Rory’s eyes fluttered downward. “He keeps telling me that it doesn’t matter what they think, he’s marrying me regardless, and that should be enough.” Her eyes connected with her mother’s, moisture pooling in them. “I don’t think that’s enough for me, Mom,” she revealed, her voice gutted. “He doesn’t understand just how much this is affecting me. I came here because I needed some space to think, but…” Rory turned to look at her mother, eyes now glistening with her unshed tears. “I thought he would miss me enough to come to get me or at least beg me to come home, but it seems like he’s been doing okay without me.”
“Oh, Rory. I’m so sorry this is happening to you,” Andrea relayed sympathetically, pulling her daughter toward her chest.
A tear ran down Rory’s cheek as her mother lovingly smoothed her hand over her hair. “I miss him, Mom.” A sob escaped her lips.
“I know, sweetie,” Andrea soothed. After a few minutes of allowing Rory to release her pent-up emotions, she spoke. “I know it might not look like it now, honey, but I know that man loves you more than anything and that he misses you dearly.” She lifted Rory’s head, palming her cheeks as she stared at her seriously. “Forget what his mother and father think. Whatever they’ve been trying hasn’t worked, and I’m guessing they’ve been trying hard to sabotage this wedding…am I right?”
Rory slowly nodded before averting her eyes. If her mother only knew how hard they’d been trying, especially Lenora, she was sure she would be on the next flight to San Fran to confront them. She didn’t want that, especially with the nuptials being so close. For that reason, she opted to keep the information about the prenup to herself.
“Don’t worry about them. They don’t matter, and nothing they do ever will. I’ll make sure of it.” A mutinous expression crossed her face, her blue eyes steely with determination. Rory’s heart slammed against her chest with anxiety.
“Mom…please don’t.”
Andrea looked down at her daughter. “What? I wasn’t planning on confronting them…at least not in the way you’re thinking,” she smiled slightly. That didn’t fill Rory with assurance. She gave her mother a look of skepticism.
“I promise, I won’t do anything out of the ordinary…as long as it is not warranted.”
“Mom…”
Andrea pressed her lips against her daughter’s temple before moving her head back to look at her again. “I love you, sweetheart. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I want you to know that.”
That was what Rory was afraid of.
“Just promise me you won’t say anything to them when they get here. Better yet, it would be great if you could sit at the opposite end for the reception,” she implored.
“That wouldn’t be very family-like, now would it, sweetheart? Besides, I think it would be a great idea to show the Davises just how loving of a family we are.”
Rory sighed, fearing that would only make the problem worse.
“Sweetie,” Andrea said, bringing her daughter’s attention back to her. “They. Don’t. Matter,” she reiterated. “What matters is that you are marrying the man of your dreams. The man who knows you’re good enough for him, just the way you are.”
“Thanks, Mom. I needed that.”
Andrea placed another kiss against her temple. “No need to thank me, I’m your mother, and that’s what mothers do.”
“Still, I want you to know just how much I appreciate you and everything that you’ve ever done for me.” Rory reached over and placed a loving kiss against her mother’s cheek. “You are one in a million.”
Andrea smiled warmly at her.
Rory finally turned her attention to the forgotten pie and reached for the fork. “Let me get in a few bites of this before it gets cold again.”
“I have an idea.”
Rory raised a curious brow at her mother.
“Some Ben & Jerry’s would go really great with this, and we could stay up a little longer and maybe watch some ‘I Love Lucy,” she suggested.
“Do we have double fudge brownie?” Rory asked.
“Let me check.” Andrea opened the freezer before reaching her hand inside. She turned around with a tub of ice cream in her hand and a broad smile on her lips. “We’re in luck,” she spoke triumphantly.
“Yay!” Rory exclaimed, doing a little jiggle.
“Looks like we’re just in time to join the party.”
She looked to the kitchen’s entrance to see both her aunts there with semi-perplexed grins on their faces.
“Hi, guys. We were gonna veg out in front of the TV in the family room,” Andrea explained.
