“You’re right.”
Edward followed but kept several feet between us.
Then a small voice stopped me.
“Mom?”
Myoldest daughter stood near the hallway.
I wiped under one eye quickly.
“Hey.”
A small voice stopped me.
She looked past me toward the reception.
“Why did Dad say nobody would date you?”
I crouched so we were closer to eye level.
“He was being unkind, sweetheart.”
“Why did Dad say nobody would date you?”
She thought about that.
“Edward isn’t your boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Then why did you say he was?”
There are moments when lying to your child would be much easier.
I couldn’t do it.
“Edward isn’t your boyfriend?”
“Because I wanted your dad to think somebody wanted me.”
She frowned.
“But we wanted you here.”
I didn’t answer.
There wasn’t anything to add without making it smaller.
She hugged me.
“But we wanted you here.”
Then somebody called her from the reception, and she ran back.
I stayed crouched for another second.
When I stood, Edward wasstill waiting.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I’m still mad at you.”
“You should be.”
“I’m still mad at you.”
Before I could answer, Max approached.
He had left the trousers on the table.
His smugness had returned.
Max looked at Edward.
Then at me.
“You’re marrying Claire,” I said. “You got what you wanted. Why do you still need me to be undesirable?”
His smugness had returned.
He didn’t answer.
Claire had followed him.
She stood several feet behind us.
Max glanced at her.
“She’s twisting this.”
Claire looked at me.
Then at him.
“You told me she stopped trying.”
“She’s twisting this.”
Max frowned.
“She did.”
Claire’s eyes stayed on him.
“That’s not what I just heard.”
Max wasn’t smiling anymore.
And for the first time since he’d packed those suitcases, I wasn’t waiting for him to tell me what that meant about me.
“That’s not what I justheard.”
***
Back inside the reception, Edward picked up the trousers and started folding them into the box.
