beautiful, baby!”
My mother’s sister wraps me in a tight embrace and smothers me in kisses. Around me, my smiling cousins are hooting and jumping as they come inside. Caesar and I help Uncle Tommy with the luggage from the van they came in.
