“How short, sweets?”
“Probably about six months. Anything longer would make me crazy. I want something very simple with just friends and family.”
“Would you want to hold it here or in New Orleans?”
A beat passed. “New Orleans. I’d like to hold it in the garden at the DuPont Inn. Of course the Toussaints will do the catering, and we can spend our wedding night in the bridal suite at the Louis LaSalle.”
Lamar breathed a kiss on her scalp. “That sounds good. What about a honeymoon?”
“Have you even been to Puerto Rico?”
“No.”
“Even though it’s still recovering from Hurricane Maria, we can help the economy if we honeymoon there.”
“I’m willing to go along with whatever you want. I believe in the expression: happy wife, happy life.”
“You may come to regret those words.”
“I doubt that.”
Lamar rolled off Nydia, lay beside her, and threaded their fingers together. The minutes ticked into an hour before they got up, shared a shower, and then left the apartment.
Chapter 23
Nydia and Lamar were forced to abandon their plan to drive to Brooklyn when it began snowing at the rate of an inch an hour. So, after picking up the mail at the West Harlem brownstone, they headed back to White Plains. Every television channel aired breaking news about the winter storm predicted to dump more than two feet of snow on the state, and many officials were warning motorists to stay off the road. It was Christmas Day, and there was light vehicular traffic, so they made it back in record time.
Nydia changed into a pair of sweats and assisted Sandra in the kitchen baking cookies, while Lamar joined the others in the basement as they watched Christmas-themed movies most had seen before.
“Did you make up with Lamar?” Sandra asked as she slipped golden brown cookies on a rack to cool.
“Yes, we did.”
“So when’s the big day?”
Nydia gave her sister-in-law a sidelong glance as she squeezed the lever on the cookie press to release heart-shaped dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. “We haven’t set a date.”
“So, you will be getting married?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Sandra hugged her. “Good. I’m not going to say another thing about you and Lamar until you call and tell me you’re officially engaged.”
Nydia smiled. “Thank you.” She finished filling the tray and handed it off to Sandra. “I can’t believe you’ve become so domesticated. You’re spending more time in the kitchen than you do in your office.”
Sandra closed the door to the eye-level double oven. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to balance career and motherhood. Working from home two days a week has made me aware of how much more energy I have to devote to Nelson and the girls. They love it when I get up and make breakfast for them, and I’m home when they get off the school bus. This is not to say they don’t love their great-grandmother, but they claim they like having me home.”
Sitting on a stool at the cooking island, Nydia rested her elbows on the countertop. “Are you hinting that you want to become a stay-at-home mother?”
“I can’t afford that now. Nelson and I are saving money for the girls’ college education, and running a house this size isn’t cheap. I usually commute into the city with a woman who lives in Mount Vernon and went to Brooklyn Law with me, and we’ve been talking about setting up a family law practice together.”
Sandra’s revelation piqued Nydia’s interest. “You’re really considering going into business for yourself?”
The lawyer’s dark eyes twinkled when she smiled. “I’m seriously thinking about it. You and your mother are female entrepreneurs, so I want to round out the trifecta of Santiago women operating their own businesses.”
“I must admit I feel a lot more secure knowing I won’t come in one morning and be handed a pink slip. When do you think you’ll open your own office?”
“I’m thinking about five years. By that time Bree will be in college and Mimi a junior in high school, while yours truly will be turning forty.”
