Page 111 of Takedown

“Everyone looks beautiful,” I say while looking at my reflection. Jennifer’s done an amazing job with everyone’s hair and makeup. My mother’s the only one who went to her own stylist.

As if she can hear my thoughts, she walks in holding Addy’s hand.

“Look, Auntie. I’m pretty.” Addy spins in her dress. Her crown of flowers falls off of her head and Alex runs to pick it up.

My mother walks over and stands behind me, and looks at me through the mirror. She looks sad. Her eyes suddenly fill with unshed tears and she dabs them with a tissue.

“You look beautiful, Melanie. You really do.” She put a hand on my shoulder, and for once, I don’t cringe at her touch.

“Thanks, Mom,” I say to her.

“Can I talk to you alone for a minute?”

My stomach drops. I’m minutes away from marrying Adam. The last thing I need is to fight with her. Everyone in the room freezes. I’m sure Tara and Elizabeth have their suspicions about me and my mother, but they’ve never asked.

“Now’s not the time, Diane. This is Mellie’s day. You’ve had years. You don’t need to talk to her today of all days.” Alex’s words have bite. My mother visibly cringes. Her relationship with Alex never recovered. Alex is not shy about taking sides, and she’s taken mine.

“It’s almost time to go. The limos are here,” Molly says.

“Please. I won’t upset you. I promise.” I nod once, and everyone else clears the room. I finally turn around and look at my mother. She smiles again, but it’s marred by sadness. She takes a small tentative step closer and holds out a hand to me. I can tell she’s holding her breath while she waits for me to take it. I reach out and take her hand. Once I do, she lets out a sob.

“Mom, let’s not do this right now. I only want to be happy today.”

“I know. I know.” She dabs her eyes again. “You’re such a beautiful bride. Such a beautiful young woman, and I know that’s despite me. And it’s your wedding day, so I don’t want to make this about me. I just want you to know that I’m happy for you, and that I’m proud of you. I’m so proud to have you as my daughter. I know I haven’t shown it, but I am. I’m working all of that out, and it’s a lot to unpack, Mellie. I also want you to know that I tried before. Nine years ago, I saw a therapist. You were away at college and I realized the damage I had done. You never came home. You never called. I’m not blaming you for any of that. You didn’t call or come home because of me, but I wasn’t ready to hear it back then. I wasn’t ready to face what I had done, but I am now.”

She takes my hand and puts it to her lips. When my eyes fill with tears, she grabs another tissue and gently dabs them dry.

“Thank you for saying that. That means a lot. Especially today,” I say. I grab the tissue and wipe the corner of my eye, careful not to disturb my makeup.

“And Adam loves you so much. I’m so happy that you have that in a partner. That’s what you deserve. That’s all a mother can want for her child.” She smiles wide, and for the first time since she walked in, the sadness is gone. I smile back at her, and she lets out a laugh. She takes a step closer and takes me into a hug. It’s quick, and when she pulls away, she kisses my cheek.

“Thank you, Mom,” I say to her. “I think we better go before Adam comes looking for me. I don’t want to miss making my grand entrance.”

There’s a knock on the door, and my father walks in. He stops mid-step when he sees me. He opens his arms. I walk into them, careful not to get too close and ruin my makeup.

“The most beautiful bride in the history of the world.” He tucks my arm in his and escorts me out of the room where everyone is waiting. Tara grabs my hand and walks with me.

“I like Adam and all, but I’m so glad you’re part of the package,” she tells me.

I must admit that I love being part of Adam’s family. I’ve gotten very close to Elizabeth and Tara. Their lavish lifestyle is something we are both getting used to. Ethan is sending us to Paris on his private plane. Instead of the hotel Adam booked for us, they are sending us to the Paris Four Seasons for one week and then to a private villa in Nice for another. And that was only the beginning.

A few weeks prior

“You can’t say no. It’s a wedding gift,” Tara says while she pours wine. We never go more than a few weeks without seeing each other in person. Either we will fly there for a weekend, or they will come to Boston. Not a day goes by that Adam doesn’t talk to his siblings, and they’re not the only ones making the calls these days. Adam FaceTimes them every night after dinner. He says it’s to talk to Vincent, but I know the truth. He loves his brother and sister.

“But we don’t need a private plane or the Four Seasons,” I say, but no one is paying attention to me. “And you already bought everything on our wedding registries.” I look directly at Tara when I say that. All she does is laugh and wave me off. She won’t admit it, but I know it was her.

“And that’s not all,” Ethan says. He looks at a grinning Elizabeth. She pulls an envelope out of her purse and slides it along the table.

“You open it, love. I’m almost afraid to,” Adam says to me.

I’m not sure if it’s because they are extremely generous or because they are trying to make up for their father’s awful treatment of Adam, but they love to spoil their brother.

With shaking hands, I tear the envelope open. My eyes bug out when I see that it’s a deed to an apartment in their building in New York. Apartment is putting it mildly. It’s a five thousand square foot home overlooking Central Park. Adam is struck speechless when I hold the deed in front of him. He shakes his head and I know he’s going to tell them we can’t accept, but Elizabeth speaks first. “It’s a wedding gift.” She reaches over and grabs Adam’s hands. “I promise we aren’t trying to buy you off. We just love you guys, and we want to show you. We’ve missed out on so much time with you, Adam. We know we can’t erase or make up for dear old Dad but let us spoil our baby brother and his wife. Say yes, or I swear I will cry again.”

Adam kisses the back of Elizbeth’s hand. “You don’t have to give us things, and you two have nothing to make up for,” Adam reassures them. “I love you guys too. And maybe I shouldn’t have blown you two off for so long.”

“He finally admits it!” Ethan says.

---