See? Family!Oberi barked.
“I can’t breathe,” I rasped.
“Sorry.” Ez let me go, but his voice cracked when he spoke. “This is going to mean so much to Ava. When we were kids, she would go on and on about what her wedding was going to be like. It was kind of sad to see you get married so fast, because I know that ceremony wasn’t what either of you wanted. I’m so glad that you’re going to give her her dream wedding.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I asked as he sat back down. “Because we’re already married, and you’re next on the list. I don’t want to take any attention away from you.”
“No, this is perfect. If there’s a royal wedding, it’ll take the heat off me asking Opal before I’m ready. Mom can worry about you two instead of harping on me to get on with it.” Ez chuckled. “Going to your wedding is going to give me ideas. I can’t wait to attend!”
I took a pause. “Well, actually… I’d like you to be a groomsman.”
Ez’s voice raised a few pitches. “Me? A groomsman? Wow. I’d… I’d be honored.”
I laughed. “I guess I don’t have to ask to be your brother, because that sounds like ayes. I still need to talk to your parents, though. Can you get the rest of your family around tonight for dinner?”
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Ez said. “I’ll make sure everyone’s there tonight.”
I was hoping Ez kept his mouth shut long enough for me to actually talk to the rest of the people in Ava’s family, and even though I only had to wait a few hours to ask them, it felt like time dragged by until it was time for me to leave.
At seven o’clock, Oberi and I arrived at the Mitoh residence. The door swung open before I could knock, and Sophia threw her arms around me. She still had her oven mitts on, and the scent of fry bread and smoked fish filled my nose.
She must’ve been standing there watching through the peephole, just waiting for me to show up.
“Charlie, it’ssogood to see you!” Sophia said brightly. “I’ve been cooking all day. Come, have a seat!”
She led me over to the table and practically shoved me into a chair. I was able to gather that there were already several people in the room, by the sound of the chatter around me. I barely tooka breath before she started scooping food onto my plate. “Here, try the mashed potatoes.”
“Mom,” Alana said from several seats away. “That’s too much.”
“Nonsense!” Sophia replied. “He’s a growing boy.”
“I’ma growing boy,” Maverik pointed out. “He’stwenty-four!”
Ez sighed. “Ancestors, Mav. You make him sound so old.”
“You boys don’t know what old is,” Liam complained beside me. He was obviously in agreatmood.
“Liam, please,” Sophia said. “You’re in your forties.”
Ava’s father leaned back in his chair. “And every one of these years I’ve lived has been long.”
A knock came at the door. Liam sighed and got up from the table to get the door.
“We brought cake!” a woman exclaimed.
“Imogen, Jonah.” Liam said their names like he was sick of them dropping by unannounced. “You weren’t invited.”
“We justhadto come,” Jonah insisted.
Ava’s aunt and uncle barged past Liam and pulled up a chair on either side of me. Jonah draped an arm around the back of my chair. “Ah, the man of the hour!”
I turned to Ez. “You told them, didn’t you?”
“They hounded me!” he defended. “And how could I keep such great news to myself?”
I sighed and decided there wasn’t really a point in making small talk. “Well, now that everyone knows, I guess we can just get to it. I know Ava and I are legally married, but I never got to give her the traditional wedding she deserved. My grandfather wants to throw us a royal wedding, combining both Hawkei and Elvish traditions. Because of this, I came to ask for acceptance into your family.”
This was kind of hard. I’d been rejected one too many times before, and now I was basically asking for it. It took a lot for me to open up like this. I practically had to force myself to do it.
