Page 63 of My Heart Belongs to You

“But–”

“No, listen. Just because something doesn’t align with what you have planned doesn't mean it’s not worth exploring. I like Nadir for you. I think you deserve ease, support, and intention. He does all three without breaking a sweat.”

All of this talk about him reminded me that we were texting.

NADIR:

I got you, G, always.

Sent an email. You can take it from there.

“Have you talked to Mom?” Raven’s subject change gave me pause.

“It’s been a few days. Why?”

Raven hummed. “Well, she wants me to soften you up before she calls...”

“What does she want?”

The doleful expression on her face made my belly roll. “To film your friends and family night.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

I dropped my biscuit on the napkin in front of me and stood. Before Raven said anything else, I was dialing my mom’s number. My parents knew how desperately I wanted to separate myself from their celebrity status. The more I exposed myself to the world, the more vulnerable I became to outside opinions.

“Hi, baby. I planned to call you today.”

“I talked to Ray.”

“Good. Me and your dad are here with our producers, discussing potentially filming your soft opening.”

There was a pause. I looked at Raven who held a tight smile.

“I thought we agreed that me and Ray wouldn’t be a part of the show.”

My mom sighed. “Yes, but our show is missing the familial element we pitched to the network.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Mom, I don’t know if I'm comfortable filming my friends and family night. I have to consider my staff. Our soft opening is already stressful enough with the added pressure of being on TV.”

Silence stretched between us. Raven shook her head while mouthing, “this is bullshit” to me. I nodded, growing frustrated with my parents for commandeering my moment for views.

“Escúchame, princesa. He respetado tus deseos, pero abrir tu restaurante es algo más grande que tú.”

Raven and I locked eyes at the sound of our dad’s raspy baritone. Whenever he pulled the united family card, it was a done deal. There wasn’t room for negotiation or pushback. Calling me was a formality; they needed my consent before showing up.

“But, Daddy. How am I supposed to prepare everyone for lights, cameras, and a production team in under a week?” I couldn't help myself; I pressed my luck anyway.

“Entiendo tu frustración. Sin embargo, quiero que el mundo vea lo orgullosos que estamos de ti.”

My mom interjected. “We will mainly focus on you and your siblings. This is the only chance for us to shoot a family scene. Starling has already agreed.”

Raven kissed her teeth and mumbled, “Of course he has.”

“Raven, is that you?” my mom asked, earning another eye roll from Raven.

“Hi, Mom and Dad.”

“Hi, baby. Robyn, we will talk more about the shoot as the day nears.”