Chapter 19 Lucy
NINETEEN
Lucy
“I guess the whole point of getting married is that we can tell people we’re married, right?” Miles asks me as we walk into the house. He holds the door open for Ainsley and me.
He stops next to me, and we slip off our shoes. I stare at him for a minute, then realize he’s talking about us.
“Yes, we are married.” The words feel funny, coming out of my mouth. The mozzarella sticks nearly made me forget. “Oh, yeah, we should probably tell everyone. Since that’s the whole point of us getting married.”
Ainsley dashes down the hall. “Wait for me! I have to use the bathroom first!”
We’re left alone, standing by the kitchen island as we stare at each other. Or more like I stare at the giant ring on my finger.
He bought me a ring. What am I supposed to do now? What would a newlywed do?
“I can see you panicking right now…” Miles says softly. “You don’t have to wear the ring. Just when you meet my grandma.”
I nod once. “It’s a very nice ring. I love it.”
“Are you ready to call my parents? They’ll spread the news faster than a wildfire.”
“Sounds great,” I say with a bright smile.
Because we might as well face the music. The whole reason we got married was so he could win this bet with his family. They’re going to have to know.
“All right, let’s FaceTime them.”
Miles pulls out his phone and walks to the living room, and Ainsley comes hurrying around the corner, already changed out of her dress and wearing a yoga set.
“I want to be here for this conversation,” she claims.
She pops onto the couch on the other side of Miles, and I just stand there awkwardly before sitting on the cushion next to him, pretending to be a wife. I sink back against the cushions and try not to touch him.
Ainsley looks back and forth between us.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You guys aren’t even touching each other.
They will never buy it. You both look like you were offered a lime to eat for dinner.
You have to at least pretend to like each other.
Why don’t you just act like you did the night I proposed?
” she suggests. “You both seemed comfortable with each other then. Right now, you’re staring at each other like you’ve never met before. ”
I’m not sure I want to unpack what that could mean.
Miles looks at me and waits for me to give in, then loops an arm around me, tugging me close to him. He holds the phone out as it rings.
Eventually, someone answers, and a woman, who looks a lot like Ainsley in thirty years, appears on the screen.
“Miles, what are you doing? Who is that? Is that a girlfriend? Is that your roommate?” she exclaims loudly. “I’ve been so excited to meet your roommate. Ainsley told me that she’s fantastic.”
“Mom, you realize she can hear you, right?” he says with a snort.
I lift my left hand and wave tentatively. I’m greeted with a big smile and a wave back.
“Oh, I’m so happy to meet you. I feel like I know you already. Both Ainsley and Miles have told me so much about you.”
Miles looks as surprised at this as I do.
“I have more to tell you, Mom.” He reaches for my left hand and holds it still so she can clearly see what’s on my ring finger.
Her jaw drops. “No! You’re kidding! You already proposed, and you didn’t even let me meet her yet?”
“We actually already got married, Mom. Just today.” He grabs Ainsley by the back of her neck and pulls her face into the screen. “Meet my best man.”
Miles’s mom starts practically shrieking, and I think maybe it’s partial delight, partial shock. She doesn’t seem angry, just surprised.
“I have so many questions. So very many.” Then she leans away from the camera and yells someone’s name that I can’t quite make out. A feminine face shows up on the screen next to her.
“What happened? You made Mom yell, and you know she never does that. You did something bad.” She points at both Ainsley and Miles, and then she looks at me. “Or was it you?”
I press my lips together to keep from laughing. She’s wiry and energetic.
“Lucy, meet my baby sister, Karis. Karis, meet your new sister-in-law.”
I can’t help but laugh as she repeats her mom’s exclamation.
Once everyone calms down, Mom points at us.
“I knew it. I knew it when I talked to him on the phone the other day. I just knew something was going on between the two of you, and I’m not surprised it happened so fast. You’re living together—of course it makes sense to just get married.
It just makes me so happy. You don’t know how great he sounded when he talked to me, telling me all about you. ”
I glance at Miles and see that the man can blush.
I laugh and say, “I’d like to hear more. Because I didn’t realize he’d told you so much about me. I’m so glad to know he did. What did he say?”
I try to hide my snicker as Miles pokes my ribs with his fingers.
“Oh, he said you just breathe life into his house. And that he likes being there because you’re there.”
Karis snorts. “Who knew the sucker could fall in love?”
I glance at Miles to see that he’s blushing even harder. I don’t quite know what to make of that—other than maybe he’s just embarrassed that he can’t defend himself.
“Oh, I can’t stop smiling. I wish your dad didn’t have that meeting tonight!” Miles’s mom says.
And it’s then I realize that I don’t even know her name.