Page 48 of It Happened In Paris

Vivian: They charmed each other, of course.And apparently we own a horse now. Send help.

Chelsea: Oh my! And how was my MIL to you?

Vivian: Miriam seems to have accepted me.

Chelsea: Yes! Welcome to the family.

I was about to complain that she was getting ahead of herself when I overheard Richard and Miriam speaking quietly nearby while Paris remained absorbed with her new toys.

“When will they move to the city?” Miriam asked matter-of-factly. “You know, to get Paris into all the best schools, put her on the waiting lists now. Of course, we’ve donated a fortune to a few over the years, so I could easily get her name to the top of a list with one phone call.”

“School? City?” I grabbed Richard’s arm, confused.

Miriam clicked her tongue and edged closer. “Well, of course, Vivian. I assumed you two had discussed some sort of co-parenting or custody arrangement. Living hours apart isn’t ideal.” She looked pointedly at Richard.

He quickly interjected, “That’s not important right now, Mother. We need to focus on the surgery and Paris’s health—everything else we’ll work out later.” He squeezed me and kissed my temple as if to reassure me she had misspoken. But it was too late; my doubts resurfaced.

I trusted him, clearly too blinded by his attention to think things through about sharing custody and living arrangements and-and… horses.

I’d never had to share Paris before. With Richard would be one thing, but Miriam, too? And what about our life in Holly Creek? My shop? Paris’ school friends?

The secure, small-town upbringing I had dreamed of for my daughter suddenly seemed threatened by these big-city influences.

19

FAMILY GAMES

VIVIAN

After lunch,Rex and Chelsea arrived and stayed with us for the rest of the day. It gave me a chance to slip Chelsea away to the empty waiting room down the hall and share my deepest worries about Miriam’s visit.

“What if Richard and Miriam take my little girl away? Or what if they want her shuttled back and forth to the city constantly? They’ve got more money than I do to fight a custody battle,” I confessed.

“You’re being irrational. Richard wouldn’t do that to you. Rex mentioned that all his brother ever wanted was to follow in their father’s footsteps—business success with a loving family. Please, don’t get so worked up,” she urged.

“But Miriam can be such a force to reckon with.”

“Believe me, I know. I survived an entire year of wedding planning while she kept butting in and giving orders at every opportunity. Once I finally stood up for what mattered to me, we began seeing each other as equals. Rex always has my back.”

“You’re lucky, Chels.”

“Rex loves his mom, but he loves me, too. Since I’m the one he sleeps with every night, he’s learned to side with me and keepme happy when it comes to anything with Miriam.” She smiled mischievously.

“That’s great for you, having Rex trained like that. I’m not so sure about Richard. When the topic of moving and Paris’ school came up, he just pushed it aside to talk about it later—he didn’t really stand up for me or ask what I wanted.”

“Then you need to have a conversation with him. Typically, couples have time to discuss and understand each other’s needs before having kids. You two have jumped a few steps by having a child first. Now, talk it through and figure things out.”

“You’re good at this.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve spent a little more time with the Buchanans than you have.”

“True. Any other advice?” She considered it for a minute.

“Deep down, I think Richard craves to love and be loved more than anything else. Trust that, and lean into it if you’re feeling something for him. Before long, you could have him eating wedding cake out of your hands.” She winked. I automatically pictured him naked, eating a slice of salted caramel cake from my hand. Not an unpleasant view of him at all.

I snorted. “There’s no way I’m ever having a big city wedding like you did. I mean… if Richard and I were even… er, you know.”

She wrapped me in a hug. “Give him a chance, Viv. See where this goes.”

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