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I hear Em’s breath hitch as I say the word ‘girlfriend’. I guess this is one of the first places we’ve had to use that phrase, outside of Em’s hospital appointments. I need to make a point of calling her it more often, since she seems to like it. Using my free arm, I needlessly point to Mum as I introduce her. “Em, this is my Mum, Sharon.”
Em holds her hand out for Mum to shake, but she completely ignores it, and instead pulls her in for a big hug. I can’t help but chuckle at Em’s startled yelp, but she hugs Mum back nevertheless.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs—”
Before Em has the chance to call her by our surname, Mum cuts her off. “None of that. We’re family now, so you can call me Sharon. It’s so lovely to meet you, and you really are just as beautiful as Lee said.”
The blush on Em’s cheeks spreads as she looks from Mum to me, lost for words. I decide I better save her now while I can. “I’m going to go get us a drink, Mum, and introduce her to everyone. I know you were busy when we interrupted you, so we will let you get back to it. I just wanted to make sure you were the first to meet her.
Mum smiles, her whole face lighting up like this is the happiest she’s been in a while, and she reaches up to pinch both my cheeks. “You’re a good boy,” she says, before releasing my now stinging cheeks and turning towards Em. “I will come and find you later when I’m not so crazy busy. I want to find out all about you. Lee has told us a little, but you know what men are like. They don’t know how to tell a good story, missing out on all the juicy details.”
Em chuckles nervously and tries to hide the apprehensive look on her face. “I look forward to speaking to you later.”
We say our goodbyes, and just as we’re about to head out, Mum calls me. Turning my head over my shoulder, she says, “Don’t forget you’re doing the speech later, Lee. Please tell me that you have something ready to go?”
She looks worried, and it has been for the last two weeks since she asked me to do it. Mum is a massive control freak, and she’s organised every single piece of this party, to make sure it goes off without a hitch. My sister wanted to bring the cake, but Mum would only let her if she got to pick the design. My sister wanted it to be a surprise for Mum and Dad, but she wasn't having any of it, and in the end, Lena actually took Mum to meet the baker, so Mum could make sure she got the design she wanted. I, on the other hand, refused to be a pushover. No matter how many times she’s demanded to see my speech over the last two weeks, I’ve held firm.
At one point she told me I couldn’t do it unless she approved it, and so I told her she could find someone else. She backed down in the end, but it’s still been a sore subject between us ever since.
“I have my speech ready, Mum. Don’t you worry, just enjoy the party,” I say, as I lead Em out of the kitchen and into the fire—I mean garden.
I don’t even know how long we spend going around to all the guests. It feels like fucking forever, but everyone wants to meet Emmaleigh. She’s like the star attraction of the party, and I can tell being in the spotlight is hard for her. But she does so well, talking to everyone, answering all their questions. Honestly, I think I’m losing my patience a lot quicker than she is.
Once we’re sure she’s met everyone, we take our seats beside my sister. She’s a little like me, and she doesn’t make meaningless conversations. So I know she’ll only talk to Em if she has something important to be said. It gives me and Em some time alone to chat and catch up.
After an hour or so, Em starts to settle in, and everyone stops looking at her like she’s the main event. It also helps when Mum says the buffet is open, as food is always a good distraction. As we walk to the back of the buffet line, I notice Em’s limping a little more than she was before. I pull her closer to me and whisper in her ear, trying to ignore the way she shudders when my breath touches her neck. “Are you okay? I saw the limp just now.”
She turns to face me, the corners of her lips turned up, but I can see the pain she’s trying to hide. “I’m fi—”
“Don’t you dare say you’re fine,” I say, cutting her off before she can finish her sentence. My eyes widen, giving her the look I usually reserve for the bedroom. The one that tells her I’m not taking any shit from her. She rolls her eyes, and I make a mental note to punish her for that later.
“Fine. We were standing a lot while you introduced me to everyone, and it hurt my hip a bit. I just need to get my food and sit down for a little while,” she explains as she picks up two paper plates. I grab the cutlery and serviettes for us both and we swap.
“Okay, but in the future, just tell me. I’m sure everyone here would have come over to us, they’re all that damn nosey,” I grumble as Em laughs, nodding her head.
Leaning over, she places a quick kiss on my lips. It’s not nearly enough for me, but given we’re surrounded by my family, more eyes on us than I would like, I understand why she pulls away.
* * *
The rest of the party passes by in a blur. Emmaleigh fits in with my family like she was meant to be there. The only thing they couldn’t get onboard with is the fact Em wouldn’t have an alcoholic drink. She had to tell my mum at least three times that she can’t drink because of her medication, but she finally stopped pestering her in the end.
As the sun started to set, and the music got louder, my family party got a lot rowdier. The women of my family had moved all the chairs to the side and they created a make-shift dance floor in the middle of the garden. Thankfully, half the neighbours were at the party, otherwise it wouldn’t take long for the noise complaints to start.
My sister walks over to where I’m sitting, my arm thrown over Em’s shoulder while she snuggles into my side. I love that she feels comfortable being like this with me in front of my family. I’m not the sort of guy who is bothered by public displays of affection. If I want to hug my girl in the middle of a supermarket, I will.
“Hey Lee, Hayden is getting a little ratty—which is code for he’s being a little shit because he’s tired—so we’re gonna head off soon. Shall we get the cake and speech done now? If we wait much longer, everyone is going to be too pissed to even remember,” she points out, and as I look around the garden at the people in attendance, I can’t help but agree with her. Some of my family—mostly the ones on the dancefloor—are already too far gone. One of my uncles is asleep in the corner, and I see at least two more who are close to nodding off too. She’s right, it’s now or never.
Suddenly, the nerve I wasn’t worried about earlier comes flooding to the surface. My heart’s racing so fast I can hear it beating in my ears. I try to slow my breathing down, taking some deep breaths, but it’s not until Em lays her hand on my arm that I start to calm down. She always finds a way to ground me.
“Don’t be nervous, Lee. You’ve got this,” Em whispers into my ear as my sister and Cain head into the kitchen to grab the cake.
Once I see them standing at the door, ready to bring it out, I stand up, and with a few big deep breaths, I shout loud enough to get everyone’s attention. To help, Em hits her knife on the side of her glass, and everyone turns to face us. “Sorry to interrupt your evening, but it’s that time of the night. Will you all take your seats, please.”
Everyone waddles back to their chairs, and I guide Mum and Dad over to the front of the garden, beside the table which has room to hold the cake. Once everyone is seated, I begin. “Firstly, I want to thank you all for coming. I’m sure you will all agree this has been an amazing party, and Mum has done such a great job organising it.”
Applause and cheering interrupts me, while Mum waves her hand away, like she’s trying to act modest. She loves it really. As much as she moans, she lives for her family, and having everyone together like this, it’s what she loves. Even me, who fucking hates any kind of family gathering, has to admit this one hasn’t been too bad. Probably because Em’s here.
“As you all know, we’re here to celebrate Mum and Dad’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. Which is a bloody long—”
