Page 79 of Done with You

“You can just call me Joy, honey,” she said, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. “Can I get you two some coffee?”

“None for me, Nana,” Rayma said. “I have to go to the florists, then pick up the flower girl dresses from the seamstress and—” Her phone started to warble in her pocket and she grabbed it. “It’s Pasha.” She put it to her ear. “Hey, what’s up?” They all watched as Rayma’s happy, carefree expression fell from her face, as if someone had strapped anvils to it and tossed it off the side of a bridge. Her eyes went wide in horror and her blinking became deliberate and frequent. “Why? Why? Why?”

Joy rested a hand on Rayma’s shoulder. “Put it on speaker, sweetie.”

Rayma nodded, but her hands shook as she tried. Joy ended up having to take the phone from her and do it. “Pasha, my love, it’s Joy, you’re on speakerphone now. What has Rayma so upset?”

Pasha exhaled into the phone. “Mom and Dad caught an earlier flight.”

Joy’s dark blue eyes widened, so did Grant’s.

It appeared that Aiden was the only one left in the dark.

“They’re en route now,” Pasha said.

“But that’s days earlier than scheduled,” Grant said. “They weren’t supposed to arrive until the day of the wedding. That was the plan. Rayma didn’t want them here any earlier than necessary.”

“Apparently a big storm is forecasted for that time and they didn’t want to risk being snowed in. They have booked a hotel and arrive tonight. I woke up to the email from Dad, along with their flight itinerary.” Her voice was sad. “I’m sorry, Rayma. Just know that we are all here for you and will not let them ruin your wedding.”

Rayma’s bottom lip trembled and she swallowed, but then she looked at Joy and seemed to inflate like a balloon right before their eyes. She puffed out her chest, lifted her chin, and clenched her jaw tight. “I can do this.”

Joy smiled at her and nodded. “Absolutely, you can, angel.”

“We can do this,” Pasha said. “We’re all here.”

“That’s right, kiddo. We’re all here for you,” said another woman’s voice on the phone. It took Aiden less than a second to realize it was Oona’s voice and his belly fluttered. “You don’t have to brave them alone.”

“I’ve already texted Jordan and told him,” Pasha said. “And Heath and I will go and pick them up from the airport. You don’t even have to see them tonight. Their flight doesn’t get in until late, so we’ll just take them straight to the Howard Johnson, which is where they’re staying. You never have to be alone with them, Rayma. We will always have someone there with you.”

Rayma nodded. But her strength had returned. “I’m not afraid of them. They can’t hurt me anymore.”

“No, they can’t,” came another voice, which sounded like Triss.

“Them sending me to Pasha was the best thing that ever happened to me. I never would have met Joy, or this amazing family, or Jordan,” Rayma went on. “I’m not going to let them ruin this day for me.”

“That’s our girl,” Mieka said. “We have your back. Always.”

At this point, Joy had wrapped her arm around Rayma and was still holding her phone, nodding at everything the women on the other end said.

Aiden, however, was confused as fuck. What on earth had Rayma’s parents done to her to elicit such a terrified response? And why, if they had done something so horrible, were they still invited to the wedding?

“We’ll get through this,” Pasha said. “That’s what bridesmaids and maids of honors do. We take care of the bullshit, so the bride can have a drama-free day.”

“And days leading up to the wedding,” Triss added.

“Thank you,” Rayma said softly.

“I’ll call you later, kiddo,” Pasha said. Then the call disconnected.

Rayma exhaled and her shoulders slumped and rounded as she accepted her phone back from Joy. “Maybe I will have that coffee now, Nana. Take it to go.” Joy nodded, disengaged herself from Rayma, and went about pouring two to-go coffee from the French press. Then she set the electric kettle on to boil again, emptied the old grounds into the compost, and filled the carafe with fresh ones.

“Need someone to drive you around today?” Grant offered. “If you’re worked up, I don’t want you behind the wheel. Happy to run errands with you.”

Rayma smiled and was about to shake her head, but then she stopped herself and nodded. “Actually, that would be really great. I could use the company and all the crazy holiday weekend drivers will just give me road rage.”

Grant grinned. “Just let me brush my teeth and grab my coat.” Then he was up and out of his seat, pausing only for a second in the kitchen to kiss Joy on the cheek. She handed him the two to-go mugs. Like she knew all along that Grant was going to go with Rayma. Cradling one mug in his elbow, he rested a hand on Aiden’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze before exiting the room.

Aiden’s mind reeled. He couldn’t understand why he was there, or why he was being left alone with Joy. And he really wanted to know what the drama and history was behind Rayma’s reaction to her parents’ early arrival.

---