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I smile like an idiot the moment she mentions his name. “Well, I mentioned that you wanted to go to the salon, but with the germs and your immune system, it wasn’t a great idea. Next thing I know—” I gesture to the salon chair and standing mirror that’s tucked into a corner of the sitting room. “This.”
Her eyes linger on my face, a small, secretive smile playing across her lips.
“What?” I ask when she won’t stop staring at me in the mirror.
“Oh, nothing.”
“That look is not ‘nothing,’” I accuse. “That look is definitely something.”
“You’re glowing, Laila. And I don’t think it has anything to do with the baby.”
My heart does a nervous flip, the same one it’s done every time I’ve thought about this conversation with my mom. The same one it’s done every time I’ve thought about this topic at all for the last two days, really.
Which brings me to the inevitable next part. It’s now or never.“Mom, I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you something.”
“You and Arsen are together?” she blurts.
“And maybe I shouldn’t have waited,” I laugh. “Looks like someone ruined the surprise.”
“No, you told me. In your own way.” She reaches out, and I have to bend to let her cup my cheek. Her hand is cold to the touch, and frightfully thin. “You’ve been so happy. Plus, I was waiting for this. I had a sense the first time I met Arsen.”
“You did?”
“He obviously cared about you. And it was just as obvious that you’ve been smitten since the beginning. I assumed you were waiting out of respect.”
“Respect for what?”
“His wife,” she says softly. “I know they didn’t have the best relationship, but still… he needed to mourn.”
I almost forgot about Natascha, which calls for some kind of unholy smiting, I’m sure.
Smiting or not, at least I’ll die happy.
The day after our little heart to heart, Arsen presented me with an updated contract. One that gave me equal rights and custody over our daughter whether we stay married or not, though Arsen made it clear he’d like to stay married.
I signed without hesitation.
“Mom, there’s more,” I admit, swiveling her chair around and sitting down opposite her. “This is going to come as a shock…”
“Tell me.” Her gaze locks on me. All the unconditional love in her eyes makes me feel even worse for keeping so many secrets.
“First of all, it happened fast. So fast that I wasn’t thinking. If I had been thinking, you absolutely would have been there. Because I wanted you there. It just happened so fast, and I was caught up in the moment and?—”
“I’m working with limited time, and you’re eating it all up, sweetheart. Out with it.”
Heat floods my cheeks as I spit out, “I’m married. To Arsen. Arsen and I are married.”
Mom’s hands slip from mine. “Married?”
“Yes. I know this is a shock, but?—”
“You eloped?”
“Well…”
Actually, he dragged me out of bed and pulled me into a surprise marriage ceremony in the living room. You were just down the hall, but since it was against my will, I decided not to wake you.
“Yes,” I say, sidestepping that shitshow of an explanation. “Yes, we eloped.”
