Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Julia pressed her lips together as she carefully minced garlic. Her mother was nearby, plucking fresh basil leaves off the plant that sat near the kitchen window. Already the kitchen smelled fragrantly of spices, and they had only just started to cook. A pot of spaghetti was boiling on the stove, and a large bowl of freshly-washed lettuce leaves was waiting to be dolled up into a Caesar salad.
“I hope Faith likes spaghetti and meatballs,” Vivian said, sounding eager. “You kids always loved it. I remember your father used to say that this Owens’ meatball recipe is the best in the world. And you can’t go wrong with a Caesar salad. Even people who don’t like salads tend to like them, I think.”
“Mmm,” Julia said, smiling at her mother but only half-listening. She was looking forward to spending time with her new cousin, and certainly the rest of her family, but she was terribly distracted. Ever since learning that Cooper’s family was coming into town, she’d been feeling nervous about their visit.
She’d tried to talk about it with Cooper, hoping that their conversation would soothe her nerves. She hadn’t told him that she was feeling anxious, but she’d asked him questions about his family, wanting to know what they were like. She’d been hoping that she would share a fair amount of similarities with them and that he would tell her things that would help her feel more confident that they would like her. Instead, however, he’d shared that they were extremely outdoorsy and liked to camp, hunt, and fish.
Julia felt that she was the complete opposite. She didn’t mind camping, or at least she hadn’t when she was a kid, but she was not inclined to lie down on the cold hard ground when she could sleep in a soft bed instead. She loathed the idea of hunting, and whenever her family had gone fishing when she was a kid, she’d participated with a striking lack of enthusiasm.
“I just had a thought,” Vivian said, pausing in her work of mixing ground beef together with chopped onions and garlic, breadcrumbs, and various spices. “What if she’s a vegetarian?” She laughed nervously. “Oh gosh, I should have thought to check. Or what if she’s vegan?” Vivian sounded alarmed at the thought.
Julia laughed. “She would have told Alexis that after she got invited to dinner if she was. People with dietary restrictions tend to always say something if they’re going somewhere for dinner—they know most people are going to assume that they can eat anything.”
“Oh, you’re probably right.” Vivian smiled, looking mollified. “But I’ll serve the meatballs on the side and have plenty of cheese available, in case she’s a vegetarian.”
Julia chuckled and then went back to her brooding. She tried to picture herself getting along with her new relatives, but she couldn’t help imagining the opposite. She pictured big, burly men and women who laughed loudly and made fun of her for not liking the things they did. Then she imagined them looking at her with distain or even dislike because of her lack of interest in their favorite pastimes, and that was even worse.
She bit her lip, wondering if she would be able to find any common ground with them. She’d been a city girl for so long, and her favorite pastimes were going to museums or attending live performances or reading. She didn’t like to traipse through the great outdoors unless she knew that civilization—and easy access to coffee and real bathrooms—was less than an hour away. She preferred to have brainy discussions with people about interesting topics. She wondered how intellectual Cooper’s family was, and if they would think she was a snob if she tried to strike up a conversation about a challenging subject.
She reminded herself that she and Cooper were very different, but they still got along beautifully. They complemented each other well, and they’d learned to appreciate doing things outside of their comfort zone for each other.
But I can’t help worrying that his parents might have pictured someone very different for their son, she thought, feeling a fluttery sensation in her chest. What if they meet me and they’re disappointed?
“Julia!” Vivian exclaimed in alarm. “The pasta!”
“Oh!” Julia gasped as she realized that the pasta was boiling over. She hurried over to the stove and placed a wooden spoon across the opening of the pot.
“Are you all right?” Vivian asked her as she tore off a few paper towels to wipe up the mess with. She patted her daughter on the shoulder. “You’ve usually got laser focus in the kitchen.”
Julia sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, Mom. I am really distracted.”
“No need to apologize,” Vivian assured her, shooting her a curious glance as she began to wipe up the starchy water, being careful not to burn her fingers. “What’s on your mind, honey? Wedding stress?”
“Oh, I’m not stressed about the wedding. Well, not directly. That I feel like I have completely under control. It’s that… well, Cooper told me that his parents are coming into town soon and I’m really nervous that they won’t like me.”
“Sweetheart.” Vivian gave her daughter a hug, being careful not to touch her with her hands, which were still dirty from touching raw meat. “You have nothing to worry about. You’re kind and smart and charming. Besides, Cooper adores you and I’m sure they’re going to take that into account,” she added in a teasing tone.
Julia mustered a smile, but she still felt concerned. “I just… I mean, Cooper tells me that they’re really outdoorsy and they like to hunt and stuff. What if they ask me to go hunting with them while they’re here?” She bit her lip. “If it were anyone else, I would say, ‘No way, absolutely not.’ But I just know I’m going to be so worried about impressing them that I might say yes. And then I’ll be miserable and I won’t be able to hide it, and there’s no way I’m actually going to try to shoot something, and the whole thing will just be a total disaster.”
Vivian chuckled. “Even if they’re outdoorsy, it’s unlike they’d insist that you become some kind of hunting enthusiast. I would think that even avid hunters recognize that it’s a pastime that’s not for everyone. Besides, no matter what they want you to do, it doesn’t mean you have to be that way. Don’t go changing yourself to please anybody. Not even Cooper’s parents.”
Julia nodded, knowing that what her mother was telling her was good advice. She knew it would be hard for her to put it into practice, however. She could already feel her people-pleasing instincts squirming, wanting to go above and beyond to make a spectacular impression.
“And remember that Cooper loves you,” Vivian told her. “That’s the most important thing. Even if his parents don’t love you right away, I’m sure they will before long. And besides, you’re not marrying them. You’re marrying Cooper.”
Julia nodded and mustered another smile. She wanted to believe what her mother was telling her, but she was having trouble fully embracing it.
“I guess I just feel kind of blindsided by this new development,” she said, turning back to preparing the spaghetti sauce with a sigh. “I’d felt like I had everything totally under control, and I was just thinking how nice it was that I was moving toward my wedding without any stress. And now this happens. Something that’s totally outside of my control.”
Vivian smiled and touched Julia’s foot with hers, since she was still working on rolling the meatballs. “There are lots of things in life you can’t control, dear. So many things. Just consider this good practice in learning to accept and let go.”
Julia smiled back at her mother. “You’re right. I’ll have to do my best to do that.”
“It’s normal to be a little nervous,” Vivian assured her. “But don’t let those thoughts spiral out of control.”
“I do feel like I’m dealing with an unexpected swarm of emotions.” Julia shook her head. “I think it’s hitting me harder because I expected to feel relaxed and peaceful.”
Vivian nodded. “I hear that. But remember, you had to meet them at the wedding anyway. Isn’t it nice that now you don’t have to be nervous about that on your wedding day?”
Julia shook her head. “I wasn’t nervous about meeting them on the wedding day. I’m worried because they’re making a special trip. What if it’s because they think they’re not going to like me, and they want to kind of check me out before the wedding?”
Vivian chuckled again. “Remember what I said about spiraling?”
Julia groaned. “Oh, you’re right. But don’t you think that’s weird? All of a sudden, they want to meet me early? Maybe Cooper said something to them and now they’re worried they’re not going to like me.”
“You know, they could be coming early because they’re excited to meet you.” Vivian lifted a brow. “It might be a totally positive thing.”
“I guess so.” Julia swallowed. “You’re right, I need to stop thinking negatively about it.”
Vivian kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Just step away from those thoughts and they’ll stop appearing so formidable. How about we turn on some folk music? I’ll need you to do it, though.” She held up her messy hands with a smile.
“Sure. Folk music sounds good.” Julia went over to the radio her mother kept in a corner of the kitchen counter and turned it on. She chose a local station that played folk music, mainly classic songs from the 1970s. Her dad had loved it, and Vivian still listened to it a great deal.
She thought about her parents, and how well they’d always gotten along with her grandparents. She found herself wishing that she could have that kind of relationship with Cooper’s parents.
She crossed her fingers and went back to making the spaghetti sauce, determined to put a more positive face on things.