"What part of marriage is fifty-fifty, and how do you keep score?"
He appeared annoyed, shifting in his chair to face me fully. "No one is keeping score, but each party should be able to contribute financially."
A loaded comment if I ever heard one. I had no doubt he was talking about my daughter because she didn't have a job yet.
"Dad!" Manuel exclaimed.
I sat up to my full height, turning to face Jamison too. "There is more to marriage than the financial aspects, andeach partycan contribute in different ways, such as caretaking, cooking?—"
"The top two reasons for divorce are cheating and financial problems, so I think my opinion trumps yours, and right now we're talking about money."
"How much money is enough?" I asked. "Marriage is not a business transaction. It should be about love and compatibility, but I guess you don't understand that because it doesn't fit on a spreadsheet."
"Mom, please!" Blossom hissed.
I heard my daughter but ignored her, having flashbacks to similar arguments with her father about money and structure and the way he prioritized them in our marriage. Manuel seemed more level-headed than his stuck-up, rigid father, but I was concerned Jamison could exert influence over him, to the detriment of my daughter.
No way in hell was I letting her marry intothisfamily. I did not want her to go through the same crap I had to deal with while married to her father.
"I understand plenty about marriage, Ms. Washington, and I understand that love doesn't pay the mortgage. Compatibility doesn't keep the lights on. When things get tough—and they will—a couple needs a solid foundation, which means stability and both parties pulling their own weight."
What an insufferable pig!
"Pulling their own weight?" I repeated, my voice going up an octave. "What does that mean, exactly,MisterHarris? Earning enough money to meet whatever arbitrary standards you've outlined? Because I'm starting to think you don't believe my daughter is good enough for your son simply because she hasn't found a job yet."
"I never said?—"
"You didn't have to! It's written all over your smug face." I gestured at his head, my bracelets crashing against each other with the movement. "I'm sure you've been calculating her worth all night, trying to determine if you should plug her into the liability or asset column."
I watched with satisfaction as his square jaw tightened and anger infused his cheeks with color. "Nottrue. I'm simply being realistic, instead of putting my trust in moonbeams and fairy dust."
I inhaled sharply at the jab.
"I have sacrificed to make sure my son has a better life than I do, and he has done his part by working hard and building his savings. He has a career path and goals, and I want to make sure he continues making smart decisions."
"Marrying my daughter isn't making a smart decision?"
"That's not what I?—"
"I'm sure he worked very hard to get a job at the same bank where his father works. Too bad I don't have any strings I can pull to ensure my daughter gets a job right out of college." My comment was bitchy, but he asked for it.
Blossom gasped. "Mom!"
"Dad, enough!"
I leaned forward, holding Jamison's gray gaze and lowering my voice to avoid yelling and embarrassing us all in this fine establishment. "Stop measuring their relationship based ondollars and cents. What actually matters in a marriage is not how it looks on paper."
"What matters," Jamison said, his voice dangerously calm as he also leaned forward, "is whether they can build a life together in the real world. Not a fantasy world fueled by positive energy and going with the flow."
The second jab landed.
"So if the benefits can't be quantified on a profit and loss statement, they're no good?"
He sighed, shaking his head as if speaking to a difficult toddler. "You have to be realistic, Ms. Washington. We, all four of us, need to be smart about what these two young people are getting themselves into. Rushing into marriage because it feels good is a recipe for disaster."
I sat back, arms folded over my chest. Unbelievable. I had my concerns about Blossom and Manuel rushing into marriage, but Jamison's beliefs were way off. He was concerned about money. I wanted to ensure their energies were aligned so they wouldn't be making a mistake. As long as they loved each other and were properly aligned, everything should work out.
"Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and believe in the connection you have."
