I’m feeling attacked by this conversation, but Aunt Juliette doesn’t even bat an eye and continues on with her line of questioning.
“Elizabeth, Knox is eight months old. You’ve been engaged and living with Roman for well over a year. When are you two going to get married?”
“You’re not the first person to ask me that lately.” I sigh.
My parents have asked repeatedly about it, my old assistant Blake mentioned it when he emailed me last, and even someone at Zoe’s party complimented me on my ring and asked when the big day was.
“Well, it’s a perfectly legitimate question. This is the longest engagement in our family’s history.” She smiles.
Aunt Juliette’s attempt at a joke falls on deaf ears. My parents have made it quite clear how they feel about me living in sin “for no good reason” and I’m not about to appease their conservative ridiculousness by booking a wedding date at a church I don’t attend.
“I don’t want a church wedding. We don’t even go to church.”
“Then what kind of wedding do you want? I could help you with the planning if you want.”
“A Vegas wedding.”
“Vegas?” she replies with a distinct tone of disdain in her voice.
“Yes.”
“Like the kind of wedding with Elvis officiating?”
Although my aunt is considered the black sheep of the family, I don’t think she realizes just how much of my family’s elitist middle-class ways she still harbors.
“And if I had Elvis officiate would it be a problem?”
“Have you told your parents about this?”
“They are aware and they hate the idea just like you apparently do, but I have my reasons for wanting the wedding in Las Vegas.”
“May I ask what the reason is?”
“There’s a special guest who will attend who lives there.”
“You mean Roman’s mother?”
“Yes.”
“I want Roman to connect with his mother more than anyone, but what about your guests who live here? Do we all have to fly to Las Vegas to accommodate her?”
“My guests can afford it, so yes. If anyone in the Hill or Masterson family chooses to be a part of our special day, then they will have to fly to Las Vegas.”
“But you can also afford to fly Frances here as your special guest. I don’t get why you have to inconvenience everybody else. She wouldn’t want that.”
Roman and I made a bet that if either of us guessed the sex of the baby correctly, that we’d be granted one wish from the other. Getting the Masterson Made tattoo highlighted in blue was part of my gender reveal surprise. Even I didn’t know I was having a boy until Zoe showed me the design when it was halfway completed. So since I guessed the sex correctly, the wish I requested was for us to be married in Las Vegas so we could invite his mother as our special guest. He hates that it binds him to our agreement because his relationship with his mother is quite complicated and it makes him uncomfortable, but I will not cave.
I realize that it’s a risky request. His mother doesn’t have the best track record and we would be putting the ball entirely in her court to show up, but I seriously doubt that she would miss her only son’s wedding, especially if it’s hosted in the city where she lives.
“I’m sorry, but this is something Roman and I decided a long time ago and if we’re going to be honest, you have no idea what Roman’s mother would want.”
“Well, I guess there’s no need to get into a debate about the theory of a Vegas wedding right now anyway, because the way you’re moving it’s not happening anytime soon. I mean, you haven’t discussed a potential date at all and weddings take months to plan.”
“No, we haven’t locked down a date as yet, but I’ve been a little busy with the company and raising this little stinker. When the time comes to plan, you’ll be the first to know.”
I bend over and kiss Knox on the nose.
“Okay, then why don’t you tell me about School Bucks. Could Roman possibly help in some capacity with the business so you can start planning this Vegas wedding?”
