We’ve gotten through Jessa’s trial with her ex-boyfriend. My mom is doing well, and I honestly feel sick over the idea of hiding Lincoln for another moment.
Everything seems relatively normal as we head to my parents’ backyard, where everyone else is waiting for us. My newly-sized ring is on my finger. It’s gold with a large cushion cut diamond in the center. Lincoln went simple with a black band on his finger. It feels weird to actually wear it out, but I’m ready. We’ve got this.
I pull the sliding door back and my mother is on her feet, dragging a tall, brown-haired man in my direction.
“Oh, there you are. Penny, this is Oliver. He works in the legal department of?—”
Lincoln is still next to me, and it seems like everyone is facing in our direction.
“Mom,” I say her name softly, trying to resolve this quickly and quietly.
“I know you said you weren’t dating, but that was months ago. You have your new job with Krystal. You seem happy.”
“Oliver, I’m so sorry,” I tell him and my mother looks affronted.
Lincoln says nothing next to me, but I can feel the tension rolling off of him.
“Oliver, I think you should go,” I tell him gently. He looks around uncomfortably and then back down at my mom.
“Come on honey, just give him a chance. He’s not a loser like?—”
“Mom, Oliver needs to go because I’m not interested in dating anyone, because I’m… I’m married,” I say, holding up my left hand and she gasps.
“Holy shit,” Gavin whispers.
“Oh, fuck,” Jessa adds in.
“What am I missing?” Maggie asks, looking at me.
Lincoln takes a step next to me and I take a deep breath. Lincoln has fought for us to be together since the very beginning. This is my time to prove that I’m all in. This is the moment where I prove that I was worth all the effort, that I love him as much as he loves me.
“I’m married. I’m sorry, Oliver, but if you could go,” I tell him and he grumbles under his breath before leaving.
“You’re married? I didn’t even know you were dating. You had a wedding and didn’t invite your family? Who is he, where is he?” my mother questions her tone nearly shrill and I wince, worrying about her blood pressure.
“Mom, if you could sit down,” I ask.
She gapes at me, looking pissed as hell as she takes a step back and sits next to my dad.
None of them seem to be connecting the dots, minus the twins, Jessa, and, surprisingly, Aiden. I suppose I don’t blame her for telling Aiden if she did. I know I tell Lincoln everything, it would only make sense that Jessa slipped up, I don’t blame her. If anything it probably prepared him for this moment.
“We’re married,” Lincoln says, holding out his hand, clearly tired of the bullshit.
All four of our parents have similar expressions of shock. I try to not let it bother me, I knew there would be push back, that this wouldn’t go over well, it’s what I was so afraid of.
“Excuse me, you fucking what?” my mother asks and I swallow, my heart sinking with her disapproval.
“Lincoln and I are married. We got married while we were in Vegas,” I blurt out.
“That was nearly two months ago,” my aunt Maggie says in a soft voice, clearly trying to process it all. I don’t fault any of them, I get it, I really do. But haven’t they seen the change in both of us? They had to know something was going on in each of our lives.
“How long?” my dad asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“How long what?” I ask as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“How long has this been a thing?” He waves his hand between us, clearly in disapproval.
“Since the beginning of summer.”
