Page 132 of The Exception

“Did you—” he asked.

“I had no idea,” I said, though I was pleased.

“Jasper,” Graham said, shaking his hand before pulling him into a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“I won a visit to the château,” he said, and I assumed he was referring to their recent poker game. “So, we decided to surprise you.” He winked at me over Graham’s shoulder. “Hey, Lily. Hope it’s okay we crashed your party.”

“We?” Graham asked. And then the rest of his family joined us.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe you’re here,” I said, hugging each of them in turn. My smile felt as if it might break my face.

“We’ve been watching your YouStream channel,” Brooklyn said. “My best friend Sophia and her family are now obsessed with it.”

“Wow. Thanks.” I grinned, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that they were all here. For Graham. For me.

“No thanks necessary,” Knox said. “You’re family.”

I tugged at the corner of my eye, trying not to cry.

“This is amazing,” Sloan said, hugging me. “You should be proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”

“I—” Wow. “I am. Thank you.” I was just so overwhelmed by their love and support. “How are you feeling?”

“Good.” She placed her hands over her stomach. “Baby is good.”

“I’m happy to hear it,” I said, doing my best to hold back tears.

“Oh my god,” Emerson said, taking it all in. “This place is so amazing.”

“Thanks.” I was so proud of what I’d built, and it was nice to have others appreciate it. “I know it’s far from done, but I’m glad you can see the vision.”

“Oh, I can see the vision. You could have yoga classes on the lawn.” She went on to rattle off a few other suggestions to appeal to guests who prioritized wellness. I listened intently, taking notes for later. She was full of great ideas.

“I can’t wait for you to meet my best friend, Jo. She hosts these amazing retreats, and I think you two would really hit it off.”

Graham’s hand was on my lower back, and I smiled up at him, quickly swiping away a tear. I couldn’t believe his family had done this. My own family had never shown up for me, even when I’d lived in the same town. Let alone flown across the world to surprise me.

It wasn’t about the money; though, yes, that certainly made things easier. It was about the effort. It was about showing up for the people you loved and taking an interest in their passions.

Graham was lucky to have such a loving, supportive family. And I was lucky to be a part of it. The more I got to know his family, the more grateful I was to have married into it.

Our marriage might have started as a business agreement, but it had transformed into something real and beautiful. Even so, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Jo had said.

I loved Graham, and we’d agreed that there would be no more talk of expiration dates, yet our agreement remained in place. Technically, money and services were still trading hands, and that was the opposite of unconditional love. Of the type of genuine and lasting relationship I wanted.

It was weighing on me, and I’d been trying to brainstorm some options. I needed to discuss it with Graham. I planned to,afterwe made it throughles Journées du patrimoine.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned, expecting it to be Jo or a journalist. But when I saw who it was, I froze and my smile fell.What the…

I felt as if I was having an out-of-body experience. Or maybe this was a nightmare. I subtly tried to pinch my arm, desperately hoping I’d wake up.

Wake up!I shouted in my head.

But I didn’t. Because it wasn’t a dream. My mom was standing in front of me, the rest of my family clustered behind her.

“Lil?” Graham asked in a low voice. “What’s wrong?” just as Mom said, “Surprise!” with a bright smile.

“What are you doing here?” I blurted, so stunned to see her standing before me that I seemed to have momentarily lost my filter.

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