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“She married up and got to live a life she’d only dreamed about, but I guess when I came along, she lost most of her newfound independence.” I shrugged, having come to terms with the fact that I had an emotionally selfish mother. My throat still tightened regardless.
My best friend clasped my hand. “Well, I for one am beyond happy that she gave birth to you. I can’t imagine going through life without my BFF.”
Her words lightened the heaviness on my shoulders, and I squeezed her hand. “Same. And nothing will ever come between us. We’ll always be close, and our kids will grow up together and love each other just as much as we do.”
“Promise?”
“Definitely.”
“Good,” Jenny stated. “Because you’re the only friend I know who keeps her promises.”
“You do too,” I reminded her, and she blew me a kiss.
Mr. Destil—Lloyd, he insisted I call him once they’d married—returned with my mother after the two weeks I had to walk on eggshells, sneak around the house, and plug my ears on a nightly basis. I managed to avoid Gideon for the most part, staying over at Jenny’s more often than not, but even though he continued to give me the kind of looks that set my nerve endings on fire and made my underarms tingle, he kept his distance.
Days passed without incident, and I eventually breathed easier.
Gideon’s dad and my mother continued to be wrapped up in one another, half the time not even acknowledging our presence. At least we settled into a quieter routine—until Mother remembered I had a big birthday coming up in early March.
She brought it up one Sunday morning while we sat down to eat breakfast as a family, her new requirement to pretend at being a Normal Rockwell painting.
“Lloyd, darling,” she said while smiling at me, zero trace of actual happiness in her cool eyes, “our daughter’s sixteenth birthday is next month.”
“The big sixteen.” Lloyd grinned, and I ignored his light chuckle while nibbling on my toast. “Will it be a sweet one?” His voice hinted at teasing.
Mother actually hissed an admonishment at him I’d heard dozens of times. “Of course it is,” Mother stated, her tone haughty. “Addilyn has been brought up as a proper young lady. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I answered on autopilot, wondering not for the first time if she’d sheltered me from boys because she hadn’t been.
“And since we’re having a girls-only brunch over at the club,” Mother continued, “there will be no boys around to steal her first kiss, which she’s been saving for that special someone since the first time we discussed waiting.”
Gideon slid his foot along mine, and I shot him a glare. The corner of his lips quirked, his eyes promising he’d love to be the one, but I narrowed my eyes, reminding him he’d get no such thing.
“Actually, Mother,” I turned toward her, forcing the tension from my face, “I was thinking it would be nice to have the party here. That way Lloyd and Gideon can enjoy the day too.”
Bullshit. I just needed a chance to see Devon on March twelfth, and with Lloyd and his father becoming friends, getting his entire family invited wouldn’t be an issue.
“I’m all for cake and ice cream,” Lloyd said. “And I’d hate to miss her big day.”
“And leave me with a mess to deal with afterward?” Mother shook her head, lips pursed. “I think not. The party will be at the club, and luckily, your birthday is on a Saturday this year. We couldn’t have asked for a better day of the week.”
I went back to my toast, wishing I had the nerve to remind her that she wouldn’t have a mess to clean up. That was what the household staff was for.
Mother went on naming her guest list ideas I tuned out, and Gideon gently touched my foot again with his.
Weary, I didn’t bother with a glare. The lust vanished from his eyes, and the empathy crossing the table between us filled me with a similar connection I’d felt on our parents’ wedding day.
A rare moment without fighting. An even rarer moment of letting my guard down and allowing whatever it was I felt between us to open up. Expand and leave me breathless.
He knew my pain, witnessed Mother’s wrath firsthand—and wanted to protect me from it.
Throat tight, I couldn’t swallow my chewed-up toast. I carefully reached for my water to wash it down, remembering the sting of Mother’s words after I’d ruined her wedding dress. She’d gone on and on about it after we’d both changed and ended up downstairs at the same time—not intentionally. I’d never been so berated in my life and had found myself flinching beneath her accusations that I’d wanted to steal her happiness on her day.
As if my birth alone hadn’t already robbed her of her life’s joy.
If only Lloyd had shown up to ease her anger like he’d promised to do. At least I’d managed to escape before her voice escalated to shrieking so everyone in the household would’ve heard.
I wouldn’t have been able to stomach the embarrassment.
