by DC Renee
“You’re Paige’s mother, and she loves you regardless of the shitty job you’ve done of being a parent, so I won’t tear you to shreds, but don’t think for one moment that you know her.”
“I know she didn’t want to marry you, and I should have stopped it, but I didn’t. I know her father is a meddling no-good excuse for a father who thinks he can play matchmaker without rules. I know your father is an arrogant son of a bitch that had no right cooking up this scheme with my husband. What do you have to say for yourself?” She turned toward my dad.
“I did what I thought was right for the two of them,” he responded but was wise enough to look embarrassed.
“You’re a sick bastard. You threw two people who hated each other together because you thought it was right? Who gave you the right to toy with people’s lives?”
“I love her,” I interrupted, but Emily was on a roll.
“You told her that her father’s life was in jeopardy if she didn’t do this. Of course, she was going to listen to you! She changed all her plans to marry a man she didn’t love for something that was bullshit.”
“She loves me,” I tried, louder.
“What went through your stupid minds?” She addressed both men. “Did you both just decide that you were bored and needed a better game? ‘Let’s force our children into a loveless marriage for all eternity.’ I love you, Ted, but I hate you more. For once, I’m going to be the mom Paige deserves. I’m telling her about all this so she can escape this bullshit.”
“No!” I yelled louder than I probably needed to.
“You’re free, Enzo,” Emily told me, but she wasn’t really looking at me.
“Emily, please listen to me,” I said as I grabbed her hands in mine, forcing her to see me, willing her to hear me out. “I love her, Emily. I really do. Yeah, it might have started off with hate, but all that’s changed. We’ve fallen in love. I can’t live without her. I don’t want to. That’s why I asked her to marry me, er, renew our vows for our five-year anniversary, and she said yes. That’s why I’m begging you not to tell her. Please, I can’t let you hurt her. And I can’t lose her. I’m afraid this will push her away.”
I didn’t want Paige hurt, and this would devastate her. This entire time, our fathers were lying to us and playing with our lives. She could have avoided everything. I didn’t want her to second-guess herself and her intentions; what she thought she gave up for her family. And truth be told, I was afraid I was going to lose her if she knew the truth. Did she love me because of the circumstances or because she truly loved me? I didn’t dare want to find out.
“I love her, and I’m asking you not to do this to her. I promised her that I’d do everything in my power to make sure she was never hurt, and I intend to keep that promise.”
“Why should I believe you?” she asked.
“Because I’m telling you the truth!” I said a little too loudly, which probably didn’t help my case. I tried to calm down my racing heart before I spoke again. “Please, you have to believe me. What reason would I have to stay with Paige if I didn’t love her now that I had an easy out? I love her so much, and I don’t want to see her hurt. Haven’t her feelings been pushed aside enough all her life? She’s finally happy, and she’s happy with me. I don’t want to lose her. I can’t lose her. Just look into my eyes and see that I’m telling you the truth.” She opened her mouth to speak, but I was worried it would be more protests. “Give me a chance to prove to you that her happiness is in my best interest. At least, give me some time so I can show you that I love her with every fiber of my being. Please, Emily, I’m begging you, don’t tell her,” I pleaded.
“You really love her?” Emily looked at me as if she was seeing me for the first time.
“With all my heart.”
“And she loves you?” she asked.
“I swear it. She’s told me more than once. We’re happy together, I promise.” She looked briefly at my dad as if letting this go was letting him get away with what he did. “I’ll deal with my father my own way,” I assured her, “but please, help me keep my promise to Paige.”
She stayed silent so long I began to worry, but I could physically see her walls cracking through the emotions playing across her face. Finally, she spoke. “Okay, I’ll keep quiet for now. But if I see that you’re lying to me, I’m telling her right away.” I heard a collective exhale from the group who seemed to have been waiting with bated breath for Emily’s answer. I wondered where she had hidden this authoritative streak.
“You got off lucky,” she told my dad before she whipped around and stormed out, with Ted following behind her. She didn’t give him the time of day, but I heard her mumbling about him staying in a hotel until she figured out what to do with him. I didn’t feel sorry for him since he has messed with Paige’s life, but I was fractionally indebted because our father’s meddling had brought us together.
“Is it true?” my mom finally asked my dad.
“It’s true,” he told her, no point in lying.
“I think you should sleep in the guest room tonight,” she told him before she laid a quick kiss on my cheek and whispered she loved me. I didn’t think she’d leave him, but that was progress.
“I knew you were a bastard; I just didn’t think you were this bad.”
“Everything I do, I do for love.”
“You really believe that, don’t you?” I asked him but didn’t wait for an answer. “I feel sorry for you because one day you’re going to wake up and realize everything you thought was true is a lie. You don’t hurt the people you love.”
“Sometimes, you need to fall before you can get up.”
“True, but the reason you fall shouldn’t be because someone you love pushed you down.”
“You’ll understand one day, son.”
“No. I won’t. I thank you for your interfering for one reason, and one reason alone – because it brought me Paige. But I won’t ever understand where you got your reasoning. Good-bye, Father.” I left with the last word.
I’d hate him for all eternity, but I’d be grateful for the gift he gave me – Paige.
Twenty Nine
Paige
I was on cloud nine, no make that cloud nine hundred, maybe two zeros weren’t even enough. Deep in the recesses of my mind, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I wasn’t letting myself think about that because for once, I was truly and incomprehensibly happy. Things were so good that Tami was commenting on my “goofy ole grin” almost every day. “Mmmhmm, someone’s got themselves a little suga’,” she’d told me a few months before, right after Enzo and I first slept together.
“I … I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I’d responded.
“Oh darlin’, you can’t hide anythin’ from me.” She’d just nodded with a knowing smile, and I’d blushed furiously. That was all the confirmation she needed, and now, she teased me mercilessly.
I had already known Nora was Team Enzo, but even though Luke and Chandra were thoroughly thrilled for me, they were still hesitant. Actually, it was Luke being an overprotective big brother more so than Chandra was, but I wanted them to like Enzo.
It took a little convincing since Enzo still had some reservations about Luke, his lingering jealousy coming in full force whenever I mentioned Luke’s name, but he agreed to a double date. Since my method of convincing consisted of the use of my mouth in a non-talking function, I was pretty sure that Enzo would magically need convincing on several subjects from then on, or so he joked. I loved feeling as if I had that kind of power over someone, over him. It made me feel sexy and worthy of his attention and love.
We were a week shy of announcing my pregnancy to the world, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide it from Chandra and Luke. Enzo had read my mind earlier that day. “How are you planning to tell them?” he asked.
“I, uh … am I that obvious?”
“No, I guess I just know you better than you thought. It’s a good thing, Paige. It means I’m learn
ing all about my wife in the right way.”
“God, I love you,” I told him as I wrapped my arms around him.
“I love you, too.” I’d never get tired of those three words. Never.
He’d been so supportive of my pregnancy. No, scratch that; he’d been so protective of me. It took an argument and some convincing to get him to let me drive myself to and from work. He wanted to take me to ensure that we were safe. He tried to not-so-subtly tell me that maybe work and school might be too much for me. I shut him down quickly.
“Why do you have to argue with me?” he yelled.
“Someone has to talk some sense into you!” I yelled back.
“Stop yelling! It’s not good for either of you!”
“You stop yelling!” We had resorted to acting like five-year-olds.
“Okay!” he continued to yell. It actually took a full twenty seconds before we realized how it must have sounded to an outsider, and we both burst into a fit of laughter.
“I want to do this, Enzo. I want you to be proud of me, I want my kids to be proud of me, and I want to be proud of me. I promise if it gets too much, I’ll take some time off, but for now, I feel great. Don’t stop me from living my dreams,” I told him after we had stopped laughing.
“Okay,” he reluctantly agreed. And that was how most of our fights had ended up recently. When he wanted to cater to me as if I was incapacitated, when he scolded the poor guy holding the door open for me at the restaurant we went to for dinner the other day because he thought he was flirting with me, when he insisted I couldn’t watch scary movies because it would frighten the child. We’d argue, we’d laugh, and then I’d reason with him and get my way. “You’re lucky I love that feisty streak of yours,” he’d told me after one argument.
“You’re lucky I love you. Period,” I’d responded.
“That I am; that I am.” Nope, I was lucky he thought that way.
He went with me to my doctor’s appointments and beamed like a proud papa whenever I introduced him as my husband and the father. It warmed my heart and stopped it at the same time.
Finally, after some time fussing with my hair and outfit, we headed out to meet Chandra and Luke.
“Be nice,” I warned Enzo. “Just because you thought we were dating doesn’t mean that was the case. He looked out for me like a big brother.”
“I presume you think I’m supposed to thank him for that?”
“Nah, he won’t expect that.” I smiled, not taking his bait.
“Just remember who you’re married to,” he sulked.
“Never forgot, never will, husband,” I said as I leaned over and kissed his cheek lightly. “Now, promise you’ll be nice.”
“Promise,” he mumbled, but I knew it took a lot of effort for him to do that, so I gave him another peck on the cheek.
After we found our table and saw Chandra and Luke already sitting, Enzo put his arm protectively around me. He tried not to scowl at Luke, but he wasn’t doing a good job of hiding his feelings.
I hugged Luke and Chandra right away as Enzo stood behind me. “Chandra, Luke, you guys remember Enzo.”
Chandra walked around me to get into Enzo’s face. “Three questions, bud,” she started. “You love her?”
I was afraid he was going to be put off by her questioning, but he didn’t hesitate with his answer. “More than I can say.”
“You going to hurt her?”
“Not if I can help it.”
“You going to make her happy?”
“If she’ll let me, I’ll make her happy every day of my life.”
“You pass,” Chandra announced as she threw her arms around Enzo. “Welcome to the family,” she told Enzo as he awkwardly put his arms around her and gave me a terrified look. I laughed and then so did Luke, who had caught the expression.
“Chan, let the poor guy go. She’s a little much, but we love Paige like a sister so you can understand how she’d be a bit protective. I should give you some grand speech about if you hurt her, I’ll hurt you, but if my girl approves of you, then I’m good,” Luke told him as Chandra let go. He held out his hand, and after a beat, Enzo shook it. I could feel some of the tension leave the area and saw the relief on Enzo’s face. Maybe he had been worried about what they’d think of him. Maybe he just needed to hear Luke talk about me in a non-romantic fashion. Whatever it was, it broke the ice, and things were smooth sailing after that.
“Just water for me,” I told the waiter after everyone else ordered an alcoholic beverage.
“Oh, come on, Paige, you can let loose and drink. You don’t have to worry about us. We’re practically best buddies,” Chandra told me.
“That’s not why.” I smiled shyly.
“Oh my God!” Chandra literally squealed and jumped out of her seat before running to me and wrapping me in her arms.
“What am I missing?” Luke asked.
“You’re so dense.” Chandra laughed. “She’s pregnant!”
“Oh! Congratulations!” Luke told Enzo as he got up to give me a hug, too.
“How many months? We have to plan our wedding around the date. Can’t have my bridesmaid’s water breaking in the middle of the ceremony,” Chandra told me as she sat back down after hugging Enzo, too. The look on his face was almost as comical as the first time she hugged him.
“Bridesmaid?” It was my turn to squeal.
“Of course!” And the rest of the night turned into Chandra and me talking babies and wedding while Enzo and Luke started talking about … well, whatever it was guys talked about. I didn’t pay too much attention, but they seemed to have hit it off.
“Before you say anything, I admit your friends are pretty cool,” Enzo told me as we made it home.
“Did you really think they wouldn’t be?”
“I had my reservations,” he told me.
“Jealousy doesn’t count as reservations.” I laughed.
“You want to talk jealousy? There’s a reason I’m not letting you meet my friends. I had enough of them flirting with you that night at the club. I won’t be able to stop myself from handing them their asses now, and I quite like having them as friends.”
I laughed, but his mouth on mine cut it off. A few minutes later and a few layers of clothes discarded, I lost my train of thought. I didn’t mind, though, because as long as I had Enzo, I didn’t need to think. I just needed him.
*****
Enzo and I decided we would have our parents over for dinner the following week to announce the pregnancy. I knew they all thought something was up when we invited them since we had never done that before, but they kept their questions to a minimum. My plan was to have a nice dinner with everyone and then bring out a baby-themed cake. At that, I imagined our parents would get confused and ask questions, and then voila, we’d tell them they were going to be grandparents.
I still wasn’t too fond of Gerry, his attitude, and the way he’d manipulated me into this marriage, but he was Enzo’s dad, so I really couldn’t do anything about that. I was also slightly grateful to him for bringing Enzo and me together. I could also tell that something had happened between Enzo and Gerry recently because the visible tension Enzo always got around his dad was tenfold. I was hoping this dinner would help to bridge things between them. I didn’t want my kid growing up with all that stress.
“Why can’t we just call them and tell them?” Enzo whined. He actually whined. It was the most humble I had ever seen him and that made my heart swell.
“So what you’re saying is that you don’t think our baby is worthy of in-person attention? A phone call will suffice?” I had figured out how to twist a fight in my favor. I wondered where in the heck those skills had been hiding the past four years, but better late than never.
“Dinner it is,” he announced with mock joy, but I’d take it.
When our parents finally arrived, my whole plan went out the window in the first five minutes. I should have guessed our nosy mothers would make their way to the fridge, which
was exactly where the cake was. That would have been fine given it was in a box, but I did mention nosy mothers.
“What kind of cake are we having for dessert?” Connie asked as she pulled the box out.
“No!” I screamed just as my mom opened the lid. Then came the silence. You could hear the crickets a mile away with the way everything just fell still. I think I even held my breath. It took an entire minute, which didn’t seem that long now, but felt like a year then before my mother lifted her head, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She cocked her head to the side in a silent question. I simply nodded in response.
“Baby?” Connie mouthed, the word not making a sound. I nodded again, and she pulled her hands up to cover her heart. I was briefly afraid she was having a heart attack but then both women rushed me as if I was a quarterback they were dying to sack.
Between the sobs and the wishes said out loud, the men must have heard because only minutes later, Enzo, Gerry, and my dad walked into the kitchen.
“We’re having a baby!” my mom yelled out to them followed by Connie repeating her words. “We’re having a baby!”
Enzo looked at me puzzled, obviously wondering why I told them. I motioned to the cake on the counter with my eyes. I saw as understanding dawned on him, and he smiled wide before handing the cake to our fathers. “Well, it’s more like Paige and I are having a baby, but you get the point.”
My dad beamed, and even Gerry smiled, but his was like that of a Cheshire cat. It was almost smug, and I could practically hear his thoughts, all thanks to me. I didn’t let it ruin my mood, though. I wouldn’t let it.
Dinner was very smooth after that but mostly filled with baby talk. Boy or girl? Names? Will you continue to work? What about school? Are you taking prenatal vitamins? The list went on.
I’d had a fairly smooth pregnancy thus far, but there were moments of lightheadedness when things were too much or when I got a bit of morning sickness, and my bladder was starting to feel like it needed more space. It was when my mom and Connie declared they were cleaning the table so I could rest and take care of their first grandchild that I excused myself to take a breather in my room.
