My heart lifts at the sight of Marian as she brings the car to a halt in my parents’ circular drive. I hurry to her side and open the door for her. She slips into my arms, and we hug for a few seconds. The world fades, and it’s just Marian and me.
“I’ve missed you,” I whisper into her ear. To my surprise, I mean it.
“I missed you, too.”
By the time we let go of each other, her passengers are already out of the car.
“Come and meet my mom,” Marian says, tugging my hand.
Her mom is very pretty, and she looks more like Marian’s older sister than her mother.
“It’s nice to meet you, Declan,” she says. “You can call me Judy.” She turns to the slender man with short-cropped hair and an intense stare next to her. “This is Josh, my fiancé.”
My jaw drops. The guy is not a day older than me. I shake his hand and turn a questioning glance at Marian. She shrugs.
“Come on in,” I say and shepherd the group toward the house.
My mother emerges, a bright smile on her face. “Our guests are already here,” she says.
We form a circle, and I introduce Marian first to my mother. My mother smiles cautiously but so far, so good.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she says. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you,” Marian says and introduces her mother and Josh.
The friendliness that my mother was exhibiting seconds earlier disappears in a flash. She stares at Josh and Judy as if they are from space.
“I don’t understand,” Mother says and looks at my father for an explanation.
“What don’t you understand?” Marian’s mother asks and stands up straighter.
“Is your partner Marian’s father?” Mother says.
If the moment was not so weird, I’d have burst out laughing.
Josh takes it all in his stride, and he laughs. “I’m not, but from what I’ve heard about Marian, she’s a wonderful girl, and I’d be lucky to have her as my stepdaughter.”
I like him. He’s not a wimp.
“Can we continue this fascinating conversation inside?” my father suggests, a glimpse of his old self emerging.
“Yes, of course,” my mother says, and we all troop into the living room.
It’s not the end. That’s not mother’s style.
“Are you getting married then?” she asks when we all sit down. My mother is like a dog with a bone. She doesn’t let go until she’s satisfied.
“About to,” Judy says and claps her hands together. “That’s the main reason why Josh and I are in LA. I want my daughter to be my wedding planner.”
The news is a surprise to Marian. “Mother, I can’t plan your wedding,” she says.
“Why not? I’ll pay you well,” Judy says.
“It’s not about the money. My contacts are here in LA. I can’t plan a wedding in Arlen.”
“You plan weddings in Hawaii and other exotic locations,” Judy points out.
My mother clears her throat. “Aren’t you a little too young for Judy?” She addresses the question to Josh.
“Mother,” I say.
“It’s fine,” Josh says in his calm way. “It’s true. I am a lot younger, but true love doesn’t discriminate.”
“Besides, my ex-husband, who is Marian’s dad, married a woman who is Marian’s age. I can’t wait to see how he reacts to my marriage.” Judy lets out a girlish gleeful laugh.
“Is it a competition then?” Marian says.
“Of course not,” Judy says. “It’s not like we’re going to try for a baby.”
“Your father has a baby with his new wife?” my mother says.
“Yes, she’s two years and a bit,” Judy says offhandedly.
Marian’s family dynamics make mine look tame by comparison. I look at Marian with new eyes and realize just how little of each other we know. I make a point to rectify that, and the only way to do it is to date her. Act as if we’ve only just met and get to know her.
“I’ll check on dinner,” my mother says weakly. She looks like she’s about to have a heart attack. “Declan, can you offer drinks to our guests,” she says and flees the room.
“You are certainly a big improvement on Leonard,” Judy says when my mother leaves the room.
“Mom,” Marian says in a warning tone, which immediately makes me curious.
“What? It’s true.” She turns to Josh. “You’ve seen Leonard about town. What do you think?”
Josh nods. “You’re right.”
“Who is Leonard?” I ask when I get a chance to put a word in.
Judy and Marian look at each other.
“You haven’t told him?” Judy says, looking aghast.
“No, there was no opportunity to,” Marian says and then turns to me. “Leonard is my ex-husband.”
I stare at Marian incredulously. I try to picture her married and fail. A burning sensation comes over my chest and a lump forms in my throat. I swallow it down. “You were married before me?”
Marian blinks rapidly. “I was.”
My mother walks back in. She immediately senses the tension in the room. “What?”
Marian turns to her. “I was just telling my husband that I was married before.”
My mother stares at Marian, shocked. “You’re a divorcee?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Judy says.
“It shows your track record for marriage is not good. Where does that leave my son?”
Chapter 13
Marian
What a terrible, drama-filled circus of a weekend. I wave enthusiastically as my mom and Josh drive away. Having spent a day and a half with him, I can see why he appeals to her, despite the age difference.
Still, I wish their visit had not coincided with my introduction to my in-laws. I have absolutely no doubt that Declan’s mom will never like me. She’s a snob and today’s lunch guests went against all her values.
First of all, Declan and I got married in Vegas after a drunken night of merriment. Yes, the whole story came out during lunch. My mom has no filter on her mouth, and I rarely lie to her.
On the way back from Santa Monica, I tried to get her to settle for a small wedding at the courthouse. She was having none of it. She wanted a wedding to rival the one my
