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“Not with my son!” she snaps, her loud voice startling me. “Do whateveryouwant, but don’t involve my son. He deserves so much better,” she adds, causing a pang to my heart.
“We’ve even talked about marriage. Our feelings are—”
“Oh, just shut up,” Julia barks, storming out of the living room and back to the hallway. “He’s nineteen years old for fuck’s sake.”
I follow her, hurrying myself before she can reach the door. “Julia, listen!”
She stops in her tracks, turning around slowly, her eyes staring at me like they could shoot daggers. “As long as I’m alive, you can be sure he’ll never marry you.” Her harsh words have managed to paralyze me. If I thought Elise was cruel, I can now see where she got it from. Julia charges down to the door, exuding anger in her stride. After opening the door herself, I’m convinced she’s gonna leave, but she turns one more time, a pensive look on her face. “You may tell Andries we’re cutting him off until he stops this silly affair with you.”
I frown at her statement. “Cutting him off?”
“Yes, no more allowances and no more bills paid on his behalf,” she explains. “There’s no point for him to come back home either. He’ll be totally on his own. You should let him know what he’s getting himself into.”
Before I can even say anything in return, Julia shuts the door behind her, leaving me staring at the empty foyer. Fuck! I run a hand through my forehead as I heave a long exasperated breath.
I fall down next to the refrigerator, disillusioned and crestfallen. Julia’s remarks have left a gaping hole in my heart. There’s no way I’ll ever gain redemption in her eyes. After a few moments, I help myself to a glass of wine and head back to the couch, dropping down. I pick up the TV remote and switch off the TV in desperate need for silence. Will Andries accept being disowned like that by his family just to be with me? He’s so young! What if he stops loving me in a few months and realize he made a mistake? What if he misses his family to the point he will choose them over me? I can’t imagine him being cut off by his family like this—I don’t think I’ll be able to live with the guilt if he does. I take two quick gulps from the wine, dialing the reception.
“Reception, how may I help you?”
“Has Julia left the building?” I ask, my heartbeat quickening at the simple mention of her name.
“Yes, ma’am, she actually just left.”
“Thanks.”
After hanging up, I call Andries, and I’m positively surprised at how quick he answers me this time.
“Hey! Is everything alright?” he asks, his tone softer than usual.
“Not really,” I fess up, unable to lie. “Your mom just left the building, you can come up.”
“What happened?” he asks, sounding worried.
“We’ll talk when you come back,” I tell him, before I hang up and drop the phone on the couch.
I had never dealt with so much disrespect and humiliation than with my last interaction with Julia. Maybe she’s right—maybe he needs protection from me. My heart is heavy and I’m beyond lost at what I should do next. I sit back on the couch, mingling with gloom, her words replaying in my mind. I know she’s not bluffing. I know she and the rest of his family truly intend to disown him. But how can Andries possibly handle this situation?
Moments later, I hear the creaking sound of the door opening. But I’m just too shaken by the whole incident to go and greet him so I just remain on the couch, listening to the sound of his footsteps as he heads to the living room. When he finally comes around, a concerned look on his face, his eyes travel from the empty glass of wine to me. He moves closer, dropping down beside me. Then, without a word, he curls an arm around my shoulder and leans closer, pinning a quick kiss on my cheek. We remain like this for a moment, neither of us finding the will to talk. It’s a comforting silence, but he needs to know the truth. I need to find the will to tell it to him.
“Did my mom say anything horrible?” he wonders, nearly in a whisper.
Tears start trickling down my eyes. I never minded people not liking me, or even despising me, but when it comes to the mother of the man I love, it’s a different story.
Her words take a domineering hold on my mind, weakening my resolve, and when I turn to Andries, intending to tell him about her disturbing utterances, I can’t find the will to speak. I take a few deep breaths, trying to compose myself, but it’s harder than I thought.
“Baby, what happened?” His soft voice makes my heart ache, and he starts rubbing my back in a failed attempt to soothe me.
Oh gosh! What have I done?
“What did my mom say to you?” he asks again, pinning short kisses on my head.
“She, um…” I sniffle my tears back and try to find the courage to tell him the rest. “Your family will be disowning you if you don’t let go of me. She was pretty serious.”
Andries immediately withdraws his arm from my shoulder, dropping one hand on his brow. He looks speechless and utterly shocked by my revelation. His new lost expression leaves me fraught with fright. I imagine this would be the end. It has to be. Andries won’t just lose his family for me. That would be overreaching.
“I have enjoyed every moment with you, Andries,” I tell him as I lay my hand on his. “You have taught me how to love. You’ve made me realize the importance of love in making the world a better place. If this is how our relationship ends, I want to let you know that it has been a great ride. I have enjoyed every bit of it, and I totally understand if you want to break up,” I say, exuding a sad smile. He turns toward me, his brows creasing in confusion.
“What are you talking about? I’m not going to break up with you. That’s out of the question.” He leans forward, just enough to plant a chaste kiss on my forehead. “We’re both making sacrifices for this to work. Since you’re giving up your agency for me, I don’t mind giving up my family for you. I knew this would happen sooner or later.” I blink twice, my lips parting at his words. “My parents are stressing out because they can’t control me anymore. That’s all.”
