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"So, you're the man who's going to marry our sister," Reyna's oldest brother, Aaron, said, his tone cold.
I felt a lump in my throat, but I tried to remain calm. "Yes, sir," I replied respectfully.
Reyna's father leaned forward in his chair, his eyes piercing. "And how do we know you're worthy of our girl?"
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their judgment. "All I can say is that I love her with all my heart, and I will do everything in my power to make her happy."
There was silence for a moment, and then Chris, Reyna's youngest brother, spoke up. "Well, I think he seems alright," he said with a grin. The tension eased a little, and I found myself smiling too. Reyna's family would take some getting used to, but I was willing to work at it. After all, Reyna was worth it. I knew it wasn’t the last time that Reyna’s dad and brothers were going to give me a hard time. I had to find a way to win them over.
“Now that everyone is here, I guess we can have lunch,” my mother announced as she got up. The boys also stood up, having been well trained to help out. The plates were soon filled with the most delicious dishes, and we started to eat. The conversation flowed more easily now, with Reyna's mother filling the potentially awkward space with stories of Reyna's childhood. I listened attentively, feeling grateful for the opportunity to get to know her and her family better.
As we ate, I couldn't help but steal glances at Reyna. She was beautiful, with her bright brown eyes that sparkled in the sunshine. I loved her more than anything in the world, and I knew I would do anything to make her happy. After lunch, we moved inside to enjoy my father’s expensive whiskey collection. Reyna's father pulled me aside.
"Bryce, I want to have a word with you," he said gravely. Reyna shot me a worried glance, but I smiled reassuringly at her.
"Of course, sir," I said, following him to a quiet corner of the room.
"I want to make sure that you understand what you're getting yourself into," Reyna's father said. "We've raised Reyna to be a strong woman, and she won't tolerate any nonsense. She's a feisty one. But when things get down and dirty, we protect our own. It seems so common to hear, 'if you ever hurt her, you'll answer to all of us', but in our case, it's true."
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his words. "I understand, sir," I said. "And I promise you, I will always treat Reyna with the respect and love she deserves."
Reyna's father nodded, seeming satisfied. "Good," he said. "Because we take family very seriously around here."
I nodded, feeling relieved. It wouldn't be easy, but I was determined to win over Reyna's family and be the husband she deserved. As the day went on, I got to know Reyna's family better. I talked with her father about his business ventures and his passion for cars. I even discovered that we shared a love for vintage muscle cars, and I made a mental note to take him for a ride in my own classic Mustang.
Reyna's brothers were a little harder to get through to, but I managed to break the ice with them too. We talked about sports and music, and I was relieved to find out that they weren't too different from me. Finally, the day drew to a close, and it was time for Reyna and I to head back to our own home. We said our goodbyes to her family and my parents. I was glad Reyna and I didn’t have to stay the night. I needed my alone time with her, especially since our days were getting more and more hectic in the run up to the wedding.
As we drove away, Reyna squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry about my family," she said. "They can be a little intimidating."
"It's okay," I replied, smiling at her. "They're just protective of you. And I have to admit, I had a good time."
Reyna grinned. "I'm glad," she said. There was an awkward, unusual silence between us and I knew that something was definitely going through Reyna’s mind. I held her hand, and she turned to me as I drove us home. I glanced over and saw the worry in her eyes.
“Is something wrong?” I asked her.
“I thought you and I agreed on an intimate ceremony, but it seems like your mom is planning the wedding of the century,” she said with a tone of concern.
“You have to understand that my mom is over the top. She doesn’t do anything 'intimate'. Besides, it would be good for PR. The more we spend, the more we can convince people that this is real. The bigger, the better,” I responded.
“I can’t believe you’ve just said that,” she said, unraveling her hand from mine. “I thought that you and Iwerereal and that's what we were going to focus on. I thought this was more than just PR. I thought we were having an actual wedding,” said Reyna with an upset tone.
“Reyna, you know exactly what I mean. Of course, this is about us.” I tried to reach for her hand, but she blew me off.
“I told you I wanted this to be intimate. I told you I didn’t want to try to convince people of anything anymore. If you and I are really together, then why do we need to keep convincing people?” she said in an aggressive tone.
“Reyna, don’t be difficult. You wanted marriage, and I’m giving it to you. Can I at least gain something from it? And maybe just let my mom have her fun?” I responded, getting upset too. I couldn’t understand what more she wanted from me.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Bryce?” she asked in an angry huff. “So you’re just doing me a favor and this isn’t what you want? If there were no cameras and you didn’t need PR, would this wedding even happen?” It was something I had never thought about, and I didn’t know what to say.
“We’re here now and I’ve been a willing participant. Hell, I even sped up the wedding. I thought it would make you happy. I don’t know what more you want from me,” I responded with frustration.
“Willing participant? It sounds like I held a gun to your head and you had no other option but to announce a wedding date publicly. We’re here because of you, Bryce. Don’t make it seem as though I forced you to marry me,” said Reyna. This time, her voice was raised and she was visibly upset. “Stop the car,” she said, banging the dashboard.
“Reyna, calm down,” I pleaded with her. “No, I can’t breathe, stop the car,” she screamed as she hyperventilated. It seemed like Reyna was having a panic attack. I got out of the road and parked the car on the roadside. Reyna opened the door, dashed out, clearly trying to regain her composure. She was bent over and breathing hard. I rushed out to her side and tried to calm her down, but she wouldn’t let me touch her.
“Reyna, please. Take deep breaths,” I begged her.
“I can’t,” she said, sobbing. “I can’t. This is all too much and I don’t feel good,” she cried. I wanted to reach for her, but I didn’t want to crowd her space. People were looking at us, wondering what was going on, and I knew someone was taking a video or pictures for the tabloids. This was not the PR I was looking for.
