Valentine lowers herself into the chair I’ve pulled out for her, and I take the spot next to her.
There’s no assigned seating, but our table is spoken for. Two of my uncles and my aunt Dina, who hugged Val at the funeral, are already seated, but I wait for my mom to settle in across from Val before I start introductions.
I start with the uncles, and then I watch Valentine squeeze her hands together in her lap when I introduce her to my aunt. So by the time I get to my mom, I place my hand over Val’s on her thigh, hoping to help calm her down.
“And last but never least, this is my mother.” Val tenses beside me. “Mother, meet my wife, Valentine.”
My mom presses her hands to her chest, one on top of the other, over her heart. “It’s so nice to meet you. I—” She shakes her head and starts pushing back from the table. “No, this won’t do.”
“Mom, what are you doing?” I sigh.
Val tenses and turns to me. “Is she leaving?”
Her question shoots sadness into my heart. “No, Angel.” I tip my head toward where my mom is now circling the table. “She’s coming to accost you.”
Val turns her head just in time to catch my mom opening her arms, clearly expecting my new wife to hug her.
Unaware of Val’s obvious distress, Mom grabs Val’s shoulders and pulls her up and out of her chair.
Val goes willingly, and I give them three solid seconds before I stand and place a hand on my mom’s arm. “Mother, you have the rest of your life to smother Valentine with your affection. Can we have dinner now before everyone gets completely drunk?”
Mom lets her go. “Fine, fine.”
As Mom hurries around to her seat, I keep my hand on the back of Val’s neck and guide her back into her chair. “She can be kind of a lot.”
Val glances at me. “Must be genetic.”
I grin, glad she’s teasing me. Even though there’s still too much emotion in her eyes.
Emotion that has been there since she first set foot in the restaurant.
She was so stunned I wondered if maybe a party was the wrong idea. Maybe she doesn’t like surprises or doesn’t like to celebrate her birthday. But the expression on her face was more than simple shock. It was disbelief. Like she couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that people were gathered for her. And I don’t understand that.
I was trying to do something nice, not knock her off balance.
“Now, if you don’t want to call me Mom yet—”
“Mom.” I widen my eyes at her, hoping she’ll drop it.
She just waves me off and keeps talking to Val. “You can call me Bibi.”
My mom doesn’t even spare me another look, just starts pointing around the table, explaining who is sibling to who.
Picking up my drink, I relax into my chair.
I’ve done my research on Valentine Gandy. I know she grew up with a single mother. I know she shares a dad with King. I know, based on birth dates and the fact that their dad was married to King’s mom when he died, that Valentine must have been the product of an affair.
I know that even though she’s much younger than they are, Val still spends time with King and Aspen. And I know she knows enough about The Alliance to accept having her own bodyguard.
But I also know her mom passed away when she was nineteen.
So I don’t know how Val might feel about my mom basically asking her to call her Mom.
But she seems to take it in stride, nodding along and making sounds of understanding as Mom explains the entire family tree.
Servers swarm through the room, setting family-style platters of pasta on the table before us and refilling all our drinks.
The food steadily disappears, and Mom hasn’t quit talking to Val. But as time passes, I can feel my wife finally start to relax.
