Dylan smirks at us, clearly enjoying goading us. “Well, didn’t you mention a boyfriend? What about him? Where is he? I would assume you’d like to be wherever he is?”
“It’s a decision we’ll obviously make together.” She smiles, and then I feel her hand on my thigh, signaling me to relax because I’m ready to speak up to warn him toback the fuck off.
“And what does he mean byboyfriend?” My Aunt Emily interjects, and I am very fucking close to losing it because why is everyone such a fucking shit stirrer all of a sudden? I notice my mother hasn’t looked up from her food and is eating in virtual silence.
“Em—” Elana speaks up, and when I look over at her, she’s gesturing to her to stop. “Maybe you should have some water?”
“I’m fine,” my aunt says with a very unrefined snort before taking another long sip of her drink. “I just didn’t know she had a boyfriend.”
“Why would you?” I speak up. “It’s not like you ever talk to her or have any kind of relationship.”
“Okay.” Elana interrupts. “Tonight is about Sara and Mike. Let’s just keep it about that and their upcoming nuptials.” She tucks one of the jet-black strands not pulled into her low bun behind her ear.
My mom finally looks up and gives Elana a smile before letting it fall as she turns to me.
The rest of dinner was mostly quiet, which is strange, considering we were sitting with the guests of honor. Saint and I talked, with a few light conversations with Elana, but I could feel her discomfort and apprehension that the spotlight would be on her again, so she mostly stayed quiet. My mom talked to Mike and some of the other people around us, but she never addressed either of us for the rest of dinner.
It’s only a few seconds after they cut their red velvet cakethat normally Halle and I would have stayed for since it’s our favorite,that Saint and I prepare to make our exit, making our rounds very quickly through the party. It’s not long after, when we are outside waiting for our car to be brought around, that I hear my name in the distance. I turn around to see my mother walking toward us, and I am already not in the mood for this conversation.
“You have to leave now?” she asks as she approaches us.
“Why would we stay? Between Aunt Emily and your new stepson, they haven’t exactly made the night pleasant.”
“When were you going to tell me about… this?” she asks, pointing back and forth between the two of us.
“Well, actually, we were going to tell you this weekend, but we didn’t want to make your night about this, so we decided to wait,” I say.
“Yet you told me anyway.” She closes her eyes and rubs at her temples. “Sebastian, I thought we talked about this. You can’t actually be serious.”
“Be serious about what? Us being together?” I ask. “When have I evernotbeen serious about that?”
“So this whole time? You’ve just been sneaking around?”
“We weren’t sneaking around.We, as grown adults, just didn’t tell you what was going on.” Saint speaks up. “Because you didn’t understand, and evidently, you still don’t.”
“Who would understand?” my mother exclaims.
“You’re correct. People will definitely not understand. But I would hope, at least,ourpeople would.”
“I don’t. Istilldon’t,” my mother says. “I raised you two together. This is sick. You aresiblings.”
“Well, lucky for us, you no longer have a say in what we do with our lives.” Halle shrugs. “And frankly, Sara, I am tired of this same narrative from you. We get it. You don’t approve. But you can either be in our lives or not. But I am a grown woman now, and I don’t have to hide anything from you. Furthermore, I don’t have to be around you if you’re going to keep making us feel uncomfortable for feeling the way we do. We arenotsiblings, but if you have this much of a problem with us being together, you don’t have to be around us at all.”
My mother looks at me. “So you just don’t want me in your life? Is that what this is?”
“That’s not what I said,” Saint responds. “But if you want to put Sebastian in the middle and force him to choose, by all means, go for it.” She shrugs.
“Mom, you make it seem like it’s us you don’t want inyourlife.”
“Of course, I do.” I see the worry all over her face that I could potentially cut her out of my life. I don’t want to, but I’m not going to subject Halle to this bullshit for too much longer.
“You don’t get me withoutus,” I tell her because deep down I know it’s not about Halle but about Halle’s relationship withme.
“Sebastian, think about this. Think about what people will say.”
“Frankly, I don’t care about what anyone says. I love her, and that’s all that matters. We are going to be together. It’s up to you to decide whether you can support that.” I notice the rental car being brought around, and I nod toward the valet and hold up my index finger. “And I can assure you that any grandchildren that I may give you are going to callherMommy, so I would decide before then where you stand. Neither of us wants our children around people who don’t support us. Family or no family, and I mean that, Mom.” She gasps, and I drop a chaste kiss to her cheek. “Bye, Mom, I really am happy for you and Mike.” I smile at her. “Hopefully, one day, you can be happy for me too.”
“Are you really leaving tomorrow now?” I ask after we’ve been driving for a few minutes. Neither of us said anything when we got in the car, letting the last conversation with his mother sink in.
