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“It’s alright, understandable.”
“Just a heads up though, your parents have been invited to the wedding.”
Great. No wonder Noah asked if I would be seeing them. Kim hadn’t mentioned it so either she didn’t know, or she didn’t think to say anything, maybe to ambush me? No, she wasn’t like that. I didn’t want to think she would hide something like that from me either.
“Just do me a favor, try not to cause a scene. It’s a wedding after all.”
Patting me on the back, I felt that old temper appearing inside me. If it wasn’t for Daisy coming back and barking to go inside, I would have turned around and punched him in the face.
As I followed him back into the house, I just wanted to leave now. I wouldn’t be the one causing a scene that was for sure. I was coming to the wedding for Kim’s sake and only for Kim. I would of course be on my best behavior. Paula would destroy me as well if I didn’t do or say anything that wasn’t up to PR standards.
“Kim, the snow is really coming down, are you almost ready to go?”
I hated to seem controlling, but the good mood I was in had disappeared. Now I just wanted to climb back into bed, fuck my girlfriend and go to sleep.
“Yeah, sure. We’re good here.”
Heading to get our coats, Kim hugged her mom tightly then hugged Beth. The women all seemed to be at ease, far more relaxed than they were earlier and I wish I could say the same.
“Beth, Joe, the wedding is going to be gorgeous and such a perfect day. I will see you bright and early Saturday morning, Joe.”
Taking hold of my hand, she hooked Daisy onto her lead with the other. We said our goodbyes and headed out and as we did, the tightness in my chest loosened.
* * *
“Sorry about my dad earlier.”
Kim sat on her vanity table, brushing her hair, or taking her earrings out, I wasn’t sure. I had been semi staring into space since we came upstairs and started to prepare for bed. It was a little earlier than I was used to. But because the ride home had been colder than expected, she said cuddling in bed and sticking a film on would be nice.
I was happy to do whatever she wanted to do if I had her naked next to me. Instead, she had opted for a pair of pajamas with some rather fluffy socks with frogs dotted on them. She made me laugh as she came bouncing out of her bathroom. Happily she showed off her socks. I had been in a mood until she’d done that, but now, she was a little busy and I was left to let my mind wander.
“It’s alright. But you didn’t tell me my parents would be at the wedding.”
She lowered her eyes from the mirror and turned half round to look at me, her brush still in her hand. First she looked sad then a little annoyed.
“I didn’t think they were coming; they hadn’t returned the rsvp as far as I was told. I would have said something if I had known.”
I didn’t want to start an argument with her, but I could feel one brewing. If she didn’t know then that was fine, but she did know they’d been invited and hadn’t said a word. Especially after what I told her, in confidence.
“Kim, you knew they were invited though and didn’t say anything about it. So, it’s either you didn’t know, or you did know.”
My voice was a little harsher than I wanted it to be. I couldn’t punch her brother square in the face, and I had pushed that annoyance deep down. I wanted to yell just a little bit, even when it wasn’t even her fault.
“I knew about their invitation, yes, but I didn’t know they accepted. I wasn’t entirely sure how I was meant to tell my brother about your business. That was for you to decide. If my parents and brother now contact your parents and de-invite them, that’s up to them. Either way, the day will go ahead, and it will be wonderful,” she paused, turning away from me again to face her mirror.
“One way or another you will have to face them. Every therapist would say the same thing as well. You can’t hide from your problems or bury your head in the sand, and I should know.”
Getting up without a word, I headed out the bedroom and went downstairs. I needed to cool off. I didn’t want to lose my shit. I knew she was right, annoyingly. She knew more than anyone it wasn’t good to run away from your feelings. Just earlier that day, I had witnessed her having to go through one of her own battles.
I sat downstairs for a while before she eventually came to join me and sat next to me on the couch. She wore some raggedy old looking cardigan that had a few holes in the sleeve, and she wrapped it around herself a little tightly.
“I don’t wanna fight with you,” she broke the silence, “I also didn’t want to piss you off.”
“You didn’t piss me off. It was your brother, but don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have snapped, I'm sorry.”
“What did Joe do? Or say?”
“Doesn’t matter, he’s allowed to want his wedding to go smoothly. I won’t be speaking to my parents. Unless of course, they speak to me and when they do, can you be at my side?”
