Page 52 of The Heiress

Mama rises, trembling as she takes a step forward toward me. “You didn’t evenaskus. You didn’t invite us.” Her bottom lip quivers. “We were supposed to help you plan a wedding. We dreamed of that. Of giving you the celebration you deserve.”

I falter.

This part hurts more than I expected. Because under the status and image obsession, Mama didwantme to be happy with someone that made me excited to get married. We never prepared for the day I brought home a girl. Even though there was a chance it could have been the boy of her dreams, could I have stood it? Even if I loved him? Hiding that part of myself from my family? From my own mother?

“I didn’t think you’d support it,” I reply.

“Didn’t think?” she snaps. “You didn’task.”

As Lorde attempts to keep my hand in hers, I break away, facing my mother. “Because I was afraid you’d try to stop it. You’d say something about how I was embarrassing you and thatthis wasn’t the kind of love worth honoring because it didn’t fit some perfect, traditional script you brought over from Italy!”

Her eyes fill with tears, and she looks away. “You think so little of us. Of me.”

“No, Mama. I think somuchof you that I had to take a Xanax to come in here to tell you because I knew it would probably end with all our hearts breaking!”

The air is heavy with everything we’ve been dancing around for years. Daddy quietly stares at his Italian loafers. Mama wipes her cheek and finally looks at Lorde –reallylooks at her.

“You love her?” she asks my wife.

Lorde nods. “More than I ever thought I could love anybody.”

“And you didn’t do this for publicity? For a laugh?”

“I don’t find anything funny about this,” Lorde says. “We did it because she’s the only one who hasevermade me think I could be with one woman for the rest of my life. Trust me, she wasn’t exactly the one I thought it would be when we first met. You’ve raised a helluva spitfire, Mrs. DeMonte.”

The awkward silence expands. A clock ticks on the wall and the air conditioner kicks on in the corner of the parlor.

Daddy grunts. “The Antonettis are still in town. Mr. Antonetti is... not thrilled.”

“I’m sure he isn’t,” Lorde says.

Mama puffs out her cheek, the rouge on her skin making her look like an apple. “He expected an engagement announcement. Instead, he got a tabloid leak about a Vegas elopement.”

“Then let’s meet him,” Lorde says. “Let’s tell him what’s happening and why I’m the one who is perfect to represent the DeMonte family in the coming generations. Because, if you didn’t know, I still plan on taking her name and leaving the Sheen life behind me.”

They both gape at her. “Lorde—”

She interrupts me. “You’re my wife, right? Sure, we got married a lot faster than we ever thought, but it’s the right thing for us to do. Now the Antonettis can’t do a damn thing about it. But theycansave their asses by agreeing to meet with me.” She turns to Daddy. “Just me. Let me handle it. If I can’t, if I blow everything up, then you won’t have to see me again. Daisy and I will leave you to it and go live our own lives in Hollywood.”

I gasp. “Lorde!”

“That won’t be necessary!” Mama interjects. “Look, feelings are quite high right now.” She glances at Daddy. “Aren’t they,Marcello?”

He grunts again.

“Let’s have dinner. We’ll tell Rosa to set two extra plates. We’re going to talk about everything as rational adults. After all, they’re married! They can talk like rational adults!”

The fact that Mama is kinda freaking out right now while saying that is not lost on any of us. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her get up in the middle of a fight and lay everything on the line. “So, we’ll talk. About how things are going to be while we move forward. As a family. Because I don’t know about the DeMontes, but in my family, weneverthrew anyone out for any reason! You could have murdered a whole village and we’d foolishly protect your butt!”

Mama saidbutt.I can’t take any of this seriously. But I don’t have a choice.

Dinner it is.

Chapter 26

Lorde

Iam no stranger to the kinds of rooms where entire lives are made or destroyed. My ass has seen split dresses backstage at major fashion shows, complete with the words,“Get out of my design, you fat cow!”coming from a coked-up designer. I’ve even been in a boardroom where someone was given the thumbs up to invest in a major rideshare app that went on to change the world and “disrupt” the delivery industry.

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