Oh my fucking lord.My parents are never going to speak to me again.
All eyes stare into the screen, eyes wide, waiting for my confession. “I wasn’t pregnant. We simply didn’t want to wait. And, we’re still going to have the big affair. It’s a good thing right? Not living in sin? Father O’Connell thought so.”
“You got married without your mother there?” Aunt Marion’s mouth drops open.
“Not married, married. Just legally tied the knot. There’s a difference.”
Rose shakes her head, Mia looks clueless, and the others smile like Catrina eyeing a pigeon on the window sill.
“Oh shit. Something’s burning on the stove.” I turn off my video and mute but don’t dare log off.
Squares light up all morning and soon the whole bingo crew is online asking about my wedding. The worst is when my mom joins.
Rose defends me as best she can. “They only invited two of Suds’ friends, me and Mia. It was his idea, not hers. She didn’t even know he was doing it.”
I hate how she throws Suds under the bus. Sure, he surprised me but it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. It was a way he could have his dream wedding and still keep the big one expected by my family. He had no way of knowing Mia can’t keep a secret.
“Samantha? Is it true? You got married and didn’t invite me?” My mom’s martyred tone breaks my heart but the decision had nothing to do with her.
“We didn’t want to wait any longer. It was spur of the moment.”
“Not so spur you couldn’t get Father O’Connell.” Her voice is laced with hurt which is exactly what I tried to avoid.
Damn Mia and her big mouth.
“Mom. You would’ve hated every minute of it.” It may not be nice to say but it’s true.
“Hated seeing my only child married? I doubt that very much.” Her screen turns blank so I log off my computer and call her on my cell.
“Shit!” My texts remain unanswered and my calls go to voicemail.
“What’s wrong?” Suds wakes and the floor creaks when he rolls over.
“Mia spilled the beans. We’re busted and my mother may never speak to me again.” I stand under the loft where he grasps the railings and peeks between, much like Cat.
“I’m real sorry, sugar. I should’ve known it would cause a ruckus.”
I picture my mom’s disapproving grimace as she looked down her nose at my bouquet of fresh picked wild flowers. “No way. She would’ve insisted on inviting Aunt Marion, who would’ve requested Joey and Kimmy attend. After them, Vinny, and if you asked him-”
“Two hundred?”
“At least. Which was what we were trying to avoid in the first place.”
He crawls over to his clothes, sits, and dresses. “Sorry, babe.”
“No, Suds. When you were sick, I was so glad I had a marriage license. Can you imagine if I had to bring you to the hospital and wasn’t next of kin? Everything is so much easier when you’re legal. And I love being your wife. It’s kinda nice not to have to hide it anymore.”
Shirtless, he pads down the spiral staircase, his sweats low on his hips. Thoughts of his dirty tongue come to mind and I consider going back up to bed for the duration of the plague.
He glances at the Zoom meeting. “Do you have to stick around?”
“No. I left early. There was nothing gossip-worthy except some woman, supposedly pregnant, who got married in secret.”
“Shit. So I’m guessing they think you lost the baby?”
“Or had an abortion.” I moan and clunk my head on the table. “No matter what we say they will never believe us. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen my mom so hurt which is not fair. We’ve never been all that close.”
“At least your Uncle Vinny will stop trying to marry you off to one of his cronies.”
