“I understand,” I said automatically even as I screamed expletives on the inside.
“Excellent. We’ll send our itinerary once it’s finalized.”
She hung up before I could respond, which was just as well. I had no idea what I would have said.
I stood frozen, phone still pressed to my ear, as the reality of the situation sank in. My parents were coming to Chicago. They would meet Mari. They would see us working together. They would find out about the Modern Wedding feature based on Mari’s app concept, and I really was the failure they expected.
Everything was going to fall apart.
“Hudson?” Mari’s gentle voice pulled me back. “What’s wrong?”
I blinked, trying to recalibrate. “That was my mother.”
“I gathered that much. What did she want?”
I drew a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “She and my father are coming to Chicago. For the Kussikov-Martin wedding.”
“Oh.” Mari looked puzzled by my reaction. “You mean they invited themselves to an exclusive celebrity wedding?”
“They’ll find a way to weasel themselves in,” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
“When are they coming out?”
“In two months. For the final planning stages and the wedding itself.” I kept my voice carefully neutral, hiding the panic churning inside me. “They want to... help.”
“That’s... bad?” she ventured.
I finally stepped back, running a hand through my hair. “It’s complicated.”
“Hey, you’ve heard all about my parental issues. I understand complicated.”
“You don’t understand my parents,” I said, unable to keep the edge from my voice. My perfect, polished, ruthlessly accomplished parents, who had never approved of anything I’d done unless it aligned precisely with their vision.
“Well,” Mari said, clearly trying to lighten the mood, “I guess I’ll find out in two months.”
Panic flashed through me. I needed to tell her the truth—about the Modern Wedding feature, about stealing her ideas, about everything—before she found out some other way. Before my parents arrived, and inevitably let something slip.
“Mari, there’s something I need to tell you. About my parents. About... everything.”
She looked at me with those clear blue eyes, waiting, trusting. “I’m listening.”
The words died on my tongue. How could I explain what I’d done? How could I tell her I’d betrayed her trust before I’d even earned it? That the app concept she’d just shared with me so vulnerably was already being featured in Modern Wedding under my name?
“Actually, not tonight,” I said instead, hating myself for the cowardice. “It’s late, and you should get some sleep. Anica and Devonna leave tomorrow, right?”
“Right,” she said slowly, her brows furrowed. “But?—”
“We’ll talk on Monday,” I promised, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “First thing.”
She studied my face, searching for answers I wasn’t giving. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. It’s just... parent stuff.”
“Okay,” she said finally. “Monday.”
I nodded, relief washing over me at the temporary reprieve. “Monday.”
But Monday came and went, and I still couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth. Instead, we fell into our work rhythm. We both seemed determined to focus on the wedding, pushing aside whatever had sparked between us that night in the office.
