It was worth it. It was all worth it.
I spied Miranda and Gigi in a corner. They looked perfect but bored, borderline truculent, as I approached.
“This is quite a show you’re putting on,” Miranda said. She drained her wine.
“It’s not a show, and you know it—at least, I hope you know it now.” I shrugged. “I really do love her.”
Miranda glanced at me quickly, then resumed frowning at the crowd. “If you say so.”
“I do.” I sighed. “Listen, I’m about four bourbons in, and I’ve just danced The Macarena. This is about as loose as I’m ever going to get.”
I sighed again. “I’m sorry about the Hot Sauce Debacle. That was mean of me.”
Miranda looked like she might choke.
“I didn’t feel like you were ever nice to me, and once Dad married you, I felt like I didn’t ever really have a home anymore. But that’s not all your fault. It’s mine, too. I felt like I was staying loyal to my mother by being mean to you. That was unfair—and she wouldn’t have wanted that. She would have wanted my father to be happy. I’m sorry.”
“Well. I…” Miranda opened her mouth and snapped it shut.
After taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m sorry, too. I’d never been around children before. I’m sure I could have done things differently. Better.”
I nodded, touched.
She nodded back.
Then I turned to Gigi. “I’m not adopting Luke to spite you. It’s because I love him, and so does Rory, and I want to offer him a stable childhood.”
Gigi scowled at me.
“I’m not trying to assault your character,” I continued. “I know it’s been hard. I know my brother could be difficult, and there are two sides to every story.”
The scowl receded a bit.
“I don’t want to adopt Luke without your blessing. You can be as much a part of his life as you want. I only want what’s best for him.”
Gigi blinked at me. “Okay,” she said after a minute.
“Okay.” I patted her on the arm, nodded at Miranda, and took my leave.
I knew exactly where I was going. It was the same place I’d be going for the rest of my life: to my wife’s side.
When I found her, the music changed to a slow song. “May I have this dance?”
I slid my arms around her, holding her close, relishing the feel of our bodies pressed together, swaying in time to the music.
“Thank you for bringing my family here.” She pressed her face against my chest.
“It was the right thing to do,” I said. “And I intend to start doing the right thing every chance I get. You deserve that.”
She beamed up at me. “When you say that, Rhodes, I don’t know… It makes me feel like I actually do.”
“You do.” I bent and kissed her.
It got heated, fast. When we broke apart, her grin turned wicked.
“We finished dinner, we had cake, we had so many toasts… We danced The Macarena.” The smile went all the way to her eyes.
“How about we get out of here?”
