by Ivy Smoak
"You knew and you didn't tell me," James said coolly as the door closed behind them. But even after the door closed, you could still hear their voices. "Why didn't you call me? She came to you because she couldn't come to me and you just let her leave? Do you have any idea what I was going through? Did you even care?"
"Of course we care about you," his mother said back. "That's why we were happy it was over."
"Then why the fuck are you even here?"
"Do not raise your voice at me, James."
God, everyone can hear this. Music! "Rob!"
He was staring at the door in horror.
"Rob, do you know how the sound system works? Could you put some music on?"
"Yeah, Penny." He shook his head and stood up. In a few seconds music was blaring through the apartment. I was surprised to see Rob slip out the front door.
Everyone was either staring at me or the door and I had no idea what to do. I felt frozen. What could I possibly say that would make this better? I gave Jen a pleading look. She was so good with people. Please make this better.
Jen laughed awkwardly. "For those of you who don't know my parents, this is just classic Hunter family drama."
It sounded like possibly one person laughed.
"I'm going to go see if they can calm down just a bit for normal social interactions." She smiled and excused herself from the table.
Don't leave me!
Times like this reminded me of how young I really was. All I wanted to do was run to my room and hide and let my parents take care of it. But my parents had no idea what was going on. Everyone was staring at me, wondering what to do. At least the conversation in the hall could no longer be heard. I awkwardly cleared my throat.
"For those of you who don't know, those are my soon-to-be mother and father in-law. They're still adjusting to the idea."
Mason laughed. "They don't like anybody, Penny. Don't worry about it."
A few of James' friends from college laughed too.
"Seriously," Matt said. "I'm still not even sure they know my name and I've known them my whole life. So...are you going to go out there and argue with your new family too?"
"What exactly are they arguing about?" my father said.
I hadn't told my parents about James' parents so that they wouldn't have preconceived notions going into meeting them. I just wanted everyone to get along. It didn't seem like that was a realistic option though. It was time to tell them. "Could I talk to you and mom for a second?" I excused myself and walked into the kitchen. Rory and his friends were all awkwardly standing in there, most likely hiding from what was going on.
"Could you guys maybe go ahead and serve dessert? Hopefully your delicious food will distract everyone."
"Sure thing." Keira gave me a sympathetic smile and dropped the dish she had been scrubbing.
"In-laws," Rory said with a shrug. "They're the worst."
Keira swatted his arm playfully. "You love my parents."
He laughed and grabbed a tray of decadent looking desserts. "Mhm."
She shook her head and grabbed one of the trays. The rest of his friends followed suit as my parents walked into the kitchen.
"What's going on, sweetie?" my mom said. She looked shocked by what had just occurred with James' parents.
"James has a...complicated relationship with his parents." What was the best way to say this? "They never really supported his decisions growing up. And they don't exactly support his decision to marry me."
"When were you planning on telling us this?" my mom asked.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted you to make your own opinions of them. I had this idea in my head that we were all going to be this happy family. But I should have told you. James didn't even want them to come to the wedding. I pushed him to invite them. This," I said and gestured to the door," is all my fault. They hate me. The worst part is that James thinks they hate him. And I know that's not true, they just have a horrible way of showing that they care. I was just trying to fix it. I just wanted us to be able to get along."
"Pen," my dad said with a laugh. "Not everyone you meet is going to like you."
"I know that. But they're going to be my family. I thought they could at least pretend. Their son is getting married."
"From what I can tell, you have a pretty great group of friends out there. That's your new family. You can't force something if it's not meant to be, sweetie," my mom said. "Now, what's this about them thinking the wedding was off?"
"James and I had a fight last night."
"About what?"
I never went to my parents with my problems. Not since before college. I used to share everything with my mom. But now it felt like something separated us. I knew it was in my head, but it was there, a line I could no longer seem to cross.
"Just...issues we've been having. It was bad."
"But everything is okay now?"
I looked toward the front door. It wasn't really okay. James thought he was addicted to me. And he was out in the hallway fighting with his parents the night before our wedding. Isabella was out there somewhere, and the cops didn't seem to care. I had lost one of my best friends. And that cop's words kept nagging me in the back of my head. James had a record and I had no idea what he had done. But it was going to be okay. Our love was enough for everything to be okay. Right? "Yeah, everything is okay now. I just don't know what to do about his parents."
"Did he ask you to fix it?"
"No, but..."
"That's your answer, sweetie. Marriage is a partnership. You have to be a team. If he's distant with his parents, you shouldn't force it. You have to have his back."
"You're right." God, I had been such an idiot. Maybe if I hadn't pushed him inviting his parents we never would have fought last night. I had caused this whole mess. It was about time I fixed it. "I'll be right back."
"Don't you think you should give them a minute?" my dad asked, but I was already walking toward the door.
"Robert Hunter if you say one more..." Mrs. Hunter's voice died away as I stepped out into the hallway.
I expected to see James yelling when I came out. Instead, Rob was standing in front of him and his face was bright red like he had just exploded.
"Why are you protecting her?" yelled Rob. "Isabella's trying to ruin his life. What the hell is wrong with you? All of this is on you. Both of you. Jesus Christ, when will you let this go? Why can't you just let him be happy for once in his life?"
I was wrong. He was still exploding. I put my hand on his shoulder. Rob jumped at my touch. He hadn't heard me come into the hall. He shook his head when he saw me and ran his hand through his hair. It was the same gesture that James did so often. Even if he hadn't been yelling, I would have known he was upset just by that one action. Everyone was completely silent now.
"Rob and Jen, do you mind if we have a minute?" I asked.
"Yeah," Rob said. "But don't listen to them, Penny. They know where she is. They're full of shit."
"Robert!" his mother said in a stern voice.
Rob shook his head and pushed through the door. And that's what I loved so much about Rob. He always had James' back no matter what. And mine. I had learned that last night. His loyalty was almost tangible.
"Sorry," Jen whispered silently to me and followed Rob.
"We do not know where Isabella is," Mrs. Hunter said. "She hasn't been returning our calls. You're not honestly scared of her, are you? She's just upset because you ruined her reputation. She has a right to be."
"I ruined it?" James said.
"This is not the time or place for this conversation, James."
"It's never the time or place! You know what happened between us was not my fault. And in case you don't remember, let me just clear the record. She slept around behind my back! She ruined her own damn reputation. But am I happy that it's over? Yes. Marrying her was the worst fucking decision I ever made in my life. Letting you two pressure me into something that was never in my best interest, just in yours. Sc
rew both of you. What the fuck are you even doing here?"
"Both my sons seem to lose their vocabulary when they're angry," Mrs. Hunter said and shook her head. "Honestly, James, do you really think it's appropriate to curse at your mother? Especially when we went out of our way to come to this...celebration."
"We really don't know where Isabella is, James," his father said, cutting off his mother. "And either way, I don't think she's a physical threat. You have nothing to worry about."
"And 24 hours ago you never would have guessed that she would steal from me either."
"That is not proven yet. It's her word against Isabella's," his mother said and pointed at me.
"Then it's proven." James slipped his hand into mine. "Penny would never lie to me."
"James, don't be simple. How can you..."
"Stop." James' voice was more stern than I had ever heard it before. And his grip on my hand had tightened so that it almost hurt. "What the hell did we just talk about? If you say one more bad thing about Penny, you cannot come into our home. Ever. I won't remind you again."
"Susan," his dad said. "Stop trying to fight this. It's done. You can't always get what you want." He sounded spiteful. For the first time, I wondered how good their relationship was.
Mrs. Hunter frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "I still think it's a mistake."
"No one asked you for your opinion," James said. "I tried it the way you wanted. It didn't work. Neither one of us was happy. It wasn't just on me. You know that."
Mrs. Hunter made a weird noise with her throat and shook her head.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hunter," I said. It was time for me to say what I had come out here to say. I didn't want to hear them fighting about Isabella. I didn't want to think about James' past. Not tonight. Tonight was about our future. "I pressured James to reach out to you because I wanted us to be a family. I realize now that that wasn't really my place. Because it's not James that has the issues here. It's you. You're the ones that need to grow."
"Excuse me?" his mother said.
"I don't want to get into that right now. All I mean is that your son has done nothing wrong. And as his parents, that should always be your first assumption. Not taking the side of his ex-wife. That aside, everyone in our apartment is here because they love and support us. I wish I didn't have to question your motivations for coming. But..." I glanced at James, "you're invited to our wedding festivities only if that applies to you. We want this weekend to be memorable in a good way. No fighting. No wishing I was someone else. No making James feel bad. And absolutely no talking about Isabella. Put whatever problems you have on the backburner for this weekend. Your son is getting married. I don't think I should have to say anything else. If you agree to that, I'd love for you to come in."
James pressed his lips together. Maybe he just wanted them to leave. I was about to ask him when his father broke the awkward silence.
"I wouldn't have come for any other reason," Mr. Hunter said. "I don't want to fight. James, I'm sorry."
I wasn't even sure what specifically his dad was apologizing for, but this was a huge step.
James put his hand out for his dad who eagerly shook it.
"Thanks for coming," James said way too formally for a son to his father. But it was a start.
"Thanks for having us." He glanced at his wife. "I hope to see you inside, Susan." He turned and walked into our apartment.
"I didn't come to make a scene," Mrs. Hunter said. "Obviously. But how was I supposed to feel when we were uninvited. And we walked in on a toast from the Caldwells." She made the now familiar sound of disgust with her throat.
"We're both really close to the Caldwells," I said. "I've grown quite fond of them over the years." I emphasized the word years. Unlike Mrs. Hunter, the Caldwells had welcomed us into their home with open arms. They had never been anything but nice and supportive. I loved them both dearly.
"Still. It's the groom's parents' job to toast the couple at the rehearsal dinner. It's tradition."
"And no one's stopping you. We'd love to have you make a toast."
She eyed me for a second. "Very well. I'd like that very much."
"Okay." I looked up at James. He was busy staring at his mom. He looked like he was in shock.
"Well, are you going to invite me in or not? Honestly..."
"Welcome," I said to his mom. "My parents can't wait to meet you."
"I'm sure they can't," she said and walked through the front door.
"What just happened?" James said when the door closed.
"James, I'm so sorry. I never should have pushed you to invite them. I should have respected how your relationship was with them. I want us to be a team. We should be making decisions together. And I'm so, so sorry."
"Penny." He grabbed my waist. "I get it. I see the way you were raised. You expected to be marrying into one big happy family. I understand why you wanted a relationship with them."
"But I never should have forced it."
"You didn't force it. I wanted it because you wanted it."
I put my hand on the side of his face. "Well, I was wrong. All I want is you."
He smiled. "Well, they're here now."
I laughed. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I think maybe you're right. I would have been disappointed if they hadn't shown. The timing could have been better though."
"I loved Mr. Caldwell's speech. You never told me all those things about your relationship with him. James, he considers you to be one of his sons."
"I didn't know that before tonight."
"Open your eyes, James. Everyone loves you."
"Hmm." He touched the side of my face. "Maybe."
"They do."
"I kind of wish we didn't have a whole house full of people right now. I can't take my eyes off you. This brings me back to when we first moved here." He ran his fingers across the fabric of my dress. "Do you remember what we did after walking around Central Park that night?"
I'd never forget. "We christened the new apartment." Several rooms of it.
"Exactly." He pushed my back against the wall and buried his face in my neck.
Fuck.
"I know everyone's waiting for us, but I want you so badly right now." He grabbed my thigh and pushed my skirt up. "Tell me to stop now, or I'll be too far gone."
I laughed and grabbed his face. "I'd like to be there to introduce our parents to each other."
"That's not going to go well."
"So optimistic." I looked up into his dark brown eyes.
He smiled. His dimples pooled in his cheeks. "Just honest."
"Do you think your mom is really going to make a speech?"
James lowered both his eyebrows. "You're right, we should probably get in there." He let go of my leg. "But, just for the record, I will have you one last time as my fiancée."
I smiled. "I can't wait." Although I had no idea when he was planning to fit that in.
He grabbed my hand and held it tightly as we walked back into our home. I was surprised to see James' father and Mr. Caldwell sitting together laughing. James' mother was at the bar. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daphne kiss Rob's cheek and whisper something in his ear. He had a bad temper like his brother and I was surprised to see that he had calmed down so quickly. Daphne must have secret powers. Maybe she could tell me how she did it. I couldn't wait to get to know her better.
"So where are your parents, darling?" Mrs. Hunter said as she walked up to us. She drew out the word darling. She was clearly mocking me, but I didn't really care.
My mom peered out of the kitchen. She pulled my father out beside her and came over to us.
"You must be James' mother," my mom said. "I'm Julia, Penny's mom. You have such a lovely son."
"Do you know my son well?"
"Well, yes. We all try to get together a few times a month for dinner and board games. James is the undefeated champion of Sequence."
"That doesn't surprise me at all."
"It's a team game, though," my mom said. "Penny's always his partner. They make such a good team."
"Mhm."
"And I'm Peter," my dad said. "Penny's father."
"Are either of you employed?" Mrs. Hunter asked.
"Excuse me?" my father said.
"My husband is missing all the niceties. Jonathan, please get over here," she said. "Now."
Mr. Hunter clapped Mr. Caldwell on the back as he stood up. He walked over with a smile on his face. "You must be Penny's parents," he said with a smile. "You can call me Jon." He stuck his hand out for my dad.
I was shocked at the exchange. James' dad had always seemed as snooty as his wife. But here he was making an effort at least. He was so much warmer than Mrs. Hunter.
"We are so happy to finally meet you," he said with a smile.
Finally? He had only just met me a few weeks ago. I didn't care if it was just a show, it was nice of him to try. He looked genuinely pleased to meet them.
"We love your son dearly," my mom said as she shook his hand. "He's such a wonderful addition to our family."
Mrs. Hunter frowned. "I'd like to make a toast," she said loudly so that everyone could hear. "Can someone turn off that retched music?"
I saw Rory press some buttons on the sound system. First it got louder and then he successfully turned it off. He gave me a thumbs up.
"Honestly, you should get some better help," Mrs. Hunter mumbled.
Rory's friend that had been flirting with Melissa laughed. After getting a death stare from Mrs. Hunter, he grabbed Rory's arm and they both retreated into the kitchen.
Mrs. Hunter cleared her throat and lifted her drink in the air. "I'd just like to make a toast to the happy couple. Clearly there is some kind of substance there since they're actually going through with this whole thing. It's definitely not the arrangement we would have hoped for." She glanced at me. "Clearly. I admire a girl for marrying up, but how this young girl got her claws in..."
"What my wife is trying to say," Mr. Hunter interrupted and grabbed the glass out of her hand, "is that we are very happy that the two of you found each other. Happiness is the most important thing in this world. Life is much too short. It goes by in a flash. So hold onto each other. Hold onto that feeling that you have right now. And, Penny, you seem like such a lovely girl. My wife and I are both excited to get to know you better. I'm just sorry it took so long. Welcome to the family. Cheers to the happy couple." He raised the glass in the air.
