“Well, the pregnant lady and the not-pregnant one will be having your cranberry Christmas mocktail, then,” Emi grins at the waiter. “Thanks.”
“Thanks,” I mumble.
Bless him, our waiter quickly writes our orders with a nod, appearing entirely unfazed, and disappears as fast as he can. Solange is frowning at me like she’s still suspicious or something. I can’t believe she shouted about me being pregnant in the restaurant! I want to disappear, but the Christmas buffet menu isn’t large enough to hide me and my shame… She lets out a heavy, dramatic sigh.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I just think it’s a bit of a loss not to have proper champagne for Christmas Eve,” she says, putting her napkin on her lap.
“Lucky me,” Emi grumbles.
“I-I’m sure their mocktail will be delicious,” I force a smile.
She and I exchange a look, and she faintly shakes her head.
Because it’s Christmas Eve, they have a buffet set instead of a menu, so for a while, it’s a ball of people gingerly approaching with empty plates and returning to their seats with a bit of everything. And there are some fantastic choices!! I’m looking forward to the desserts, so I’m holding back a bit on the savory dishes, but before I know it, my plate is already filled with smoked salmon, a mini meat sandwich, seasonal salad, shrimp, and, of course, foie gras on gingerbread toasts!
“That’s all you’re eating, Ophelia?” Solange frowns at my plate the second I put it down. “You don’t need to hold back, darling. You can diet again after the holidays are over. That’s what I always do. Two weeks of soups and hot lemon water, and it all melts away!”
I put on a brave smile, but it always stings, those not-always-subtle comments that pop up now and then, to remind me that I’m the girl who lost a few pounds. Some will comment that I was cuter when I was chubbier, others ask how I did it (and they always get frustrated when I confess that the only change I made was switching from an unsupportive boyfriend to a caring one—but it’s true!). Somehow, it’s worse now that I’ve lost a few pounds; people think that once it’s gone, it’s okay for them to comment on it… or remind me to be careful, worrying like it’s any of their business whether I’ll get it back! Really, it’s silly how nosy people are… It used to upset me so much that I’d cry if I gained weight, because I worried tons about what people would say.
“Thank you, but I’m saving room for the desserts,” I explain.
“Ophelia has been looking forward to Chef Natellier’s desserts,” Nicolas adds, taking my hand on the table this time.
I beam at my wonderful, amazing, supportive boyfriend.
The boyfriend who learned to cook and bake for me.
The boyfriend who was late to a business meeting for the first time ever because he was comforting me when I cried about not fitting into my favorite skirt anymore.
The boyfriend who suggested we throw all the scales in the house away because they upset me. I hadn’t realized how much whichever number they displayed set my mood for several days until he brought it up… and once they were gone, my moods were all mine once again.
My boyfriend, who is gently rubbing his thumb on the back of my hand, because he knows it soothes me.
“Yes,” I blush at him. “I love Chef Mina Natellier. I’ve been following her since she got that feature in my favorite baking magazine. Nicolas got me one of her degustation boxes when we visited Paris. It was heaven!”
“I’ve heard of her!” Emi smiles. “I didn’t realize she worked in Quebec City too?”
“Oh, she’s just doing a special holiday collaboration with the hotel,” I explain. “I don’t think she’ll be here, but she’s designed their new desserts especially for this!”
“I’m looking forward to it as well,” Nicolas adds.
That must settle it because Solange doesn’t add anything after that, and Emi jumps on the opportunity to discuss Chef Natellier’s work with me. We eat, comment on the foie gras, which is just so amazing, and I do get some more! Thankfully, the atmosphere shifts a bit when we move on to chat about the baby’s room, and Emi shows us the pictures. Then they announce the cheese buffet is ready—it’s amazing! I love dessert, but recently, Nicolas has made me try a few fancy cheeses I’d never tasted before, and I loved them. This time, I opt to try some local ones, and just a cheeky slice of my favorite Ossau Iraty, since it’s so rare that I find some! I glance around for desserts, but they still aren’t set up when we return to the table… Curious.
“Are you ready for dessert?” Nicolas asks conspiratorially as we polish off our cheese plates.
“I am,” I chuckle excitedly.
“Why?” Solange asks, leaning forward with interest. “Nicolas, do you have a surprise for Ophelia with dessert?”
“It’s just that I’ve been very excited to try the cherry dark chocolate bûche,” I explain. “I’ve been eyeing the chef’s menu for days, and she detailed her process on her social—”
“Oh, I hoped there would be some good news,” Solange sighs, leaning back in her chair.
Next to me, Emi rolls her eyes.
“If there had been, you would have ruined it,” she grumbles.
“Well, there wasn’t,” Solange snaps back. “No harm done! Am I wrong for wishing happiness for my sons?”
