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13
“Welcome to Texas,” Kira’s mother said a moment after she opened the door to her lovely limestone home in Hope Springs, a charming small town. “We’re so excited you two joined us!”
“Thank you for having me, Mrs. Jones,” Luc said.
Her mother pulled him into a hug. “Oh, please, call me Doris,” her mother said. “Come in.” Then, she hugged Kira, and whispered something in her ear he didn’t catch.
“Thanks, Mom,” Kira said.
Luc and Kira followed the charming lady in her late sixties. Some white streaks of hair weaved through the light brown hair, in strategic places, like they had been intentionally put that way. She wore a purple velour tracksuit and walked briskly, her figure trim.
“We’ve all been waiting for you,” Doris said and came to a halt in the living room, where several people sat, a couple of them watching the football game playing in the large TV. “Guys, Kira and her new husband are here!”
The people—family members, he guessed— turned around and smiled. Doris started the introductions, pointing at her husband Bill, a balding man in his early seventies with a kind, easy smile, the type of someone who didn’t stress over the little things.
Then she moved to Bill’s younger sisters, Peggy and Lydia, who exchanged a mischievous glance between them before greeting him.
At last, the couple who had been watching the game.
“This is my daughter Shelby and her boyfriend, Andrew,” Doris said with a touch of pride.
Luc’s gut clenched. He heard Kira talk to her father behind him, and wondered how she would feel to face these two again.
“Nice to meet you,” Shelby said, stepping forward to shake his hand.
He glanced at the woman, who resembled his wife. They both shared the same brown hair color and bow-shaped lips, but her eyes weren’t warm or intriguing like Kira’s. He forced himself to slap on a neutral smile and accept her hand in his, and act like he didn’t judge her for being awful to her sister. For betraying her in the worst way someone could a sister. “Same here.”
“Hey, man. Welcome to the family,” said Andrew, who thankfully, didn’t force a handshake and did a ridiculous hand gesture to signal a greeting.
Warring emotions swept through Luc’s mind. On the one hand, he hated the man—what an excuse for a human being, to cheat on his girlfriend with her sister. He curled his fingers into a ball, wishing he could land his fist on his stupid face.
But if Andrew hadn’t been such an idiot, he would perhaps never have met Kira. Never married her. Never…
“So exciting to have everyone under the same roof,” Doris said, obviously blind to the growing tension in the atmosphere.
“Yes, it’s been a while. Kira, you look great,” Lydia said.
“Thanks, Aunt Lydia,” Kira said. “What a treat to see everyone here now… just as we got home,” she said, and he detected the trace of anxiety in her voice. She’d expected to at least have some time to catch up with her parents before facing her sister and Andrew again, he was sure—especially in front of other people.
He leaned closer to her and put his hands around her waist, then kissed the top of her head. A silent offer of comfort.
“And your husband, dear God!” Lydia said, fanning herself like she had just grabbed something hot from the oven.
“Lydia, behave,” Peggy said.
“She does have a point,” Doris said, winking at him. “Our Kira snatched a tall drink of water.”
A nervous chuckle traveled around the room.
“I don’t know what a tall drink of water means, but if it means I’m a lucky man, then I agree,” he said.
“We should… bring our things from the car and freshen up,” Kira offered, then sent him a look that begged for him to agree.
“Bien sur. Of course. Why don’t you go to the room now, and I’ll grab our suitcases from the rental and meet you there?”
“Perfect,” she said, then scurried out of the living room and up the stairs.
“Listen, man, I can help you bring the suitcases,” Andrew said.
