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I'm elbow-deep in petals and stems when the door swings open and the buzz of conversations stop. I glance up, seeing his mother stride in with her head held high and her jaw set in anger.
“Fredrick!” Her voice is somehow quiet and loud, a mixture of anger and hatred that hits me with the force of a slap.
I freeze, a half-wrapped bouquet clutched in my hands. A quick glance toward Fredrick reveals his jaw set, his stance defiant as he ignores her.
“You're an embarrassment,” she says, her words sharp. “Your father and I... we deserved better than a son who walks out on his own father's funeral.”
The cruel words hang heavy in the room, and an oppressive silence falls as I bristle. He’s not the best or kindest person ever, but even he doesn't deserve that. Maybe she’s just dealing with her grief and anger poorly, but I’m not having it.
Fredrick's expression remains unreadable as he straightens up the shelf I’d asked him to touch up to give myself a second of peace without the overwhelming desire I feel with him standing close. A mask of calm indifference hides his true emotions as I try to decide what to do next.
But May steps in. “Don’t you dare yell at him, missy. He’s a good man, and he deserves better than you or his dad ever gave him.” She walks over to his side, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’d be proud to have a boy like him. I’d be ashamed to call you a friend.” Her gaze scans the full flower shop. “You all should be ashamed of yourself, making a spectacle like this. No wonder he didn’t want to come home to all of you.”
I can’t hold back a slight sense of satisfaction at her scathing words.
I take a breath, steadying myself, then make my way to Fredrick’s side. Facing his mother, I take another deep breath. “Fredrick's a good man,” I say, meeting her glare.
The words have her eyebrows lifting as if she knows I’m lying to her face. “We're getting married,” I blurt out, the words sending a shockwave of whispers, then silence through the crowd. The town seems to be holding its breath as my words sink in.
Her mouth snaps shut, a line forming between her brows. For a moment, it’s satisfying to have caught her as off-guard as she caught me, but only for a moment.
“Married?” She spits the word out like a lemon wedge. “To you?” Her gaze takes me in from toe to top of head, and I nod.
“Married to me,” I say, my hands trembling slightly as I press them to my thighs.
“Oh, honey, don’t settle for him,” she says, reaching out and putting a hand on my shoulder.
I swallow hard.
“Why do you hate him?” May asks. “He was just a child, what could he have done to earn your hate and neglect? You were off galivanting around the globe, leaving him alone. And you blame him. Shame on you.”
“You weren't there, May,” Margret says with disdain. “None of you were.”
I glance at Fredrick, seeing how he’s looking at her with his chin tilted up and disgust in his eyes. I see the loathing there, and I remember how they’d hurt him as a child. How he’d never felt he was worthy of love, because even the people who were supposed to love him didn’t care one bit for his safety or wellbeing.
“You’re not going to convince me that your son deserved your neglect,” I say, the words thrown like a punch toward the woman I’d long since disliked. Now I know I have every right to hate her. “Every child deserves a parent, but not every parent deserves a child.”
Chapter Fifteen
Fredrick
The front door closes behind us, and Lila seems quieter and more reserved than usual.
But I’m furious. My mother made a scene in front of Lila, May, and the whole damn town. And for what? To try to pin their lousy parenting on my behavior as a child? How would they even know what I was like as a child? They were never around.
“Are you okay?” Her voice is quiet.
Gritting my teeth, I nod my head. I learned a long time ago not to let her get to me.
“Why-”
“It doesn’t matter,” I say, cutting her off. No matter what she was about to say, none of it mattered.
“I’m sorry.”
I turn to face her. “Don’t you dare pity me.” I don’t need anyone to feel sorry for me. I’d made my peace with the shit sandwich life started me off with a long time ago.
She stands in front of me with her chin lifted and her blue eyes searching mine.
