28. Vivian #3
“Vivian is going to be my wife. As far as I’m concerned, she already is; the wedding is just a formality.
This is happening whether we have your approval or not.
But I know my wife would really like your blessing.
Please think it over.” He stands and pulls a piece of paper out from his pocket, setting it next to my mom’s plate.
“This is my mother’s number. I’m sure she would love to hear from you as soon as possible.
We’ll be getting married at the end of the month, and my family is already making arrangements.
Please call her if you’d like a part in the planning. We’ll be going now.”
Michael steps to pull my chair out for me and helps me up. I’m shaking from all that’s happened in the last five minutes and am grateful for his steadying hand.
“I’ll call you soon, Mom,” I say, just now feeling the tears trickling down my cheeks as my body feels the impact of our argument.
The hurt on my mother’s face slices through my heart like a knife.
I don’t like leaving the situation this way, but it’s going to take time for her to process.
Staying here rehashing the same words over and over isn’t going to solve anything.
We have the history to prove it. Best for me to leave now before I let loose things I can’t take back.
Michael guides me out of the restaurant, my sleeve pressed to my eyes to hide the tears running down my face.
Only once we’ve made it to the privacy of where his car is parked do I allow the sobs to take over.
My shoulders hunch over as I rock back and forth, feeling like my stomach has been ripped out of me and Michael holding me through it all.
This feels like a different kind of breakup, and I don’t know if our relationship will ever be the same again. All the pressure, the disappointment, the pure want of having my mother be happy for me—if not proud of me—washes over me in waves and I feel like breathing is too hard a task.
Michael wraps his arms around me, cocooning me between his muscular chest and the car, squeezing me tight and grounding me as I cry it all out.
He strokes my hair softly, not saying a word.
Just being there for me, comforting me, and pressing kisses to the crown of my head as the tears gradually slow, then stop.
When I’m finally able, I tilt my face up to him. His thumbs brush away the strands of hair sticking to my face, then softly caress the line of my jaw. “It’ll be okay, mi amor.” I appreciate that he’s not saying it is okay, because it isn’t. Not at the moment anyway. “She’ll come around.”
“I don’t know that she will.” I sniffle.
“Listen to me, amor. Your mother loves you, and it’s only natural for her not to understand this. She wants what’s best for you, and this is foreign to her, right?”
“We haven’t been on the same page in years,” I admit.
“She’ll see. She’ll learn just how much I love you. How I’m always going to be here for you, no matter what. I’m never going to leave you, carino.” His arms band tighter around me, as if to emphasize his words.
“What if she doesn’t?” I look up at him imploringly, wishing he could say something that will make it all better.
“Then I will be your family, just as you are my family.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “You already have a family with me, my parents, everyone. They all love you, Vivian, just like I did when we first met.”
It never ceases to blow my mind when he tells me he loved me on sight.
That such a pull could exist between two strangers.
That it was real, because here we are now, planning a life together.
A shiver runs through me as I’m comforted that this is really happening, and I snuggle closer into his embrace.
“We will work it out. I know it won’t always be easy, but we will figure it out together.
” He lifts my chin and softly kisses my lips.
My face is swollen and damp from the tears, but it doesn’t deter him.
The kiss is sweet, tender; different from the man who was just defending my honor a few minutes ago, but no less passionate.
As we break away, I stare into those dark, gorgeous eyes that I love so much and feel completely safe and cared for as he looks back at me.
“Now, I know just what will help.” His smile warms me inside.
“What?” I whisper, a small smile of my own creeping over my face.
“Hot chocolate. There’s that new Starbucks place just down the road.
I hear their drinks are pretty good. Let’s get something sweet since we skipped dessert.
” I flush, remembering the last time he mentioned having “dessert” in this context.
“And then I’m going to take you home and make love to you all night long until you’re crying from orgasms instead. ”
I can’t help rolling my eyes even as I grin at him. This man. He knows just what to say to make everything better. Food and humor and sex—what else do I need? I kiss him hard. “Thank you,” I tell him.
“For what?”
“For making me feel better. For loving me. For not running off, after all… that.” I gesture back to the restaurant.
“Look at me, mi amor. I am never leaving you. Ever. And I am going to love you. Always.” He cups my face in his hands as he bends down to look directly into my eyes.
“Things like this don’t scare me. Not when it means I get you.
Us. For the rest of our lives.” His eyes search mine.
“Do you understand, mi esposa ? I want today and tomorrow with you. And the next day, and the one after. I want all the tomorrows with you, until the day we die.” He kisses my wrist, then the finger where his grandmother’s—now my —ring sits.
“It’s my job. My duty. And my pleasure, to make things right for my wife. ”
He captures my mouth in a soft kiss, then looks deep in my eyes as he says, “ Me tienes ahora y para siempre .” Before I can ask what he means, he wraps his arms around me, holding me close as he strokes my hair and says, “You have me now and forever, mi amor.”