“Maybe you and I can have a spa day at the hotel tomorrow? What do you say?” She drops her hand from my forehead and sets it on her hip.There’s an expectant look on her face.
“I thought we were going to check out the sites?” My dad scowls at her.
“That can wait,” she says, waving away his look.
Seeing my parents quarrel never gets any easier. And though I’m mostly shielded from it these days since I’m away so much, it still leaves me feeling unsettled.
Thankfully, my attention is diverted by the sight of Rob’s towering frame entering the room. Everyone seems to naturally move out of his way, such is his command of any space he finds himself in. The heavy feeling of my parents’ spat instantly liftswhen Christopher steps out from behind Rob, along with a woman that I’m assuming is his sister.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hi,” he responds.
Fireworks go off in my chest.
Just hearing that one word leave his mouth makes me feel giddy like a teenager. Katy Perry’sTeenage Dreamplays out in my head. It’s like his British accent flips a switch inside of me. And ever since last night, it feels like something else has shifted within me too. He’s more than just a craving.
I take a moment to absorb how handsome he is. Tonight he’s got a prep look going on with a baby-blue button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, khaki trousers, and brown boots.
“This is my sister, Kelly,” he says. His hand brushes her long wavy auburn hair as he reaches around behind her to rest his hand on the back of her green dress.
“Great to meet you. Christopher tells me you’re getting married this weekend. Congratulations!” I lean in for a hug.
He looks so much like her. She has the same hazel eyes, the same flick at the end of her nose. The freckles on her face are the only difference.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” My mom looks down her nose at me.
In the daze of seeing Christopher, I’d almost forgotten that she and my dad were there.
“Oh yeah,” I say, whacking my forehead to appease her. “This is Christopher and his sister, Kelly. Kelly, Christopher, this is my mom and dad, Carla and Bruce.” My hand waves between them.
“Nice to meet you,” Christopher says, holding out a hand for my parents to shake. My mom bats that away, pulling both of them in for a hug.
“What do you do round here, Christopher?” Her eyes are like a scanner, moving from head to toe.
In the midst of everything else, I haven’t had a chance to tell her about Christopher yet, about who he is. She wasn’t the most welcoming when it came to Samuel. It almost seemed like she was jealous that he was spending time with me and taking time away from her.
“I’m Alex’s dialect coach,” Christopher says. A look of confusion appears on his sister’s face.
“Oh my God. I’ve always wanted to speak like that old woman in Downton Abbey. Can you teach me?” My mom’s giddy excitement almost knocks Christopher off his feet. She grabs hold of him, and I can’t tell if the discomfort on his face is because of my mom’s grip or his inability to play along with the role. His eyes dart toward me—Help me—etched in them.
“It’s okay,” I say, looking at Christopher and then my mom. “He’s like Samuel.”
I choose my words carefully. A couple of the people lingering in the background, helping themselves to another drink at the bar, seem to be hovering a bit longer than one would expect.
“But Lucy was just here? Is she leaving you?” My mom’s forehead wrinkles.
She’s never been one to pick up on a hint. Her naivety is both a blessing and a curse.
“No. Not like Samuel in that way.” I shake my head.
“Oh. Ohhhhhh.” The penny drops and she takes two steps back to take Christopher in fully.
“Well in that case, scrap the old woman from Downton Abbey. I need to know everything about you.” She interlinks her arm with his, attempting to pull him away.
His widening eyes screamRescue me!
I do love my mom, but sometimes she gets too involved inmy life. Almost as if she is living vicariously through me. Like she’s making up for a life she didn’t get to lead.
