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Steve sat up straighter. “What do you need, son?”
“I’ve asked Cia to marry me, and we thought we could have a small ceremony and reception here in your garden.”
There was absolute silence around the table for seconds before my mom clasped her hands together. “But of course.”
Steve looked a bit shaken, but he managed to congratulate us both and raise his glass. “Let’s all raise our glasses to Gabriel and Cia and their bright future,” he said in a formal voice.
“What are we drinking to?” Granny asked.
“Cia and Gabriel are getting married,” Melody told her.
Granny raised her glass. “But weren’t you already with Brent’s daughter or did I misunderstand that?”
“CiaisBrent’s daughter,” my mom explained patiently.
Granny downed her glass of champagne. “Everyone knows you shouldn’t marry family… but you’re all celebrating.” She shook her head.
“We’re not blood related, Granny,” I told her again.
“That’s good, my child. That’s good,” she said but I could tell she had given up and wasn’t paying attention.
“When is the date?” Steve asked.
“We are flexible as long as it’s before we move.”
Melody and Brittany leaned closer and starting firing questions at Cia and me. Had we thought about what food we wanted, what colors, what kind of ceremony, how many people to invite? The wedding was getting them really excited.
“I would have preferred to just get married at the city hall with a hot dog and a walk along the pier afterwards,” Cia said and received looks of horror from my mom and my sisters.
Steve chuckled. “And to think I accused you of being a gold digger.”
There was a look between Steve and Cia, and if she had known him better she would have realized that he respected her.
“But if you don’t have any fixed ideas, we’ll be more than happy to help organize it all,” Melody offered. “I doubt I’ll ever get to plan my own wedding, so I would be more than honored to help plan yours.
Cia smiled. “Would you? That’s so nice of you.”
Melody lit up in a beaming smile, while Steve signaled for me to come with him. As we walked away from the table I could hear the women talk about where to buy a wedding dress and what flowers to get… Cia might not want a dream wedding, but she wanted family, and right now she was the center of attention with a bright smile on her face.
“This comes as a surprise,” Steve said.
“Yeah… but it feels right to me.”
“She’s only twenty-one,” he said with a raised brow.
“So?”
“That’s young.”
“I know, but Cia isn’t like others, she’s older than her age.”
Steve nodded slowly. “She is. Normally I would argue that you needed her to sign a prenuptial agreement, but in this case I won’t. Soon, she’ll have more money than you.”
I frowned. “Who, Cia? No, she’s doesn’t have much.”
“I think I should tell you that I transferred Brent’s inherence to his children. Including Cia.”
“What do you mean?”
