Page 38 of The One Before

“My friends are back in the city,” I say. “I don’t want to inconvenience them.”

“So they’re not invited?” asks Roman, his tone slightly less intrusive.

“Yes, they’re invited,” I say. “My best friend, Beth, is having a baby soon. It doesn’t make sense for her to travel. She’s the only person I care about being there.”

“I’m not sure why this is anyone’s business,” Coop says, standing and carrying empty dishes into the kitchen. “It’s our wedding.”

“She’s been poking around our business since she got here,” Regina says, pointing at me.

“That’s not true,” I say.

Roman drains the rest of his drink and clenches his jaw. Without saying anything, he pulls the bottle from the middle of the table and pours more.

“You might want to slow it down,” Coop says to him, walking back into the room.

“My drinking isn’t the problem right now,” Roman says, chuckling.

The room is quiet, so quiet I realize the music I’d been playing as I cooked is still on. The soft melody drifts towards us from the kitchen. It’s the instrumental version of a popular song I can’t quite place. I cling to this unknown tune, trying not to feel the pressure rising in my chest.

“I’m sorry, Madison.” Josephine is the first to speak. “I’m not sure what’s gotten into Regina. Whatever it is, she’s taking it out on you, and that’s not fair.”

Regina pushes her chair and stands dramatically.

“Will you settle down?” Coop tries desperately to reclaim the evening.

“I’m only saying what all of us are thinking,” Regina whines. “She’s worming her way into our family, and we know nothing about her.”

Is that what they think? That I’m infiltrating the Douglas caste? That I’ve trapped Coop somehow? The fact no one speaks suggests so. If they only understood how much I’ve sacrificed to be with him. My city. My job. My hand might have been forced on the last one, but I still chose to move here. And I’m choosing to stay, despite the tension between Coop and his family and this shitty town.

“Why do you have to always start something?” asks Roman. He stares at Regina, and I can see there’s a dangerous sheen in his eyes.

“Sorry, I don’t take orders like you,” Regina says, snidely. “All I did was ask questions.”

“And Madison answered them,” Coop says, placing his arm on the back of my chair. “She didn’t have to, but she did.”

“Why can’t you be happy for Cooper?” asks Roman. His eyes haven’t left Regina, but his face is reddening. “Why can’t you be happy for any of us?”

“Oh, I’m happy. I’m the only person in this family who isn’t living like a fraud.” She pushes in her chair, then stomps to the back porch. It amazes me that even in a horrific display of rudeness, Regina still has manners. She’s conditioned. They all are.

Roman stands and puts his napkin over his plate. “Excuse me.” He follows Regina out.

“What’s going on with them?” Coop asks his mother.

Josephine doesn’t reply. She sips her wine gracefully, ignoring the crumbling dynamics around her. Yelling breaks out on the porch. Regina first, then Roman. Coop leaves the table, joining his siblings outside in an attempt to mollify them.

I don’t know what to say. I don’t even know where to start. There’s never been anyone in my life that could pull this level of frustration out of me over something so petty. And yet, I feel like I’m the source of all this. Coop’s family is displeased with me, and I don’t know why.

“Well.” Josephine finally speaks, once Coop has slammed the back door shut. That one word pulls my attention immediately. I’m no longer distracted by the music playing or the raised voices outside. I’m tuned into Josephine, and what she’ll say next. “I apologize on behalf of my children.”

“I’m not sure what went wrong,” I say. It’s true. I never predicted this evening could spiral so quickly.

“When my children were younger, I never imagined they’d still behave this way. Become this bothered over the tiniest comments. A lot has happened since they were younger, though. You have to understand that.”

“All I want to do is be happy here. I want to get to know all of you,” I stutter, thinking of the best way to form the next sentence. “I’m not digging into the past.”

She smiles. “It’s okay for you to have questions. Regina prides herself for being different, but she’s more trapped than she’d prefer to admit. We all are, in our own way. What happened back then, between Cooper and Celia, had an impact on all of us.”

This is the first time I’ve heard her say the name. The first time we’ve discussed anything deeper than material finishes. “Josephine, we don’t need to talk about this.”

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